ISSUE coming together as one SHOWCASE Enhancing Care through Quality and Productivity PAGE 6 SPOTLIGHT A Day In the Life of... PAGE 4 22 TEST YOUR WITS! Take part in our quiz and stand to win attractive prizes! PAGE 15 MAY 2015 A Publication for Community Care Providers by the Agency for Integrated Care EDITOR’S NOTE 2 May 2015 WELCOME TO mosAIC... REFRESHED! It is our first issue for 2015. Thank you for sharing your feedback on how this newsletter can be more interesting and relevant to you. In this refreshed edition, we are pleased to inform you that we have increased the content and added new sections in not one, not two, but four additional pages. As the ILTC sector makes strides towards achieving better quality care, foremost on the minds of nursing home service providers is the Enhanced Nursing Home Standards (ENHS). In Bulletin, you can refer to and make use of the courses and new resources that are available to help you in your preparations. In response to your request to better understand the work of fellow ILTC healthcare staff, we have revamped Spotlight to bring you a glimpse into their typical workday. For starters, Hariati Bte Sahak, Nurse Clinician at Home Nursing Foundation and Adeline Quok, Senior Care Associate at TOUCH Community Services, share the joys and challenges of attending to their homebound clients. It was a pleasure to have met many of you at the ILTC Quality Festival and inaugural National Seminar on Productivity in Healthcare (9 and 10 October 2014). Relive the event’s highlights in Showcase! Following the success of last year’s inaugural ILTC Excellence Awards, AIC will be organising the next award ceremony in 2016, with the nomination process starting in June 2015. Do recognise your outstanding staff and turn to page 13 for more information on how to participate. Everyone wants to perform their best, especially when faced with difficult situations. Get tips on how to communicate better from the bestselling book – Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High – in Improvements. In this edition of Newsbytes, we feature the efforts of the ILTC Nutrition Movement, initiatives such as a centralised transportation pilot for centre-based services, the ILTC Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) stockpile initiative, updates from the industry-led ILTC Manpower Council as well as provide tools to help you better understand clients’ wellbeing. Do also check out updates on the work in the community mental health arena in Care In Mind and the efforts of peers in Sector’s Sharing. For an international view of care improvements, turn to Regular Reads to learn about the strategy that England’s National Health Service has implemented. Lastly, we invite you to put your knowledge to the test by taking part in the quiz on page 15. Shopping vouchers await winners. We hope you will enjoy the refreshed mosAIC. Till the next issue, happy working! Lynda Soong Lynda Soong Chief, Community Care Development Division [email protected] mosAIC is the recipient of two APEX Awards for Publication Excellence – Most Improved Newsletter category (2014) and Newsletter – Electronic and Web category (2013). About Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) seeks to create a vibrant Care Community enabling people to live well and age gracefully. AIC coordinates and facilitates efforts in care integration to achieve the best care outcomes for our clients. We do this by empowering them with health and social care information and arranging for their care when they are discharged from hospitals. We enable stakeholders to raise the quality of care, and also enhance collaboration by working with health and social care providers to increase services to support the ageing population. Our work in the community brings care services and information closer to those in need. For more information, visit aic.sg. About mosAIC mosAIC shares happenings within AIC and in the community care sector. For more information, visit aic.sg/mosaic. Publisher Designer Chief Editor Printer Agency for Integrated Care Lynda Soong Cubiz Pte Ltd Spectrum Zone International Pte Ltd Second Editor Charmaine Tan MCI (P) 136/04/2015 mosAIC is a publication by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). The views and opinions expressed or implied in mosAIC do not necessarily reflect those of AIC, its directors or editorial staff. All information is correct at time of printing. Articles may not be reproduced without AIC’s permission. For editorial queries, feedback and subscription*, please email [email protected] *Health and Social Care staff subscribe for FREE! Scan mosAIC’s Quick Response (QR) code with your smart devices to easily access online content (flipzine, photo/video gallery and additional journal articles). The new series of cover images depict the impact that individuals can make when they give their best. In this issue, the image shows a single water droplet. Though just a tiny drop of water, it has, like any individual, the potential to make a positive impact on its surroundings. In support of a sustainable planet, this publication is printed on environmentally friendly paper. BULLETIN aic.sg/mosaic ENHS: PROVIDING HOLISTIC AND BETTER CARE The Enhanced Nursing Home Standards (ENHS) will be implemented and enforced across all nursing homes in Singapore by 2016. To assist homes, AIC has been developing and providing ENHS-related training. These courses focus on enhancing providers’ understanding of the enhanced standards and how to translate them in their daily nursing home operations and practices. One such course conducted centred on Care Planning. A care plan aims to help staff better manage residents’ health on a daily basis. It includes details of their (i) clinical and rehabilitation treatment; (ii) medication; (iii) dietary requirements; and most importantly, (iv) residents’ input on their desired care outcomes. During training sessions, staff also learnt how to use tools such as the Resident Assessment Record and Nursing Care Plan to carry out comprehensive residents’ assessments and evaluation. By participating in Enhanced Nursing Home Standards-related training, healthcare staff are able to improve their skillsets and provide better quality care for residents. (Photo credit: Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home) As Then Kim Yuan, Administrator, Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home, observed, “The newfound knowledge has been Fast Facts effective in reducing admission assessment time, ensures consistency in care standards and clearer Care Planning Tip communication in reporting and updating of our residents’ conditions.” Merly Quinones, Senior Staff • By reviewing existing forms and nursing care plans to develop a single Resident Nurse, Bright Hill Evergreen Home, credited the Assessment Record, processes can be streamlined as the document engaging hands-on sessions as key to her learning. centralises information and can be used during handovers, thus cutting down “From the sessions, I learnt how to utilise various documentation duplication. daily nursing charts to enhance workflow for better continuity of care for our residents… the chance to ENHS Resources make bedside case presentations using the forms • Find out about relevant resources (e.g., funding, training, courses) was also most useful,” she said. Kim Yuan added, matched to specific ENHS sub-domains by downloading the ENHS Resource “Having structured care plans that meet residents’ List from the AIC Learning Management System! needs and goals enable care staff to work more • To date, 40 new courses have been added to the suite of more than 90 productively and effectively towards administering programmes offered by the AIC Learning Institute, providing 4,000 training quality care that is in line with what residents desire.” places to support nursing homes’ implementation of the ENHS. Upcoming ENHS-related Courses Course Month Facilities Management Between May and June 2015 (1 run) Emergency Preparedness Between May 2015 and March 2016 (5 runs) Care Planning Between May and June 2015 (Subject to demand, email Pauline Ang to indicate interest) ILTC Culinary Boot Camp Training Between July and September 2015 (1 run) Dignity of Care, Psychosocial and Mental Health, Informed Care and Use of Restraint Details to be announced! FOR MORE INFORMATION! Visit the AIC Learning Management System at https://lms.aic-learn.sg/lms/app/SYS_login.aspx to sign up for courses and to get the latest ENHS resources. Contact Indra Ali 6603 6855 / [email protected] Pauline Ang 6632 1098 / [email protected] Ho Bee Kien 6603 6974 / [email protected] More photos at: aic.sg/mosaic/gallery/may15 3 SPOTLIGHT 4 May 2015 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF… In this revamped section, we catch up with health and social care staff to get a glimpse of a day in their work lives. In this issue, we feature two home care staff – Adeline Quok, Senior Care Associate from TOUCH Community Services - TOUCH Home Care and Hariati Bte Sahak, Nurse Clinician, Home Nursing Foundation. 