Alaska Pioneer Homes Advisory Board Report - Fall 2009

Alaska Veterans and Pioneer Home
October 2009
A facility that houses residents for a short stay while medication
trials for behavior management are completed would provide a safe
temporary transition and allow the resident to return home to
AVPH.
As with all of us, our population is aging and acute illnesses are
bound to occur. Technological advances in healthcare allow
patients to live longer with the support of new devices and
equipment. Hospital stays have grown shorter since the Medicare
DRG reimbursement system was implemented. This poses yet
another challenge for us; when hospitals discharge sooner our
Home must be prepared for residents re-entering the home with
higher acuity and medical needs. New equipment and higher
acuities require additional training and nursing time to manage.
The line becomes blurred between skilled care and assisted living.
Every level of healthcare has seen an increase in acuities. Skilled
care facilities now manage patients that used to be cared for in
hospitals. As profit margins have shrunk, fewer providers are
willing to accept Medicare patients. This problem is universal
throughout the country; however Alaska has a very limited number
of skilled nursing beds and Medicare providers. We are simply
experiencing this challenge as part of the bigger healthcare problem
in the country.
This year we were audited by Assisted Living Licensing, US
Department of Veterans Affairs, US Department of Labor, and
Medicaid. Although all audits acknowledge that we are providing
excellent care, the need for documentation of all our services has
increased. This places a huge burden on all staff and takes time
away from the resident.
Our building also continues to age and feels as though it is bulging
at the seams. VA inspections have resulted in additional space
requirements for utility rooms. The few existing closets that were
left have been remodeled to meet compliance requirements.
Although there were extensive heating and ventilation upgrades
with the VA construction project, certain areas of the home
continue to have very poor ventilation.
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