CCLD ETHICS HELPLINE

This week I just want to draw your attention to something at the CCLD Website.  It's a little link at the bottom of the page called CCLD Ethics Helpline.  I'm encouraging you all to check this page out only to be familiar with it in case you should need it.

In the past there have been incidents of CCL employees involved in inappropriate situations involving gifts, favors and  power struggles.  The helpline exists to aid in discouraging this kind of behavior with CCL employees as well as stop it quicker if it should occur.   In my experience  CCL employees have been top notch and by the book, as they should be.  This little tool is there for the protection of the residential care providers.  Share it with your staff  and colleagues.  The link is here at CCLD Ethics Helpline.

ADMINISTRATOR RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

 

 I often encounter the question "Can I take all 40 hours of continuing education during one year of my 2-year certification period?"  My standard answer is no.  Many administrators do just that though.  They wait until a few months from expiring to do all 40 hours.  Here's why I discourage this method.

In Title 22, Administrator - Qualifications and Duties, Section 87405(g) it states:

All administrators shall be required to complete at least 20 clock hours of continuing education per year in areas related to aging and/or administration.  

The regulation sounds pretty clear to me.  At least 20 CEU's per year sounds like a duty and a requirement.  So why is their confusion about this? The confusion comes from another place in Title 22 entitled Administrator Recertification Requirements, Section 87407(a) which reads:

Administrators shall complete at least forty (40) classroom hours of continuing education during each two (2)-year certification period.  

What I focus on here is the word during.  "During each two year certification period" implies it should be a regular, ongoing practice.  When you consider these two sections together it becomes apparent that CEUs should be achieved each year of the 2-year certification period.  Besides, who really wants to jam that much training into a short period of time?  Trust me, you'll learn more and retain what you learn longer if you spread it out a little.

FALL PREVENTION

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a great resource on falls among our aging population.  According to the CDC, in 2008 over 19,700 elder adults died as a result of an unintentional fall.  As care providers, preventing falls is our #1 priority 24 hours a day.  We know first how how devastating a fall can be.  Injuries range from bruises, to broken hips, to head trauma.  In fact, the leading cause of brain injury in the elderly is falling.  

Please visit this web resource for more information on falls.

www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html

Food Handler Card Update

This question regarding the Food Handler Card is still floating around and as of yet there is no clear answer.  Some have said that RCFE's are exempt from the requirement while others suggest it is a Health Department issue.  The truth is, until either CCLD or the Health Department make a statement on the matter we are uncertain.  Our position at Community Care Options is to stress the importance of detailed training for your food staff.  While it may not be a requirement yet, it may be wise to have your staff trained and assessed in the same way as the retail food service community.  Training of this caliber is also a great marketing tool for those facilities who serve in a restaurant style.  Tell us your thoughts on Facebook.  Click here to leave your feedback.

MRSA in Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly

We frequently get the question of what to do with MRSA in the assisted living. 

Licensing classifies MRSA and other antibiotic resistant bacteria as "Prohibited Health Conditions".  The reason being that elderly individuals usually have weaker immune systems than younger individuals.  As such, it is to be dealt with in a very serious way. 

The RCFE Evaluators Manual (The Blues) says the following"

"If a resident is diagnosed with a methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection, the resident must be relocated elsewhere, such as to an acute care hospital or a skilled nursing facility, until the infection is cleared unless the facility applies for and receives an exception."

To read the entire Section 87615, Prohibited Health Conditions click HERE.  Go to page 108 in the PDF, the section begins near the end of the page.

Guidelines for treatment of MRSA from the Infectious Diseases Society of America - click HERE.