9.00am My workday begins by looking through the day’s schedule. I note down the required services and pack the necessary supplies. As my clients typically require personal care (maintenance exercise, basic health monitoring, administrative work, etc.), personal hygiene or housekeeping services, items like gloves, aprons and a blood pressure machine are indispensable. I also look through their latest case notes so that I can better anticipate their needs and maximise our time together. 11.00am Name: Adeline Quok Organisation: TOUCH Community Services – TOUCH Home Care Designation: Senior Care Associate Years in Service: 1 year and 2 months (Photo Credit: TOUCH Community Services) We are delighted to have ITE graduates like Adeline join TOUCH Home Care. With her specialisation in Community Care and Social Service, she is equipped with relevant eldercare knowledge and training. Her youthful personality and refreshing service delivery approach have also added value to the work we do in helping frail elderly live with dignity in the comfort of their homes. I am usually on the way to my client’s home by this time. On average, I spend about 45 minutes to an hour in each home. Besides providing the requested services, I also make it a point to catch up with clients. I enjoy this aspect of my job because I have always been fascinated with people’s life stories. Being able to converse in dialect really helps build rapport and many clients have shared very personal information like their courtship days and the hardships they endured during the war. This time together is precious as it helps us get to know each other better. 2.00Pm Working as a Senior Care Associate is interesting as it involves varied tasks. In the afternoons, I may accompany clients to run errands such as buying groceries. I know they look forward to a little time away from home as I can sense their excitement even as we get ready. Being able to bring such joy really gives me job satisfaction. Working with elderly clients also requires vigilance. Once, a client fell down and I was the only one around to assist her. After ringing the ambulance, I had to keep her calm while we awaited further help. During times like these, I could see how my prior training in Community Care and Social Service helped shape my reactions so that I could respond effectively. Knowing that my team was just a call away also gave me great confidence. 6.00Pm My workday is done after visiting five clients. I return to the office and hand over outstanding cases to my other teammates. Sometimes, my supervisor and I will also do a debrief about the day’s cases. – Kavin Seow, Director, TOUCH Home Care and TOUCH Caregivers Support Adeline accompanies me to buy groceries, for my haircuts and also helps keep my home clean. I’m grateful for this support as I have weak legs and can seldom go out on my own. It feels so good to step outside and breathe fresh air! – Yeong Fong Ngan Adeline is proud that her work supports the needs of frail elderly so that they can continue to live in their homes. (Photo Credit: TOUCH Community Services) aic.sg/mosaic Name: Hariati Bte Sahak Organisation: Home Nursing Foundation (HNF) Designation: Nurse Clinician Years in Service: 20 years in Nursing, 3 years with HNF Awards received: ILTC Excellence Award 2014 – Service Quality (Silver); Nurse of the Year 2013, Rotary Club of Jurong Town and HNF (Photo Credit: Home Nursing Foundation) 8.00am My workday begins. Twice a week, I attend in-service lectures and multi-disciplinary round-tables. At the round-table, together with doctors, nurses and medical social workers, we discuss complex cases. These sessions help me increase my knowledge and work better with other healthcare professionals since I am more familiar with their approaches. 9.00am I prepare for the day and check my bags to ensure I have the necessary medical supplies. I also contact patients to remind them about my visit. On average, I attend to about seven to eight patients a day. This time is also used to check in with my team nurses, to discuss and guide them on their more complex cases. 11.00Am I make my first house call – rain, shine or haze. On average, I spend about 30 minutes to an hour with patients. If the patient is new to us, I will perform a comprehensive assessment to better understand their needs. For regular visits, these will include nursing procedures like wound dressing, changing of feeding or catheter tubes, etc., and also training of caregivers. Attending to patients at home makes every session unique. Community nursing requires resourcefulness. For instance, some patients’ families believe that wounds are dirty or infectious. Hence, wound dressing Hariati is compassionate and conscientious and carries out her work with enthusiasm and passion. Not only does she try her best to understand patients’ needs, she also links them up to resources and other service providers so that they receive seamless care in the community. – Chan Mei Mei, Director of Nursing, Home Nursing Foundation must be done outside the home, sometimes even in the void deck. Respecting my patient’s request, I do my best to ensure we have a safe and private environment to care for their medical needs. I also encounter elderly patients who have impairments, which make it difficult for them to manage their home. This poses a challenge too because we need a clean environment for our procedures. When there are situations of potential hazard or harm, I will contact the nearest town council or family service centre for assistance. Besides these, I also encounter clients with financial difficulties. To minimise costs, I will then resort to primitive but safe methods, such as boiling receptacles and forceps, so that items are kept sterile and can be reused. The fortnightly visits by Hariati have given me a feeling of security. My diabetic condition has improved and I am no longer admitted to the hospital frequently. Hariati is patient and spends time reminding me about the things that I should do, including nagging me to be compliant with my medication! – Sukri Bin Abdullah have financial difficulties which impact their health, I will also enquire and match them with relevant financial assistance schemes. 6.00Pm My workday ends and I return home. I am blessed that my lovely husband and three children are supportive and proud of my profession. They are also accommodating when I receive work calls after duty hours. These are oftentimes from caregivers requiring advice or a shoulder to cry on. The ability to alleviate my patients’ or caregivers’ anxieties and give them confidence always makes my day. 3.00Pm I return to the office having visited all my patients for the day. This is when the second aspect of my job begins. After updating their case notes, I look into ways to address their additional needs. Not all issues can be solved within healthcare. For instance, a depressed client who is not compliant with medication may benefit from being linked with a befriender. Knowing someone cares can help them feel happier and hence more willing to take their medication. I then collaborate with other health and social care professionals to make the links. Other times, when patients 5 Hariati attending to a client and performing nursing procedures such as wound dressing. (Photo credit: Home Nursing Foundation) More photos at: aic.sg/mosaic/gallery/may15 SHOWCASE 6 May 2015 ENHANCING CARE THROUGH QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY using evidence-based medicine to stop unnecessary medication use, testing and procedures; and engaging patients in decision making (e.g., Open Notes, Advance Care Planning, lifestyle choices, medication adherence, etc.). (Left) Dr Steven Strongwater, Geisinger Health System, USA, sharing from his vast experiences about improving healthcare operational efficiencies to improve patient care. The ILTC Quality Festival is a signature event that supports the sector’s efforts in promoting and sustaining a culture