Quality Management at Bethany
Bethany has just recently rolled out a new Fall Management policy. This new policy amalgamates five current fall policies into one Fall Management policy document and is aligned with the Alberta Health Services (AHS) Fall Management framework. This new document outlines how we can improve the way we identify and communicate resident fall risk and supports our model of continuous quality improvement in care delivery.
The process undertaken to develop this new policy is one that is supported by our Integrated Quality Management Framework. This framework was introduced two years ago as the organization was preparing for Accreditation. All Bethany staff have an important role to play in ongoing quality improvement and integrated quality management supports a culture of quality improvement that is key to our future success. Bethany’s Quality Management Framework outlines the processes, procedures and responsibilities for achieving quality care and services as well as assisting in the coordination and direction of our activities to ensure that resident/ family and regulatory requirements (our Accommodation, Continuing Care Health Services and Public Health Standards) are met.
At Bethany, integrated quality management includes structures and processes that focus on engaging front line care teams in the identification of opportunities for quality improvement. The formation of site based Quality Safety Committees (QSC) is intended to support continuous quality improvement by working from the “bedside out”. Monitoring the quality of care processes with indicators such as fall rates, skin and wound trends, medication errors and resident/family satisfaction help the QSC identify areas for improvement that directly impact care quality. Site QSC are supported by Bethany’s education and quality teams to ensure best practice evidence, guidelines and further evaluation support high quality care processes. Senior leaders in the organization establish and support a quality culture by supporting the work of these teams and ensuring that quality improvement activities are both supported by and are contributing to our organization’s strategic and operational business priorities.
Since the introduction of the Quality Management Framework and the site based QSC, new policies and guidelines have been implemented in the areas of skin and wound management, pain assessment and screening, restraints use and the use of anti-psychotic medications. Our quality management structure is increasingly helpful in identifying quality improvement priorities in response to opportunities identified by care teams as well as changing guidelines and new evidence. Although we continue to work together to improve how we identify and address quality improvement opportunities, we have gotten better at this every year.
Thank you for all that you do in creating a quality culture at Bethany.
As always, I welcome any ideas or suggestions you may have. Please send them to me at nancy.hughes@bethanyseniors.com.
Regards,
Nancy
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