The most Dangerous

Room in the House 

One of the most frequent questions we receive is "How can I prevent a fall?" (Or another fall) This article explores important safety aspects of bathrooms.

According to a research report by the Home Safety Council, preventable home injuries are the fifth largest cause of death in the U.S., and safety researchers point to the bathroom as one of the most dangerous zones in the house.

Here are five threats that often trip up (sometimes literally) the unwary:

1. Water, water everywhere - It's the water-in the sink, tub, and shower -that is the number-one danger in the bathroom. The reality is, water doesn't always stay where it should. Poorly fitting shower curtains and simple wet feet are two of the biggest causes of water winding up on the bathroom floor. The ideal shower has a shatterproof glass door, rather than a curtain. Failing that, you can minimize leaks by hanging a curtain liner that falls inside the tub and a second, decorative curtain that falls outside. To stop slips place strips of adhesive nonslip decals on the shower or bathtub floor. Keep a nonskid rug on the floor next to the shower/bath exit and in front of the sink. Basic scatter rugs are themselves a tripping hazard; look for ones made to absorb moisture and stay in place on the floor. The memory foam rugs sold in all bath shops are both comfortable as well as slip proof.

Congratulations to all our colleagues at All About You Home Care for earning a coveted spot among the top 25 % Elite of Medicare home health agencies in the country !!

The 2013 Homecare Elite is the compilation of the most successful Medicare home care providers in the U S A. Now in its seventh year, this market-leading review names the top 25% of agencies based on performance measures. This year those measures include quality of care, quality improvement, patient experience, process measure implementation, and financial management.

OCS Homecare (originally Outcome Concept Systems, Inc.) National Research Corporation uses publicly available data from Home Health Compare and the CMS Cost Reports to create the Homecare Elite List of agencies. Five domains of performance were cumulatively analyzed-quality of care, quality improvement and consistency, patient experience (HHCAHPS), process measure implementation, and financial performance.

Agency performance in each of the domains was compared against the performance of other organizations in their state and nationwide (including U.S. territories). The domains were combined into one overall score, using a weighting methodology that gives the greatest importance to quality of care. The top 25% of agencies in each region, both facility-based and free-standing, were identified and added to the national list.

Nice work, AAY!!!