Alaska Pioneer Homes Advisory Board Report - Fall 2009

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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. 14
Alaska Veterans and Pioneer Home October 2009 One such area is the pharmacy closet in the Nursing Resource Center. Temperatures in that area have been above what is considered safe for medication storage. It is our hope that capital funding will be approved to remodel the Nursing Resource Center to better suit the current needs of the home and its residents while meeting regulatory requirements and standards of care. Veteran’s beds filled- % etc add. 15 Ed Walker at the VA CBOC opening ceremony
Page 1 and 2: Department of Health & Social Servi
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Mission Statement
Page 5 and 6: Governance The Division of Alaska P
Page 7 and 8: (3) Level III services include (A)
Page 9 and 10: Safe Lifting Initiative This year t
Page 11 and 12: Alaska Veterans and Pioneer Home Oc
Page 13: Alaska Veterans and Pioneer Home Oc
Page 17 and 18: Anchorage Pioneer Home October 2009
Page 19 and 20: Anchorage Pioneer Home October 2009
Page 21 and 22: Fairbanks Pioneer Home October 2009
Page 23 and 24: Challenges Fairbanks Pioneer Home O
Page 25 and 26: Juneau Pioneer Home October 2009 Ac
Page 27 and 28: Juneau Pioneer Home October 2009 Ch
Page 29 and 30: Ketchikan Pioneer Home October 2009
Page 31 and 32: Ketchikan Pioneer Home October 2009
Page 33 and 34: Sitka Pioneer Home October 2009 Int
Page 35 and 36: Sitka Pioneer Home October 2009 Co

Alaska Pioneer Homes Advisory Board Report - Fall 2009

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