Greetings!

Welcome to the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing's January 2010 eNewsletter featuring articles, reference materials, useful links, calendar of events and other best practice information on the care of older adults.

This eNewsletter is sponsored by ConsultGeriRN.org.

ConsultGeriRN.org is the authoritative geriatric clinical nursing website of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, New York University College of Nursing and the NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) program, (www.NICHEProgram.org). ConsultGeriRN.org contains evidence-based protocols and topics for nurses and other healthcare professionals on the care of older adults. Content is updated regularly.

Older adults are at risk for malnutrition, with 40% to 60% of hospitalized older adults malnourished or at risk for malnutrition. Malnutrition is any disorder of nutritional status, including disorders resulting from a deficiency of nutrient intake, impaired nutrient metabolism, or over-nutrition. During routine nursing assessment, any alterations in general assessment parameters that influence intake, absorption, or digestion of nutrients should be further assessed to determine if an older adult is as nutritional risk. Parameters for assessment include: present history, assessment of symptoms, past medical and surgical history, and co-morbidities.
Learn more about "Nutrition and Older Adults" including references and assessment tools by visiting ConsultGeriRN.org.

Best Practices for Elder Care, FREE online course offered by American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, American Academy of Nursing

Infustion Nurses Society (INS) Webinar: Infusion Therapy in the Older Adult

The annual week-long, Geriatric Nursing Research Scholars Program, an intensive summer seminar at New York University for an in-depth mentoring experience with nationally recognized gerontologic nursing researchers, is planned for July 12 - 16, 2010. Please visit the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing website for further details:
http://hartfordign.org/Research/Scholars_Program/

Applications are due April 8, 2010.

Ethel Mitty, EdD, RN
Long Term Care Consultant
Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing

The revised USPSTF* breast cancer screening recommendations¹, issued in November 2009, are a significant change from previous recommendations and a major departure from the American Cancer Society position. Reactions, emotional and political, reach the level of moral hazard particularly when the recommendations are construed as rationing that is based on faulty science - and economics. As such, we offer the following information to guide counseling and decision making.
Read Full Sound Off on Hartford Institute Forums

The second issue of the Try This:® Specialty Practice Series, entitled "Informal Caregivers of Older Adults at Home: Let's PREPARE!", was developed by the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY). VNSNY nurses are often presented with a situation where family members and other lay caregivers (informal caregivers) are unprepared to manage complex treatment regimens, recognize complications, and coordinate care that frequently involves many different providers and services. This Try This has been put together to help the home care nurse assess informal caregiver preparedness, and assure that the patient recieves the needed support.
View Try This SP2: Informal Caregivers of Older Adults at Home: Let's PREPARE!

Featured Publications

New Edition! Critical Care Nursing of Older Adults: Best Practices, Third Edition

Assisted Living Nursing: A Manual for Management and Practice

NICHE

January Webinar

"Safe Patient Handling: A Revolution!"

The new Advancing Excellence Web site (www.nhqualitycampaign.org), launched in October 2009, provides a wealth of information for nursing homes, statewide long term care stakeholders, and consumers. Profiles of each state are available that show statewide pressure ulcer, restraint and pain quality measures (QMs) compared to the national average and ranked relative to other states. The profiles also show the number of nursing homes in each state with pressure ulcer rates above 20% and restraint rates above 11%. This information is useful for Advancing Excellence LANEs and/or other statewide stakeholder groups to plan educational activities. (See http://www.nhqualitycampaign.org/star_index.aspx?controls=stateReports)

In addition to the State Profiles, anyone can access publically reported nursing home-specific data and view comparisons of nursing homes'performance compared to national and state performance as well as performance and trends over a period of time. The data come from the MDS and are published quarterly on the Advancing Excellence Web site. This data is public information and is available to anyone.
Nursing Homes that participate in the Advancing Excellence Campaign have access to a special set of data that provides more precise information and shows comparisons of performance over time, comparisons to state and national performance and comparisons to goals that the nursing home has set.

Watch the news box on the homepage of the Advancing Excellence Web site for a special Webinar to review the data, learn how to access it, and how to use it. To join or re-enroll in the Advancing Excellence Campaign, go to www.nhqualitycampaign.org. Nursing homes that were enrolled in Phase 1 and re-enroll before January 31st, 2010 will be designated Charter Members of the Campaign.

We would like to hear from you!