New Guidelines for Early Alzheimer's Detection

It seems that things change quickly in Alzheimer's research.  As with any disease finding a cure is the ultimate goal.  But while we wait for that time to come we are encouraged by new information and new milestones in Alzheimer's research.

In today's news you may have seen headlines about revisions in Alzheimer's Disease diagnosis guidelines.  This revision is the first in 27 years.  The earliest stage of the disease is referred to as "preclinical Alzheimer's" and diagnosis occurs nearly 10 years before any symptoms are present.  The new guidelines officially refer to mild cognitive impairment, or MCI as the beginning of the disease.

Click here to read the entire article at www.reuters.com

Lets start a discussion on Facebook.

If you have a question that you would like to have answered on Tuesdays with Tom send him an email.  Use the subject line Questions for Tom in your email. 

Email Tom at info@communitycareoptions.com

Elder Abuse

I have just been sent another article about staff abusing residents in a Residential Care Facility.  Last month it was in the Sacramento area.  This incident was at a Sunrise Facility in Pennsylvania.  In each case the families have placed nanny cams in their loved one's room after suspicions had been raised about the potential abuse.

Although the staff members have been arrested it still makes me mad as hell that this continues to happen in some facilities.

Families bring us their loved ones to make sure they are taken care of and protected. Overall, I feel we are doing a great job but a few can give the whole industry a bad name.

Maybe it is time to train staff in Elder Abuse like we do for universal precautions.  The staff  would be trained to assume that all rooms have a camera in them.  In any case this has to stop. 

Click here to read the article

If you have not had abuse training for a while, the Elder Abuse Training Video is now on the D.O.J. web-site, or email my office at info@communitycareoptions.com with the subject "Elder Abuse Training" and we will give you a DVD Class including the abuse training video for free.

Updated POLST

The California POLST task force have conducted their two year review and have released an updated version of the POLST form.  Please review the new form and read the Summary of Changes so that you understand what has been changed and why.

It is important to note that CaPOLST.org suggest a best practice of using the revised 2011 POLST form starting April 1, 2011 rather than using up any old forms.  Additionally, a POLST form completed prior to the April 1, 2011 date remains valid, meaning they are still good.  Lastly, the color of the form has no bearing on its validity.

Get the new form HERE

http://www.capolst.org/documents/CAPOLSTform2011v13web_000.pdf

Review the Summary of Changes HERE

http://www.capolst.org/documents/SummaryofChanges.pdf

Disaster Plan

We've all been shaken by the events in Japan. Our hearts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by the tsunami and to those who are risking their lives to help.

Natural disasters like this should remind us to evaluate our own emergency and disaster preparedness. CCLD has a great self evaluation resource for this purpose. Compliance should not be the only reason for good planning. We have committed ourselves to providing excellent care to our residents. Their safety is our first priority.  Please take the time to review the self evaluation and make sure you meet or exceed every item on the checklist.

You can print the CCLD Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Self Evaluation here.
http://www.ccld.ca.gov/res/pdf/DisasterGuide.pdf

You can review and print the FEMA guide here.
http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/

The American Red Cross and CalEMA offer a Preparedness Training and other resources here.
http://www.prepare.org/home/

Overtime for Caregivers

Q - Tom, According to some websites we’ve researched, caregivers who work in a facility get overtime after working: 10 hours a day OR 40 hours a week.  Another website said that caregivers will only get O.T. after they work 80 hours in TWO weeks (so they can work 60hours 1 week, then 40 the next).

Can you clarify the O.T. law for caregivers working in RCFE's (care facilities)?

A - Both are wrong.  They start getting overtime if they work more than 8 hours in a day and also more than 40 hours in a week (unless they have voted and agreed to work 4-ten hour days).

Care facilities are governed under the Industrial Welfare Commission Order #5 (IWC 5).  Please go to the attached link for the full order and get the answers to other related questions like how much you can deduct for meal and lodging AND should you be paying for uniforms, etc.

 http://www.dir.ca.gov/IWC/IWCArticle5.pdf