of quality improvement (QI). In 2014, the Festival was jointly organised with the inaugural National Seminar on Productivity in Healthcare. Held between 9 and 10 October at the Singapore Expo Convention and Exhibition Centre, the theme was “Enhancing Care through Quality and Productivity”. It was attended by over 1,000 health and social care participants. The event was a good time of sharing and learning for participants from the health and social care sectors. Key highlights included: • Sharing sessions by local and international thought leaders such as Dr Steven Strongwater1, Stuart Smith, Cynthia Payne, and Associate Professor Pang Weng Sun; • A productivity showcase of over 40 projects that have improved care provision at various community care organisations, healthcare institutions and educational institutions; At the ILTC Quality Festival the next day, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Transport, Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim highlighted the notable efforts made in improving the sector’s care quality. Evidence of this could be seen from the 75 per cent increase in the number of submissions made to the ILTC Quality Festival Poster Competition, which showcases good QI projects and an encouraging number of entries submitted for the inaugural ILTC Excellence Award. • The launch of the inaugural ILTC Excellence Award, where individuals/ organisations were recognised for their outstanding contributions to the sector; and • Breakout sessions, where participants benefited from interactions with inspiring speakers who touched on a wide range of productivity and QI-related topics including telehealth, business excellence, technology, psychosocial care, and designing better care processes to enhance overall patient experience. Setting the stage about the event’s importance, Minister for Health, Gan Kim Yong, in his opening speech at the National Seminar on Productivity in Healthcare, emphasised the need to raise healthcare productivity to improve operational efficiencies and positively impact patients’ care. Elaborating on his organisation’s efforts in this area, plenary speaker, Dr Steven Strongwater discussed his experiences in reviewing innovations and process transformation initiatives to improve patients’ experiences and care at reduced costs. Initiatives included improving care organisation (e.g., Setting timely reminders for physicians and patients, after hours care); Amy Lim Sock Hui, HCA Hospice Care, receiving the ILTC Excellence Award – Service Quality (Gold) from Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Transport. Amy Lim Sock Hui, Assistant Nurse Manager, HCA Hospice Care, one of the eight Service Quality (Gold) recipients honoured during the ILTC Excellence Award ceremony, said, “This award is for all who have partnered me in this journey and the highest acclamation goes to patients who have generously shared their most trying and intimate moments with me. The elation of working in the ILTC sector is measureless; the hard work, stress and responsibility is just as boundless. Service quality means looking deep, exploring creatively and not missing out on any opportunity to make a difference and a aic.sg/mosaic 7 positive impact to the patient’s quality of life. My palliative nursing journey has entered a new era with this award.” This year’s gold award for the ILTC Quality Festival Poster Competition went to Bright Vision Hospital (BVH) for their project which has improved clients’ admission process to their Day Rehabilitation Centre (DRC). Yong Limin, Rehabilitation Manager, BVH, shared, “This initiative came about during a discussion between our doctor and senior therapist during a multidisciplinary team meeting. Providing quality care is not only from the care intervention itself but can also be from better managing related processes. We are happy that this initiative has facilitated timelier and more efficient access to our DRC. We are so encouraged and honoured to win this award.” Bringing the event to a memorable close, Associate Professor Pang Weng Sun, shared about the importance of Advance Care Planning in the journey of providing quality care. He emphasised the need to start the conversation early so that family members and healthcare staff would have a good understanding of clients’ values and beliefs about their treatment choices. He also highlighted the important role healthcare practitioners play in assisting clients and their families to have good closure by Associate Professor Pang Weng Sun, Yishun Community Hospital, sharing about the important role of Advance Care helping them develop positive images of Planning in helping clients and their loved ones have good their loved ones in the final stage of their closure. life journey. ‘Gold’ poster award recipients (back row, L-R) Shahidah Rustam Ali, Admin Assistant; Chia Gek Luang, Senior Patient Care Assistant; Yong Limin, Rehabilitation Manager; (front, L-R) Lee Shu Hui, Senior Occupational Therapist; Anne Chong Lai Yong, Admin Assistant (Mong Yiqin, Senior Physiotherapist and Dr Tan Shu Yun, not in picture). (Photo credit: Bright Vision Hospital) Fast Facts ILTC Quality Festival and National Seminar on Productivity in Healthcare • The first ILTC Quality Festival was held in 2011. • 2014 was the inaugural year of the National Seminar on Productivity in Healthcare and the ILTC Excellence Awards. • The ILTC Excellence Awards comprise three categories – Service Quality; Good Suggestion; and Good Practices (Areas: Clinical Quality, Service Quality, Productivity and Innovation) and more than 200 exemplary ILTC staff/project teams were recognised. (Turn to page 13 for information about the next Awards taking place in 2016.) • The ILTC Poster Competition received a total of 92 abstracts from 16 organisations. • The event was organised by MOH and AIC with the support of Assisi Hospice, Bright Vision Hospital, Econ Healthcare Group, Employment and Employability Institute, Jurong Health Services, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Moral Home for the Aged Sick, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, National University Hospital, NCS Pte Ltd, NTUC Health Co-Operative Ltd, Ren Ci Hospital, Serene/Irene Nursing Home, SWAMI Home, Tai Pei Social Service and Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Dr Steven Strongwater is the Chief Transformation Officer of Geisinger Health System, USA; Stuart Smith is the Chief of Service Innovation Practice, Institute of Systems Science, National University of Singapore; Cynthia Payne is the CEO of SummitCare, Australia; and Associate Professor Pang Weng Sun is the Chairman, Medical Board, Yishun Community Hospital, Senior Consultant, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Vice Dean, Clinical Affairs, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University. 1 FOR MORE INFORMATION! Visit aic.sg/healthcareproductivity_qualityfestival/ to view selected speakers’ notes and posters. More photos at: aic.sg/mosaic/gallery/may15 IMPROVEMENTS 8 May 2015 CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS: TOOLS FOR TALKING WHEN STAKES ARE HIGH During face-to-face conversations, we often don’t have the luxury to think through our responses fully before answering. What we may then deem appropriate at that juncture may, in retrospect, be managed better. In the bestselling Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler offer readers five tips to improve the efficacy of crucial conversations – discussions when stakes are high, opinions vary and emotions run strong. Tip #1 Learn to Spot Hostile Conversations When involved in a hostile conversation, people may adopt a “silent” or “violent” stance. Signs of this include understating or selectively showing true opinion, use of sarcasm, forcing views on others, dominating the conversation, and labelling people or ideas under a general stereotype or category. Knowing how to spot these signs, both in yourself and others, can help keep conversations on course. Tip #2 Define Clear Objectives Typically, crucial conversations occur to resolve or mitigate problems. It is therefore important to identify, prior to the discussion, the motivation for this dialogue, the perspectives of parties involved, as well as the desired outcomes. This paves the way for finding mutually beneficial resolutions and prevents discussions from becoming awry. Tip #3 Craft Objective Stories Before the dialogue begins, gather facts about the issue and construct your story. Avoid portraying yourself as