Event Calendar

A-1: Survey Trends and Policy Updates Associated with the New Surveyor Guidance (Appendix PP) – Pam Bibeault, Triad Consulting 
Here’s your opportunity to get the latest expert advice from Pam! You’ll gain a complete understanding of the Appendix PP changes from CMS dated October 27, 2022, and what your policy changes should be to ensure compliance with Phase 3 of the ROPs and the survey process.?You’ll also learn about recent and most common deficiencies cited during surveys, so you are equipped to prepare for and assure a good survey outcome.? (NE-MSD Nursing Credits applied for)?*

 

A-2: MOLST Revisited: Legal and Institutional Implications – Therese Rochon, Hospice Nurse Practitioner, former Director of Advanced Illness Management Program, VNA Care New England  
This session will provide information about Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST), which is rooted in the state of RI Rights of the Terminally Ill Act. The RI Department of Health implemented the MOLST process for health care settings, including long-term care. But since its implementation, there have been ongoing questions about the MOLST and related issues. We will address these questions. Interactive discussion with session participants will be facilitated by Cheryl Klimala, Director of Social Services for Scandinavian Communities. After attending this session, participants will:   

• Understand how the MOLST form was developed and implications for how it is implemented.  
• Know the concepts of the MOLST form that inform direction of health care. 
• Understand how the Medical Durable Power of Attorney can influence the completion of a MOLST form.  
• Know the importance of institutional policies, processes, and procedures for implementing Medical Durable Power of Attorney and MOLST. (NASW-RI credits applied for)

A-3:  From Resignation to Engagement: Fostering Empowerment and Supportive Accountability – Tom Willis, Partner, Phoenix Performance Partners, and Michael B. Rambarose, President & CEO, Whitney Center  

Employee engagement has come to the forefront in the last decade or so as one of the defining characteristics of great organizations. We all know and appreciate the importance of employee engagement, but what about the opposite – disengagement? According to Abraham Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs, all human beings strive for self-actualization, the fulfillment of one’s potential to make a difference or impact the world. This basic impulse is why engagement is so important. When we feel we are serving a purpose that doesn’t make an impact on the world, or when we lack the authority or empowerment to make a difference, resignation sets in. We also may experience a sense of resignation if we feel we are not being held accountable in a supportive way. The Great Resignation may be in the rearview mirror, but it taught us all a lesson: when people feel resigned, if they have a choice, they will resign! This session will: 

• Equip you to cultivate greater levels of aspiration, empowerment, and supportive accountability in your organization. 
• Demonstrate an elegant model of Transformational Leadership, which will expand your ability to create a culture where resignation is replaced with engagement.

A-4: Growing Your Census: New Insights from Mature Consumer Research – Jessica Ruhle, Sales Specialist and Project Director, Creating Results 
How can professionals like you leverage consumer behavior insights to develop and execute a successful digital marketing strategy that delivers quality leads? Plus gain information about what these consumers like and dislike about marketing and your communities? These answers are changing and making it difficult for communities to keep pace. This results-oriented session pairs new behavioral research findings regarding shopping and buying preferences of older adults with community case studies. The core of this program includes looking at key insights from Creating Results’ newest mature consumer behavior study. Creating Results continues to study and examine how mature consumers research and shop for senior living communities, choose services for themselves/loved ones, and how their digital behaviors have changed over time. This session provides actionable insights to guide marketers targeting Gen X, Baby Boomers and 65+ seniors, including the adult children, despite large digital mediums like Facebook and Google continuing to increase targeting restrictions. Trends identified in the research are considered alongside digital marketing best practices from inside and outside the senior living industry. You will learn what seniors do/don’t want from marketing and sales teams, what tools they use in choosing a community, and how to better engage, educate and capture new leads. Participants can save time and prevent wasted resources by applying this knowledge to their programs. In this session you will:

• Discover what mature consumers prefer when interacting with a brand/community so you can improve the experience your organization provides.
• Learn how digital marketing can influence senior housing decisions.
• Gain new insights that will improve the effectiveness of your marketing by reflecting and responding to the priorities / behaviors of older adults.

B-1: Getting to the Core of Preventing Infections - Leslie Morrissey, RN, BSN, Infection Preventionist, East Side Clinical Laboratories 
Trends in deficiencies show that improvements are needed to ensure the health and safety of residents in long-term care facilities and assisted living facilities. In November 2022, CDC updated Core Infection Prevention and Control Practices for Safe Healthcare Delivery in all settings. In October 2022, State Operations for Long Term Care Facilities was updated. This review will tie Core infection practices into facility regulations for long-term care and assisted living to provide resources for improving infection prevention programs. This session will help you:

• Identify Core infection prevention and control practices in all settings.
• Verbalize the importance of compliance with the updated F880 Infection Control Regulations.
• Describe Infection prevention resources to decrease the transmission of communicable diseases and infections.

