Join the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes Campaign!

Send a message that quality nursing home care matters!*

High quality nursing home care – where each resident gets the care that is right for them – is important to all of us. Nursing home residents, their families, and people who may someday choose a nursing home should be able to expect the best possible care and quality of life. The Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign is the first national effort to measure quality by setting measurable “clinical quality goals” and “organizational improvement goals.”

What is Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes?

This is a national two-year campaign to improve the quality of life and care in nursing homes across the country. Every nursing facility may participate by voluntarily pledging to focus on three or more campaign goals. Nursing homes that participate will have free access to assistance and information from quality experts to help them meet their targeted goals. The majority of resources are available through the campaign’s website at www.nhqualitycampaign.org. Over 20 national organizations and 46 statewide coalitions are participating in this campaign.

In Indiana, United Senior Action is a member of the Campaign’s Local Area Network for Excellence (LANE). The LANE is a coalition of stakeholders at the state level that works to: encourage providers and consumers to enroll; promote the campaign; provide access to local education; foster constructive relationships among stakeholders; and identify evidenced-based protocols.

To learn more about the campaign, go to www.nhqualitycampaign.org .

What are the goals of the campaign?

There are eight goals nursing homes can select. These goals were chosen because improvements in these areas will be able to improve resident care and quality of life.

The campaign goals are:

1. Reduce pressure ulcers

2. Reduce use of physical restraints

3. Improve pain management for long stay residents

4. Improve pain for short term stay residents

5. Establish facility targets and strategies for improving quality

6. Assess resident and family satisfaction

7. Increase staff retention

8. Increase consistent assignment of staff so residents receive care from the same caregivers

Why should nursing home consumers be involved?

Nursing home consumers are crucial to the success of the campaign. We need all family members, friends, residents and concerned citizens to contribute ideas and suggestions as a part of this quality improvement initiative. Your involvement will encourage nursing homes to participate, assist facilities in choosing goals, and support facilities as they work to improve resident care and quality of life.

How can consumers sign up?

• Go to the campaign website at www.nhqualitycampaign.org
• Click on “For Consumers”
• Click on “register”
• Complete registration form

OR

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

You do not need to be a resident or the family member of a resident to sign up. Any one can join the campaign!!

If you want to receive email information about the national campaign, make sure to provide your email address when you sign up online. If you want to receive updates about the campaign in Indiana and/or be involved in statewide activities, please contact Robyn Grant at 317-687-3659 (800-495-0872) or at rgrant@usaindiana.org .

What else can consumers do?

If you are a current resident or family member/friend of a nursing home resident

• Ask the nursing home administration if they are participating in the campaign

• If the nursing home has joined the campaign:
• Find out what goals they have chosen
• Ask what steps they are taking to improve quality
• Ask how residents and families can work with the facility to help achieve the goals. Volunteer to brainstorm with a team from the nursing home on how to improve in the areas chosen by the facility.
• Ask the nursing home administration to periodically update residents and families on progress toward meeting the goals
• Discuss the campaign during resident and family council meetings. Ask nursing home administration how the council can help achieve the facility goals.
• Talk to other families and residents about this campaign and encourage them to participate

• If the nursing home where you or a loved one resides is not participating in the campaign:
• Talk to the administration about it and encourage the facility to sign-up
• Suggest which goals you think would be most useful to residents. Advocate for the facility to choose increasing staff retention and consistent assignment so that staff know the individual needs and preferences of each resident and so that important relationships can be developed.

If you are not a resident or family member/friend of a resident:

• Educate your family, friends, neighbors, congregation, work colleagues and others about the campaign and urge them to sign up
• Contact the nursing homes in your area and find out if they are participating. If not, encourage them to enroll

According to Robyn Grant, USA Long Term Care Policy Director, the campaign is an opportunity to focus attention on issues affecting care and to improve both the quality of care and quality of life of Indiana’s nursing home residents. Grant says that the goals focusing on staff retention and consistent assignment are particularly significant since staffing is so connected to quality care.

USA encourages everyone to go to the campaign website and sign up as a consumer participant. You will not receive any mail or e-mails unless you indicate that you would like feedback. By enrolling, you will be saying “Yes” to excellence and showing that you believe nursing home care can improve.

“We urge USA members and any one who thinks that nursing home residents deserve good care to join the campaign. Signing up sends an important message to facilities in Indiana that consumers support and expect excellence in our state’s nursing homes. We all need to take advantage of this opportunity to show that we ‘care about care,’ ” Grant said.

*Adapted from NCCNHR consumer fact sheet.