the victim and the other party as the villain. Bear in mind that these stories can affect how you feel, and in turn, how you act. Basing your story on facts and statistics rather than personal opinion also enables your case to be considered more seriously and favourably, helping you achieve your desired results. Tip #4 Create Safe Conditions for Crucial Conversations As you enter the conversation, aim to put other parties at ease by focusing on or creating mutual purposes. Start by sharing facts, avoiding personal opinions, then explaining how the facts led to your summation. Finally, invite other parties to share their views. Parties may maintain the conversation by continuously showing mutual respect. Tip #5 Know How to Make Decisions and Assign Tasks Remember that crucial conversations are not considered decision-making processes. When the discussion is over, if necessary, establish the next course of action. Decide who should be responsible, how the task should be done, as well as the deadline. Highly insightful, this book empowers readers with skills to enhance professional and personal relationships. For instance, knowing how to hold such crucial conversations in healthcare may help improve patient safety, reduce staff turnover and increase efficiency. Watch Joseph Grenny explain more about Crucial Conversations at goo.gl/4NjOMI How do you react under stress? Find out at goo.gl/pI0Okc NEWSBYTES aic.sg/mosaic BULK COOKING TRAINING The ILTC Nutrition Movement aims to heighten awareness about the importance of good nutrition and food service in the ILTC sector through: • Capability building (training); • Information and resources (recipe inserts, posters); and • Awareness building initiatives (Hawker S.E.D.A.P Cook off, etc.). NUTRITION HIGHLIGHT To enhance ILTC cooks’ skillsets, bulk cooking training sessions were organised in November and December 2014. In collaboration with the Health Promotion Board (HPB), they were conducted by professional chefs from SATS – an integrated service provider of food solutions and gateway services – at SATS Inflight Catering Centre 1. It was attended by 35 cooks from 22 ILTC organisations. What they learnt: • Basics of bulk cooking: Planning kitchen operations for bulk cooking and various ways to provide healthy diets for elderly clients. APPLY TODAY! QUICK BYTES Tote Board Community Healthcare Fund (TBCHF) Application Closing Dates Project Commencement • 31 July 2015, 5pm • 1 November 2015 • 30 November 2015, 5pm • 1 March 2016 • 31 March 2016, 5pm • 1 July 2016 • Hands-on practice sessions: Preparing healthier versions of Chinese recipes. Recipes enhanced in collaboration with HPB included: - Fried Kway Teow; - Steamed Chicken Thigh with Cloud Fungus and Ginger and Fragrant Rice; - Sauteed Sliced Chicken Breast with Beancurd in Yellow Bean Sauce and Fragrant Rice; - Steamed Egg Tofu with Minced Chicken and Water Chestnut; and - Red Cargo Rice and Vegetables. FOR MORE INFORMATION! Visit aic.sg/tbchf or contact the TBCHF Secretariat at [email protected] or 6593 3946. ILTC cooks being briefed before their practice session where they prepared healthier versions of Chinese recipes. FOR MORE INFORMATION! Visit www.aic-learn.sg/nutrition-facts to get access to recipes, nutrition posters and other resources or contact Pauline Ang at [email protected]. 9 More photos at: aic.sg/mosaic/gallery/may15 NEWSBYTES 10 May 2015 EYES AND EARS IN THE COMMUNITY CARE IN MIND Sign Up for Mind Matters is a bite-sized bi-monthly electronic bulletin that supports community mental health partners in developing a better understanding of various programmes, initiatives and resources in the community. Dr Tan Weng Mooi, Chief, Community Mental Health Division, AIC, (centre, in turquoise), facilitating a Local Community Support Network meeting, where different agencies collaborate to link residents with more complex needs to appropriate resources and services for early intervention. An 80-year-old lady gave feedback to Kembangan-Chai Chee grassroots volunteers that neighbours had thrown oil against her window. Upon visiting her, no sign of oil was found but it was noted that she seemed incoherent and that her living environment was dark and messy. Suspecting something was amiss, her situation was flagged by the volunteers as a case to seek advice and support from the Local Community Support Network (LCSN). The LCSN: • Aims to provide holistic care to residents through the integration of mental health, physical health and social care services; • Discusses residents who have more complex needs and how best to link them to appropriate resources and services for early intervention; and • Is attended by multi-agency representatives from AIC; Institute of Mental Health (IMH); restructured hospitals; social service agencies; Housing and Development Board; town councils; and other agencies. After hearing about her case, the LCSN advised social workers to visit the lady and ascertain if she had mild dementia, which may have been triggering delusions. Aside from the Kembangan-Chai Chee constituency, AIC has also been working with other constituencies and community partners to raise their mental health awareness and empower them to recognise and support residents who may have or be at risk of mental health issues. Read the latest issue at careinmind.aic.sg/mindmatters or contact [email protected] to subscribe for free! Macam Macam Market Visit the Macam Macam Market in Institute of Mental Health (IMH) every first Sunday of the month! With some recovering clients facing challenges with employment, this flea market provides an avenue for them to run their own small business and generate some pocket money. The market sells pre-loved or brand new items such as books; clothes; bags; and handmade crafts such as paintings, etc. Contact IMH at [email protected] for more information. (Photo credit: IMH) FOR MORE INFORMATION! Contact Elaine Soh at [email protected] for mental health-related programmes. aic.sg/mosaic CENTRALISED TRANSPORT PILOT ROLLS OUT! Access to eldercare services can be an issue, especially for elderly who are less mobile. To address this, in January 2015, AIC began a two-year transportation pilot project in partnership with the Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA). 11 CARERS CORNER Through this initiative, HWA acts as a centralised operator providing transportation to clients in daycare facilities such as Day Rehabilitation Centres, Day Care Centres, Dementia Day Care Centres and Senior Care Centres in the Central Regional Health System (RHS) area*. Expected benefits include: • Increasing the number of clients who will be able to access centre-based services; • Reducing transportation costs for clients; and • Cutting down on the administrative work related to transportation arrangements such as route planning, driver recruitment, etc. SPD@Toa Payoh, was the first centre to come on board with 10 clients signing up for the service. Abhimanyau Pal, Executive Director, SPD, said, “Transport and accessibility are important in the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. We are happy that AIC is piloting this much-needed scheme to enable us to serve more people in the community.” (L-R) Sharon Chen, Centre Head, SPD@Toa Payoh and Subrata Banerjee, Executive Director, Handicaps Welfare Association, kick off their partnership through the Centralised Transport Pilot project. With the inclusion of HWA’s vehicle fleet, coupled with better efficiencies and vehicle utilisation brought about by this centralised deployment model, transport capacity for this region is expected to increase significantly. FOR MORE INFORMATION! Contact Wong Pui Leng at [email protected] or 6593 3901. *The Central RHS area covers Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Serangoon, Hougang, Toa Payoh, Geylang, Kallang, Rochor and Novena. PPE STOCKPILE FOR THE ILTC SECTOR have infection control, crisis response and surveillance procedures; implement a robust service continuity plan; and maintain an adequate supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items to protect healthcare staff during a pandemic period. To support the sector’s efforts, MOH has built an ILTC PPE stockpile to ensure adequate sector-wide response. The ILTC PPE stockpile comprises four main items: Healthcare staff improving their knowledge about Personal Protective Equipment to ensure that they are ready to respond during a pandemic. Under the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) best practices and guidelines, all