Resident Safety Resources

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all resources are available in Adobe^® Portable Document Format (PDF). To view and print PDF files, please download a free copy of the Reader^®.

Please select a category:

• Abuse

• Bariatric Resident Care

• Behaviors

• Diabetes: Is Your Staff Prepared to Handle a Diabetic Crisis?
  Learn common sense steps you can take to clear communication roadblocks that your staff and residents may encounter when dealing with a diabetic crisis.

• Falls

• Infection Control

• Intake and Output

• Medical Supplies and Equipment

• Medication and Vaccination Administration

• Noncompliance: The Case of the Noncompliant Resident
  Liability Landscape article, March 2006

• Pain

• Pest Control: Bed Bugs
  

• Pet Therapy and Companion Program, Facility-Sponsored
  Guidelines for helping facilities establish a safe pet therapy and companion program

• Pressure Ulcers

• Psychosocial (depression, elopements)

• Scabies: Outbreaks in Institutional Settings
  Information from Center for Disease Control website

• Skin Tears: Dealing With Destructive Skin Tears

• Smoking

 

Abuse

• Abuse Checklist

• Attacks: When Residents Attack Residents
  This article discusses the liability exposures that a confused resident with violent tendencies creates and how you can minimize the risk.

• Sexual Abuse:

  • Sample Policy

  • Thinking about the unthinkable: Staff sexual abuse of residents
    Learn about the types of characteristics exhibited by an abuser and ways to safeguard your residents.

Behaviors

• Responding to Challenging Behaviors in Dementia: The IA-ADAPT Project.

  • Part 1: Identifying, Assessing, and Treating Contributing Factors

  • Part 2: Selecting and Applying Non-Pharmacological Interventions

Falls

• Are your fall interventions enough?
  An estimated 75 percent of nursing home residents fall annually. Read this October 2007 Liabiitiy Landscape article to learn more about identifying resident risk factors and taking appropriate measures to minimize a resident's risk of falling.

• Falls Checklist

• Falls Walking Rounds: Team-Based Investigation and Action Planning
  This article by Cheryl Boldt, reprinted with permission from Maun-Lemke, LLC, provides suggestions for developing an organized team-approach to the problem of resident falls.

• Head Injuries, Seriousness of
  Falls are the leading cause of head injuries among the elderly. Consider the guidelines in this article when developing plans for monitoring and evaluating the seriousness of head injuries.

• Preventing Elder Falls: Keeping Senior Citizens on Firm Footing

• Taking Fall Reduction to a New Level - MN Masonic Home

 

Infection Control

• Calculating Infection Control Rates
  Quality Improvement for Nursing Facilities newsletter article, January 2012
  

• Is your infection control program effective?
  Read this article to see if your facility has the appropriate infection control program in place to investigate, control, and prevent infections.

• Norovirus Fact Sheet
  from the Iowa Department of Public Health

• Pandemic Influenza: Preparedness and Readiness Kit for Long Term Care Facilities
  This Briggs Corporation kit includes a policy manual, based on recommendations made by the Department of Health and Human Services, an in-service program, staff education booklet, Cough Etiquette poster, and a CD-ROM to customize the plan for your facility.

• Putting Fun in Infection Control - Lutheran Home in Hollidaysburg, PA
  Quality Improvement for Nursing Facilities newsletter article, April 2012

Top of Page

Intake and Output

• Constipation and Fecal Impaction, Handling

• Feeding Tubes: Understanding the Pros and Cons of Using Feeding Tubes
  With the increasing need for artificial hydration and nutrition (AHN), nursing home providers need to be prepared to address the special challenges that arise when caring for residents with feeding tubes.

• Fluids: The fluid and electrolyte balancing act
  Dehydration is the most common fluid and electroylte imbalance in the elderly. Read this December 2007 Liability Landscape article to learn more about risk factors and precautionary measures you can take.

• Incontinence and Catheter Survey Guidance
  Explanation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issuance of new surveyor guidance for incontinence and catheters

• Nutrition is No Secret
  How one facility paid the price for not sharing its nutrition management ideas with a resident's family and offers protective measures and recommendations for a facility to re-examine its nutritional management programs and policies

• Oral Health: Don't Overlook Your Resident's Oral Health
  Liability Landscape article, April 2006.

Medical Supplies and Equipment

• Beds: Are Your Residents Safe and Sound When in Bed?
  Use the FDA recommendations provided in this article to identify and protect your residents from entrapment hazards associated with bed frames, side rails, and mattresses.

• Equipment Malfunctions, When
  Sophisticated medical equipment has become commonplace in most nursing facilities. Read this April 2008 Liability Landscape article to learn about risk management practices that will assist you in avoiding critical equipment malfunctions.

• Hot Water: Prevent Hot Water from Scalding Residents
  Liability Landscape article, August 2006
  

Medication and Vaccination Administration

• Antipsychotic Medication, Obtaining Consents for

• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): Prescription Order Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Medical Treatment Errors

• Medication Errors Checklist

• Medication Monitoring
  This case study focuses on actual events involving a lawsuit against a long-term care facility concerning inadequate medication monitoring. The study describes the problems encountered by the facility and offers ways to prevent a similar situation from occurring in your facility.

• Restraints: Do You Have the 'Right' to Use a Chemical Restraint?
  This article explains when restraint can be used and, using an example situation, offers risk management practices for minimizing liability risk exposure.

• Standing Orders, Use Judiciously
  This article offers communication tips to consider before using standing orders for a resident-specific situation in your facility.

• Vaccination Mandate
  Review the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement that flu and pneumonia shots be available to all residents if nursing homes want to continue receiving funding from the CMS.

• Was the medication given?
  This "Landscape Liability" article from Long-Term Living Magazine (June 2008) offers steps for protecting residents from medication administration errors.

Pain

• Pain Management Checklist
  Poor pain management can trigger survey citations for abuse, violation of residents’ rights, and substandard care. Use this checklist to help you protect your residents and facility.

• Pain MisManagement
  Consider implementing these ten precautionary measures to assist your staff in protecting your facility and its residents.

 

Pressure Ulcers

• Pressure Ulcers Checklist

• Pressure Ulcers Case Study
  This case study focuses on actual events involving a lawsuit against a long-term care facility concerning an alleged pressure ulcer. The study describes the problems encountered by the facility and offers ways to prevent a similar situation from occurring in your facility.

• Pressure Ulcers: Dealing with a Sore Subject
  Article by Cheryl Boldt, reprinted with permission from Maun-Lemke, LLC

Psychosocial

• Depression: Dealing with Depression

• Resident Elopements:

  • Case Study and Lessons Learned

  • Checklist

Smoking

• Becoming a Smoke-Free Facility
  

• Resident Smoking Rights and Risks
  Liability Landscape article, January 2006

 

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