California has the fastest growing population in the country. The fastest growing segment of California's population are persons age 85 and older. Every year, California nursing homes care for over 400,000 frail and elderly residents with nursing needs.
The Governor's Aging With Dignity Initiative requires the Department of Health Services to initiate a number of activities intended to significantly improve the quality of care to frail and elderly Californians in nursing homes.
As signed by the Governor, AB 1731 (Chapter 451, Statutes of 2000) enacts comprehensive nursing home reform to improve quality of care and ensure protection of California’s nursing home residents. The bill:
° Gives the Department of Health Services additional state enforcement and oversight authority;
° Provides the tools necessary to ensure that the licensing process is effective in protecting residents and promoting the highest level of care;
° Creates a quality assurance process for preventing, detecting and correcting inconsistent or poor quality state survey processes;
° Requires the department to assess the adequacy of current nurse staffing ratios;
° Creates a mechanism for rewarding facilities that maintain the highest quality of patient care;
° Requires rapid response to complaints, and improved communication with residents and their families regarding their disposition;
° Requires the sharing of survey information with consumers; and
° Creates a process to review the Medi-Cal reimbursement rate methodology.
The information presented will discuss the Department's implementation of these new laws as well as their outcomes.
Learning Objectives: Clearly identify steps necessary to improve quality of care, as identified in the California Governor's "Aging with Dignity" Initiative. Also, present outcomes related to the Initiative.
Keywords: Aging, Health Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.