healthcare providers are required to remain vigilant against pandemic outbreaks. ILTC providers therefore have to ensure they FOR MORE INFORMATION! • N95 masks; • Surgical masks; • Isolation gowns; and • Examination gloves. AIC will work with MOH to manage and coordinate the ILTC PPE stockpile for eligible organisations including: • Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) Community Hospitals; • VWO Nursing Homes and Private Nursing Contact William Loh at [email protected] or 6632 1177; or Indra Ali at [email protected] or 6603 6855. Homes with Portable Subsidy; • VWO Hospices; • VWO Dialysis Centres; • VWO Home Care and Palliative providers; • VWO Psychiatric facilities; and • VWO Centre-based providers who are MOH subvented. ILTC providers will only need to pay for the cost of usage upon drawdown, which includes the cost of PPE items at the prevailing rate and distribution/ transportation cost. The stockpile does not negate the requirement for providers, such as Nursing Homes and Community Hospitals, to maintain at least one week’s supply of PPE items onsite during a crisis, as mandated under section 6(5) of the PHMC Act (Cap 248) – Maintaining a Supply of Personal Protective Equipment for Use during Public Health Emergencies. More photos at: aic.sg/mosaic/gallery/may15 NEWSBYTES WE WANT YOUR SUBMISSIONS! 12 May 2015 Share your initiatives and stories with mosAIC readers! For more information, contact Charmaine Tan at [email protected]. UNITING AS ONE TO IMPROVE RESIDENTS’ QUALITY OF LIFE SECTOR ’S SHARING YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE IN MANY WAYS! Contributed by Sally Benjamin, Comfort Keepers Contributed by Ren Ci Nursing Home Nursing homes provide the elderly with high levels of nursing care and opportunities to reach optimal level of functioning. However, practices can sometimes reflect a lack of diversity and integration of recreational services. To address this, Ren Ci’s rehabilitation department developed the “ONE Program”. Led by Christopher Ng, Rehabilitation Manager, and three senior therapists, the programme aims to develop a structured, cross-department and multi-disciplinary effort to increase the variety of meaningful activities for Ren Ci Nursing Home’s residents, thus improving their quality of life. Christopher said, “There are two interpretations on why we use ‘ONE’ in our project name… from the residents’ perspective, it is seen as one continuous programme; for staff, it is about coming together as one to engage residents.” Through a redesign of manpower, such as the pooling and sharing of resources (including volunteers and nurses) in The ONE Program includes leisure activities the running of the across four categories such as arts and craft, programmes, the home is social/recreation, physical and cognitive. now able to regularly facilitate (Photo credit: Ren Ci Nursing Home) leisure activities across four categories: arts and crafts, social/recreational, physical and cognitive. To ensure residents enjoy maximised benefits, they are grouped according to their areas of interest, physical abilities and medical conditions. Activities offered range from mural painting and baking to ball games and solving jigsaw puzzles. After implementation, resident engagement has increased from two to nine activities in a week, a 350% increase. Besides building a community within the nursing home, the programme has also improved participating residents’ mood, relieved their boredom, and fostered camaraderie through their increased interaction with each other. This programme garnered the Excellence Award in the Human Resource Development category at the Asian Hospital Management Awards (AHMA) 2014, beating entries from 82 other hospitals and healthcare organisations. It also won the Best Poster Award at the Singapore Rehabilitation Conference 2014. As part of her work at Comfort Keepers, Sally is involved in giving talks and sharing at other platforms to assist caregivers. (Photo credit: Comfort Keepers) I joined Comfort Keepers as a caregiver in 2011. Prior to that, my working experiences had been in customer service and human resource. I didn’t have any medical or nursing experience but had formerly been a caregiver for my late mother who had dementia. I had also attended a non-medical caregiving course in the United States. In many ways, I am no different from the many caregivers at Comfort Keepers. We come from varied backgrounds – from former homemakers with grown up children to men seeking a mid-career change. However, what binds us all is our want to make a difference in the lives of others. What I enjoy most about my job is its many facets. It is not solely about providing care and companionship to clients. I also advise them and their families about the existence of important matters like Advance Medical Directives and the role of a Lasting Power of Attorney so they can plan ahead. Another aspect that I often discuss with families is about addressing the misconception that they must attend to and serve every single need of a client. Instead, I share about the importance of supporting clients so that they are as independent as possible, for as long as their health allows. This has a positive effect not only on their physical but also mental and emotional wellbeing. These days, my job focuses more on public relations, as the big, strong and friendly face of Comfort Keepers. In the media, conferences and community events, I share about the services we provide (which range from respite care to end-of-life) and also my experiences as a caregiver. By sharing and discussing the resources available now, I hope families will feel better supported and know where to turn to so that they won’t feel so alone. aic.sg/mosaic 13 NTUC HEALTH PRESSES ON IN ITS PRODUCTIVITY JOURNEY Contributed by NTUC Health NTUC Health, the new entity formed with the integration of Unity Healthcare and NTUC Eldercare, was one of AIC’s first ILTC partners to embark on a formal productivity training programme for staff. Conducted between February and September 2014, the programme comprised Basics of Productivity, Certified Productivity Practitioner (CPP) and Productivity Day. It saw 23 staff from NTUC Health’s various eldercare services (Home Care, Senior Care Centres, Senior Activity Centres, and Sheltered Home) attend sessions that were led by the Singapore Productivity Association. The programme’s centerpiece was the CPP session, which taught staff tools and techniques to improve workplace productivity. It is accredited by the Asian Productivity Organisation and supported by Singapore Workforce Development Agency. Rounding off the training was NTUC Health’s first Productivity Day on 30 September 2014, where staff presented their projects showcasing the methods and techniques learnt (Plan-Do-Check-Action and 5S*), to NTUC Health’s CEO and management team. The winning project focused on ways to serve more home care clients by optimising staff productivity through better workflows and inter-team communication. Team members used surveys and interviews to first identify current inefficiencies and their causes before proposing new ideas and carrying them out. Other good project ideas presented included improving the management of donated items, improving payment efficiency for clients, and incorporating good workspace housekeeping. Desmond Lem from the winning project team shared, “The programme was beneficial. It taught us ways to identify underlying problems, gave us tools to envision the bigger picture and therefore, enabled us to be more productive in our work.” Pang Sze Yunn, Head of NTUC Health’s Home Care services and also the programme lead, added, “We were keen to equip our middle management staff with skills to refine business processes so that we can be more efficient. In the long run, we hope to build a continuous learning culture where staff feel empowered to exercise more initiative and creativity to improve both customer and staff experience.” Are you capturing notes of appreciation/compliments from clients and their families about your staff? Are you recognising staff for their excellent service and keeping track of the awards they receive? START NOW! We want your nominations for ILTC Excellence Awards 2016! The call for nominations begin in June 2015 and will close on 31 January 2016. Visit aic.sg/excellenceawards to find out more! (L-R) Chua Song Khim, CEO, NTUC Health, presenting a prize to Kelly Han and Desmond Lem for their winning project, which better utilises staff through new workflows and