If you have admitted, or are about to admit, a loved one to such a facility, now is the time to familiarize yourself with the rules and devices by which you can assess the care your loved one is receiving or will receive. Your involvement is very important to the overall care your loved one will receive. You have much needed information that the SNF can use to benefit your loved one.

The rapid growth of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) industry in the last few years has created the need for closer supervision of the nursing facilities and their staff. In order to ensure the best care for nursing home patients the federal government developed universal assessment and reporting guidelines for all facilities to follow. Care Plan Information has designed a kit that can give you the necessary information to work with a facility to ensure a complete and appropriate plan of care for your loved one.

Each facility must make periodic checks on the care and condition of each patient in their charge. The government and the industry have developed what is called the Residential Assessment Protocol (RAP). This is a method to make an accurate assessment of the patient, their level of care and the level of care they may require and are not getting. Typically, families have left this screening and reporting process up to the facilities and their staffs. The SNF staff is directed to develop a minimum data set (MDS) for nursing home resident assessment, care screening and care planning. They often want the input of families and loved ones of the resident. Care Plan Information has created a series of information and work sheets that can help you organize your knowledge so that you can better communicate with the staff. Care Plan Information makes getting this information quick and easy.

Using government guidelines, a guardian, family member or legal representative can and should make observations and develop their own summaries with the Care Plan Information system. This will be very valuable when meeting with the staff of the SNF. The Care Plan Information packet provides an organized method of assessing patient needs and care. The preparation and work you do with the Care Plan Information packet helps you look for 18 specific areas of assessments. The resulting summaries can help you improve care and ensure that your loved one is being treated with respect and compassion.