(NE-MSD Nursing Credits applied for)* 
 
B-2: Who’s in My House? Understanding and Managing the Behavioral Health Needs of My Residents – Dr. Wayne Tasker, National Director of Behavioral Health, TeamHealth  
As we know, the demographics have changed over the past few years in the long-term care facilities. There has been a significant increase in residents with behavioral health issues. Over time, residents develop more complex medical and psychological problems, presenting new challenges and complicated issues in their care and management, especially in the regulation of their medication and management of their behaviors, including resident-to-resident conflicts. The pandemic has also produced new stressors on residents and their families, creating even more demands and stress on facility staff. With a wide variety of diagnoses (ranging from depressions and substance abuse to paranoid schizophrenics), developing safe and effective programs of care has become increasingly difficult. The purpose of this program is to examine different ways to approach and manage the treatment and care of residents with identified behavioral health issues. We will:

•  Examine the state-mandated rules regarding the treatment and care of residents with behavioral health issues. 
• Discuss intervention strategies to avoid or mitigate resident-to-resident aggression or related conflicts.
• Develop best practices for staff in the care of residents with behavioral health issues. 
• Gain an understanding of screening, treating and documenting the care of residents with behavioral health issues. 
• Develop an integrated approach with the medical and behavioral clinicians in producing best practice outcomes.

(NASW-RI credits applied for)
  
B-3: Senior Care Litigation: Prevention & Risk Mitigation Strategies – Amy Yarbro, Esq., Partner, Morrison Mahoney LLP 
This session will address the legal landscape for senior care in Rhode Island as it pertains to litigation and pre-litigation claims. Claims made by resident families against senior care facilities range from personal injury to wrongful death, and monetary damages can be significant. Pressure ulcers, falls, assaults, failure to identify symptoms requiring emergent care, medication administration, and infection control are among some of the common issues in nursing home litigation. Defending these cases involves proving that the standard of care was met with regard to the care provided to the resident. Documentation is critical to show that proper care was provided. Communication with the resident’s family and physician is important to ensure that they are involved in the resident’s care. Training documentation is vital to counter allegations of negligent supervision against the facility. This session will provide recommendations and strategies to minimize the risk of being sued and to improve the defensibility of your case if you become a defendant in a lawsuit. Material will focus on Rhode Island law and the speaker’s experience in defending cases involving nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other providers. 
 
B-4: Total Rewards & Compensation: How to Be an Employer of Choice – David Farrell, Senior Advisor,  NFP 
Recent world events have dramatically changed what employees value and the competition for talent – but have you changed your total rewards approach as an employer? Between new compensation strategies for a highly competitive market, transformed workplaces, and a focus on crucial areas such as diversity, equity, and inclusion and mental health, there are new trends everywhere. This session will give you the highlights of what you need to know, along with a deep dive on compensation, now and for the future, so you are prepared! Learning objectives:

• Explore the competitive, economic, social, and political environment in which your organization operates, and how this impacts your total rewards strategy.
• Use this information to determine how total rewards and workplace trends may impact your organization so you can strategically and proactively respond.
• Collaborate with participants to discuss designing solutions to these issues and opportunities.
• Analyze how the compensation landscape has changed with a significant increase in competition in a tight labor market.
• Apply these learnings to common situations that you may be facing in your organization.

EDUCATIONAL TRACK C – 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm

C-1: Falls Prevalence and Prevention Strategies Across Disciplines and Settings – Sandra Maliangos, PT, DPT, Physical Therapist, and Michele Cornwell, LPTA, Wellness Coordinator, CareLink  
Across a variety of healthcare settings, falls prevention in aging and older adults remains a hot topic for consumers and their providers. We will discuss screening tools for community and long-term environments and evidence-based falls prevention programs to decrease risk for falls and foster a proactive approach to healthy aging. We will emphasize the value of interdisciplinary team collaboration and discuss how embracing an age-positive attitude is key in empowering this population with confidence and resources through available wellness programs. (NE-MSD Nursing Credits applied for)*
 
C-2: Substance Use and Older Adults: An Underrecognized Population – Katherine Kranz, Chair, Social Work Department, Providence College   
Many adults over the age of 65 struggle with substance use disorder. This session will address the vulnerabilities among older adults of using alcohol and other drugs, particularly the legal drug alcohol. You will learn practical strategies to meet the older adult where they are in identifying and managing substance misuse. You will also discover resources that are available to gain a deeper understanding of substance use disorders and how they affect behavior. (NASW-RI Credits applied for)
 
C-3: Leveraging Data for Improved Performance and Decision Making – Shawn Menard, Manager, Health Care, CLA  
This session is intended to educate and assist Rhode Island healthcare providers in utilizing data-driven analytics to address challenges presented by the industry.?We utilize publicly available datasets such as annual Medicare cost reports, five-star quality ratings, and payroll-based journals to gain insight and inform others about how operators are performing. We’ll look at measures such as operating margin, occupancy, hours per resident day, staffing ratings, and the like. Learning objectives:?? 

• Understand methods for identifying and visualizing when an organization is operating outside of anticipated industry norms. 
• Explore sources of industry data to use for benchmarking and for setting appropriate performance measures for an organization. 
• Learn how to glean insights from data in order to drive operational action. 

C-4: Embracing the Dementia Journey: Knowing Your Inner Hippie - Phyllis DeLaricheliere, Consultant / Counselor / Lecturer / Educator   
This interactive session will give participants a broad understanding of the different types of Dementia with a focus on Alzheimer's. Lessons with examples will be taught on new positive approaches for working with our loved ones on the journey of Alzheimer's / Dementia.?This seminar focuses on the caregiver and will introduce them to their “Inner Hippie.” Tools and tips will be shared to help with caring for the person, not just the diagnosis.