inter-team communication to serve more home care clients. (Photo credit: Courtesy of NTUC Health) *5S is a structured process to systematically achieve a well-organised, clean and standardised workplace that results in higher safety, efficiency and productivity. It is abbreviated from Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardise and Sustain. More photos at: aic.sg/mosaic/gallery/may15 NEWSBYTES 14 May 2015 EMBRACING THE ARTS TO IMPROVE RESIDENTS’ CARE Contributed by Villa Francis Home for the Aged, Society for the Aged Sick and Sree Narayana Mission Home for the Aged Sick recreational programmes. Staff from three nursing homes travelled to Melbourne, Australia to learn more about the field of Arts and Health and to visit aged care sites. In November 2014, staff from Villa Francis Home for the Aged (VF), Society for the Aged Sick (SAS) and Sree Narayana Mission Home for the Aged Sick (Sree) attended the 6th International Arts and Health Conference, in Melbourne, Australia. They also visited aged care facilities, where they observed and participated in “It was an eye-opening conference and especially thrilling because we were there to present findings from Everyday Waltzes for Active Ageing, a creative movement programme that was piloted at our home,” said Jumir Cansino, Therapy Aide, VF. Her colleague, Joanna Abellera, Nursing Aide, shared, “We were really nervous about the presentation but with the support of our administrator, Sr Maria Sim and AIC, we not only polished up our presentation but were able to confidently present in front of conference delegates. The support and interest they showed in the programme were really great.” The opportunity to be immersed in learning about arts and health projects both from Australia and internationally has also been beneficial. Jumir said, “I gained knowledge and learnt new ideas in facilitating, such as how to conduct reminiscence activities involving music, stories and paintings.” For Geraldine Lim, Nurse Manager, SAS, the site visits were particularly useful. “It was good seeing the actual programmes being conducted and to speak to the staff... we not only saw the programmes’ benefits but also how they were able to manage without additional manpower.” Bernadette Lee, Admin and Volunteer Management Manager, Sree, shared, “The homely environment we saw in the nursing homes has enabled residents to maintain their individual identity and provided a good sense of belonging. It was nice to see how the creative activities carried out were so fun and engaging and provided residents with meaningful human connection.” Summarising their experiences, Joanna said, “After this visit, there is a better appreciation for the arts as an important tool in promoting health and wellbeing, not only for the elderly but also for everyone.” NEED THERAPY SERVICES? To meet the growing need for Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) in the ILTC sector, a third therapy hub – Mobile Rehabilitation Services (MORE) – was formed in April 2014 by Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA) in collaboration with AIC. the high standards we expect and carefully selected professionals that were the best fit for our organisation. The MORE therapist we have is both well-respected and works well with our staff in care planning for clients as a part of the Apex family.” MORE provides: • Occupational, speech and physiotherapy services; • Supervision to ensure compliance with AHP Act requirements; • Training for support staff and caregivers; and • Comprehensive client rehabilitation programmes. Then Kim Yuan, Administrator, LAMH, said, “Our residents are now more engaged in their care, more committed to their treatment plans and receptive of medical advice… some are even surprised that they can still stand up and walk for a while.” The additional clinical guidance given to staff has also inspired in them greater confidence in areas such as transferring and lifting. Two facilities partnering MORE are Apex Harmony Lodge (AHL) and Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home (LAMH). Soh Mee Choo, Chief Executive Officer, AHL, shared, “MORE’s approach is synergy driven rather than that of a vendor-customer relationship. They sought to understand and embrace Encouraging providers to consider similar services, Kim Yuan said, “By looking beyond reactive care to one that is more proactive and preventive in nature, it will lower care provision costs, maximise residents’ care quality and may also result in higher resident volumes and better returns.” A MORE therapist leading group exercise with residents from LAMH. (Photo credit: Asian Women’s Welfare Association) FOR MORE INFORMATION! Contact Wang Yuhui or Maheshwari, AWWA at 6511 5236. aic.sg/mosaic WE WANT YOUR SUBMISSIONS! Contact [email protected] to announce new appointments to key leadership positions in your organisation. KEY APPOINTMENTS IN THE SECTOR Find out how leaders holding new positions hope to contribute to the ILTC sector. Dr Ong Yew Jin, Medical Director, Singapore Cancer Society (January 2015) “I was training in emergency medicine when a personal experience caring for a loved one spurred me to explore palliative medicine. Thereafter, I worked at Assisi Hospice and trained as a specialist in the field. Encounters with patients and their families led me to realise the importance of caring for the whole person (physical, practical and psychosocial needs) and for a team and community to be involved in caring for the sick at home. At Singapore Cancer Society, I am working towards building an integrated and passionate team to continue to address our clients’ home care needs. We are also looking forward to the opening of our one-stop community-based rehabilitation centre at JEM in September 2015.” Karen Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Home Nursing Foundation (November 2014) (Photo credit: Home Nursing Foundation) “In my previous role at the Economic Development Board, I was involved in the planning and development of Singapore’s biomedical sciences industry. Subsequently, I joined the acute care sector and worked in clinical operations. After witnessing my grandmother’s health deteriorate in her final years, I decided to join the ILTC sector as I felt that the sector would need to considerably step up to support Singapore’s caregiving needs, especially in light of the smaller families we now have. At Home Nursing Foundation (HNF), I hope to continue to build the depth, breadth and quality of our services; forge partnerships with the Regional Health Systems and social agencies; and expand our home care services. We will also continue to fundraise to ensure no patient is left behind because of financial difficulties. In the second half of 2015, we will launch our new home therapy service.” Chan Mei Mei, Director of Nursing, Home Nursing Foundation (August 2014) TEST NEW! YOUR WITS! Take part and win shopping vouchers! Email your answers together with your name, designation, organisation and mobile number to [email protected] with the subject header “mosAIC #22 Quiz”. Winners will be notified by email! Questions: 1) What are some of the resources available to assist nursing homes in preparing for the ENHS? a. ENHS-related Courses b. Online resources such as Guides and Lists c. All of the above 2) Service Quality, Good Suggestion and Good Practices are the three categories of the ILTC Excellence Awards. a. True b. False 3) Which four items are part of the ILTC PPE stockpile? a. N95 masks, Surgical Masks, Isolation Gowns, Syringes b. N95 masks, Surgical Masks, Isolation Gowns, Examination Gloves c. Surgical Gowns, Surgical Masks, Isolation Gowns, Examination Gloves Bonus Activity you and Capture a group photo of with this ting rac inte s your colleague (i) what us tell and IC sA mo issue of ue you liked about this iss Sho and (ii) how you think it p Vou ping che can be improved. g pin op er Sh uch Vo (Photo credit: Home Nursing Foundation) “I joined nursing in 1979 as I was influenced by my late mother who felt that nursing is a respectable profession. After serving in the acute care sector for many years, I decided to join the ILTC sector because of the increased emphasis to scale up and develop home care. Though community nursing is different from the acute care environment, I felt that my skills and experiences would be useful. At HNF, I plan to review the current nursing model to support the care coordination approach for all-round patient support; develop nurses’ capabilities in quality improvement and research, dementia and palliative care; and enhance nursing operational efficiency by reviewing key processes and leveraging information technology.” 15 r the best entry will win an her! additional $20 shopping vouc More photos at: aic.sg/mosaic/gallery/may15 NEWSBYTES 16 May 2015 INTRODUCING THE ILTC MANPOWER COUNCIL FOR 2015/16 Formed in April 2010, the industry-led ILTC Manpower Council provides a common platform for ILTC institutions to collaboratively improve and develop the sector’s workforce. Roles and responsibilities of the Council include: • Identifying issues and challenges faced in the ILTC sector; • Making recommendations to resolve issues and/or make improvements; and • Promoting awareness, garnering support within the ILTC sector and leading the sector to work collaboratively towards new initiatives or changes. In its third term (January 2015 to December 2016), the Council comprises: The ILTC Career portal (iltcareers.sg) is one of the many initiatives spearheaded by the ILTC Manpower Council. Chairpersons Olivia Tay, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, National Healthcare Group Dr R Akhileswaran, CEO & Medical Director, HCA Hospice Care Loh Shu Ching, CEO, Ren Ci Hospital S. Vivakanandan, CEO, Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital (Attraction and Retention Taskforce2 Lead) Council Members Dr Ow Chee Chung, CEO, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital Chern Siang Jye, Chief Corporate Officer and Chief, Regional Engagement & Integration Team (REIT) Division, AIC Dr Khoo Chow Huat, CEO, Orange Valley Lynda Soong, Chief, Community Care Development Division, AIC Tan Li Li, Executive Director, Singapore Association for Mental Health Resource Panel Member Victor Seng, Administrator, St Theresa's Home Phua Puay Li, Director, Manpower Planning & Strategy, MOH Tim Oei, CEO, Asian Women's Welfare Association (Leadership Development Taskforce1 Lead) Pang Sze Yunn, Head, Home Care Division, NTUC Health (Attraction and Retention Taskforce2 Lead) Aims of the Leadership Development Taskforce include: Strengthening and developing leadership competencies at the senior management levels and engaging and involving leadership in sector initiatives. 1 Aims of the Attraction and Retention Taskforce include: Aligning sector strategies to recruit and retain suitably qualified and competent staff and enhancing the attractiveness of work in the sector and to promote ILTC as an employer of choice. 2 ENHANCEMENTS TO CHAS AND SMF Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) • From 1 April 2015, elderly aged 65 and above can use another $200/year from Medisave to pay for outpatient medical treatment at public hospital Specialist Outpatient Clinics, polyclinics and participating CHAS clinics. Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) • From 1 April 2015, SMF provides means-tested transport subsidy to seniors requiring mobility assistance (not just wheelchair-bound seniors) to attend MOH-funded eldercare and dialysis centres. • From 1 June 2015, four more chronic conditions – Epilepsy, Osteoporosis, Psoriasis and Rheumatoid Arthritis – will be covered under CHAS and Medisave. FOR MORE INFORMATION! Visit chas.sg or contact 1800-275-2427 (1800-ASK-CHAS). FOR MORE INFORMATION! Visit aic.sg/smf or contact 1800-650-6060. aic.sg/mosaic LIVING LONG BUT LIVING WELL? HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE TOOLS FOR ILTC Background The vision of Singapore’s integrated care efforts is to enable the elderly to live well and age gracefully in the community. Good quality of life (QoL) is one of the key targets for such efforts. While a wide range of Health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) tools are available, ILTC providers often have difficulty choosing appropriate ones for their care setting (e.g., residential, centre-based) or target population (e.g., dementia clients). The QoL literature, although rich, does not specify HR-QoL tools appropriate for the sector. Three researchers from AIC initiated a study to consolidate existing evidence from published literature on HR-QoL tools and create a taxonomy which can be used in the sector. Method A systematic review of papers was performed. Medline, Web of Science, Proquest, EBSCO, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar were searched by two researchers who independently identified eligible studies. The inclusion criteria were that these studies: (i) Had a systematic review focusing on QoL; (ii) Discussed HR-QoL measurement tools; and (iii) Referred to tools relevant to ILTC facilities. Methodological quality of the review papers was assessed by using AMSTAR (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews). A quality checklist was also used to appraise measurement properties of the HR-QoL instruments, such as internal consistency, reliability, content validity and construct validity. Table 1: Recommended HR-QoL Tools for the ILTC Sector Clients' Conditions Service Setting Assessor Professional/ provider Proxy/ caregiver Self (client) Generic – for clients with multiple morbidities Home-based 5,8 1,8 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9 Centre-based 5,8 1,8 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9 1 1,2,3,4,6,7 Dementia – for programmes specifically for clients with dementia Home-based 11,13,14 Centre-based 11,14 11,14 11,12,14 10,11,14,16 11,14,16 11,12,14 Palliative – for programmes specifically for clients receiving palliative care Home-based 19 17,18 Centre-based 19 17,18 19,20 17,18,20 Residential Residential Residential 20 11,13,14,15 11,12,13,14,15 1: SF-36; 2: SF-12; 3: Kane et al.’s Psychosocial Quality of Life Domains questionnaire; 4: Nottingham Health Profile (NHP); 5: Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative Information Project (COOP) Charts; 6: Utility measure EuroQol (EQ5D); 7: Sickness Impact Profile (SIP); 8: World Health Organization Quality of Life short version list (WHOQOLBREF); 9: Functional Status Questionnaire (FSQ); 10: QUALIDEM; 11: Quality of life in Alzheimer’s disease (QOL-AD); 12: Dementia quality of life (D-QOL); 13: Quality of life for dementia (QOL-D); 14: Alzheimer’s disease related quality of life (ADRQL); 15: Cornell Brown Scale for Quality of Life (CBS); 16: Dementia Care Mapping (DCM); 17: McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL); 18: Quality of Life at the end of life (QUAL-E); 19: Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire (QODD); 20: Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ). FOR MORE INFORMATION! Contact [email protected] or 6603 6991/6632 1110. Findings 17 R&E COLUMN 29 systematic reviews were included in this review and 20 tools of adequate psychometric quality were identified. The identified HR-QoL tools were classified according to type of services, clients, and assessors (see Table 1). This classification is in line with the literature and also meets the needs of Singapore’s ILTC sector. Practitioners can use the table by first identifying the target clients’ conditions and service setting, then selecting tools based on the type of assessor. When there are multiple tools available for the same situation, final selection depends on available resources and whether the tool measures relevant domains for the initiative. What this means for practice The taxonomy contributes to the QoL literature by focusing on integrated care settings such as residential, centre-based and home-based care. It will enable ILTC providers to select suitable tools to assess their clients’ HR-QoL at one point in time or continuously, so as to support their service planning, delivery and enhancement. A limitation of this study is that only English-based literature was searched. Another limitation is that the recommended HR-QoL tools may need to be validated before being widely applied in Singapore. The validation of tools in specific settings can be achieved with further research. Author Information Dr Xu Lingling, Caroline Pang and Dr Xie Shuyan Rainny work in AIC’s Knowledge Management Division. They currently support research and evaluation activities related to care integration within AIC and the ILTC sector. More photos at: aic.sg/mosaic/gallery/may15 REGULAR READS* 18 May 2015 COMPASSION IN PRACTICE: TWO YEARS ON – EXPERIENCES MATTER by National Health Service (NHS) England (2014, November) (Accessed: 1 April 2015) Read the full article at: www.england.nhs.uk/nursingvision Compassion in Practice was launched by the National Health Service (NHS) England two years ago. It sets out a strategy for nurses and care staff to deliver tangible improvements to support high quality care. This report reflects improvements made through six action areas. These areas are closely linked to NHS’s 6Cs – Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage and Commitment. Action Area 1: Helping people stay independent, maximising wellbeing and improving health outcomes (Looks at how every person providing care and support can help clients better manage their health and wellbeing effectively. Individual needs are identified and appropriate support is put in place, including self-management of long-term health conditions when clients are able/want to do so.) • A national model, Framework for Personalised Care and Population Health, which focuses on prevention and health promotion, was launched. It provides nurses and allied health professionals access to evidence-based research, guidance, standards, good practice interventions and outcome measures. The framework contains examples and ready-to-access information in high priority areas such as antimicrobial resistance, falls and dementia, amongst others. • Every contact between a health/social care professional and a member of the public is seen as an opportunity to provide basic health promotion advice and links to support services, if required. In future, the NHS will work across sectors to help integrate health, care and support services, and leverage technology to support practices. Action Area 2: Working with people to provide positive care experiences (Helps services get views from vulnerable users and use their responses to make improvements and enhance clients’ care experiences.) • The Friends and Family Test was rolled out. This test looks at reported/unreported patient/carer experiences which enable nurses to listen/act on these views. The test asks clients whether they would recommend the hospital wards and/or accident and emergency units to a friend/relative based on their experiences. • A programme to develop a small core set of ‘Always Events’ was started. The purpose of ‘Always Events’ is to support consistency in personal interactions between staff, patients and carers. Nurses’ feedback on what they think should always happen in practice has also been gathered. Action Area 3: Delivering high quality care and measuring impact (Builds on evidence that organisations with a high reporting culture can be safer and deliver higher quality care consistently; it promotes the use of measurement and openness to understand/improve care.) Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage and Commitment • Implemented the Open and Honest Care: Driving Improvement programme. It supports trusts to become more transparent and measurement-focused by publishing harm and experience information on their website. This is then used to improve the quality of care. Metrics and information used have been agreed upon by stakeholders and include pressure ulcers, healthcare-associated infections, falls and staff experience, amongst others. Action Area 4: Building and strengthening leadership (Promotes effective frontline leadership and supports leaders with guidance and toolkits to measure culture in health and social care environments. It identifies the culture, environment and conditions required for reflective compassionate leadership to develop and flourish while recognising the impact of staff experience on care.) • A Care Cultural Barometer is being developed and piloted to provide organisations with a tool to measure the culture of care in different parts of an organisation. This will help create right conversations between staff and managers to improve the staff’s working environment and make it conducive for delivering compassionate, patient-centred care. aic.sg/mosaic Action Area 5: Ensuring the right staff, with the right skills, in the right place (Provides guidance to ensure right staffing levels are in place across a range of care settings as well as tools and evidence to support decision-making in relation to safe and effective staffing. It also supports the development and implementation of workforce planning tools.) • Some of the tools and guidance developed to create the right staff mix include: Mental Health Inpatient Staffing Framework and How to Ensure the Right People, with the Right Skills, are in the Right Place at the Right Time – A Guide to Nursing, Midwifery and Care Staffing Capacity and Capability. Action Area 6: Supporting positive staff experience (Evidence has shown a strong link between staff experience and patients’ quality outcomes. This area supports a positive staff experience by recognising excellence and best practice and showcasing examples of how trusts are engaging with their nursing workforce. It looks at improving the public/professional perception of nursing and showcases best practices in delivering compassionate care.) • Supports nursing staff to raise concerns/speak up and makes sure staff understand the need under the ‘duty of candour’ to report/deal with concerns. Guidance called What Makes a Good Placement has been developed based on best practices in clinical placements, preceptorship and supervision. It has been found that promoting excellent nursing practice and a positive working culture among existing staff leads to providing high quality and enriching placement experience for student nurses. ACCESS FREE RESOURCES ANYTIME! 19 Read Me Online Regular Reads* is a supplement of mosAIC and provides links to free full text journal articles in the following eight areas: • • • • • • • • Rehabilitation Palliative Care Geriatric Nursing Infection Control Quality Improvement Management Skills Integrated Care Technology Some of the latest journal articles include: • Strategies for reducing falls in Long-Term Care (in the Rehabilitation issue) • Antimicrobial stewardship in Long-Term Care Facilities: What is Effective (in the Infection Control issue) • Providing integrated care for older people with complex needs: Lessons from seven international case studies (in the Integrated Care issue) Check out www.aic-learn.sg/resources/regular-reads. Should you have any suggestion on topics you would like to read about, contact [email protected]. See additional photos at our Online Gallery Get your own copy of mosAIC! Subscribe now at aic.sg/mosAIC-form (Free for Health and Social Care Staff). Visit aic.sg/mosaic/gallery/may15. *mosAIC’s Regular Reads aims to bring to community care providers’ attention knowledge that may be relevant and useful to their operations. This section features journal articles that highlight latest research findings as well as good, evidence-based and innovative practices. While the articles aim to keep community care providers informed of current developments in the sector, the views and opinions expressed or implied do not necessarily reflect those of AIC, its directors or editorial staff. More photos at: aic.sg/mosaic/gallery/may15 Upcoming Courses How to Assist Client to Perform Therapeutic Exercises in Centre-based Services and Nursing Homes Date: 25 May 2015 & 9 June 2015 Time: 9am-5pm (25 May 2015) 9am-1pm (9 June 2015) Duration: 1.5 days Writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Date: 27-28 May 2015 Time: 9am-5pm Duration: 2 days SIGN UP NOW Engage VWOs through Collaboration for Greater Productivity Date: 9 June 2015 Time: 2pm-5.30pm Duration: 3.5 hours Facilitate Community-Centric Intervention in Social Services Date: 10,17 & 24 June 2015 Time: 9.30am-5.30pm Duration: 3 days Ophthalmic Skills Training for ILTC Improving Services Through Programme Evaluation: The Outcome Management Way! End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) – Train-The-Trainer Planning for New Facilities Development Date: 11 June 2015 Time: 8am-5pm Duration: 1 day Date: 13-15 July 2015 Time: 9am-5pm (13 & 14 July 2015) 9am-1pm (15 July 2015) Duration: 2.5 days Visit www.aic-learn.sg/TrainingCalendar or contact Jasmine Kam/Claire Ong at 6603 6886/6603 6877 for more information. Agency for Integrated Care 5 Maxwell Road, #10-00 Tower Block, MND Complex Singapore 069110 Date: 24-25 June 2015 Time: 9.30am-5.30pm (24 June 2015) 9.30am-12.30pm (25 June 2015) Duration: 1.5 days Date: 25 June 2015 Time: 9.30am-6.30pm Duration: 1 day Visit www.socialserviceinstitute.sg or contact [email protected] or 6589 5555 for more information on registration and funding criteria. Tel: 1800 650 6060 Fax: +65 6820 0728 Email: [email protected] Web: www.aic.sg
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