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New hospice
orientation DVD effective way to reach nursing facilities
State of the Heart Hospice...
State of the Heart Hospice is taking a new approach to educating
nursing facilities about hospice care. Kelley Hall, Education
Coordinator with State of the Heart, has created a new DVD for this
purpose that can be used during staff in-services and new-hire
orientations.
Medicare requires hospice organizations to orient nursing facility
staff who have contact with hospice patients, according to Hall. The
new 14-minute DVD provides an efficient and effective way to do this.
In the past, Hall educated through live in-services as well as paper
handouts that had to be printed and distributed. Problems with this
approach, according to Hall, included staff being unable to attend and
handouts being misplaced or thrown away.
“I wanted an innovative way that the Medicare-required information
could be distributed,” said Hall. “This DVD allows a simplified and
green approach to delivering hospice education. The staff can view it
at a time that is convenient for them.”
Hall has been meeting with education coordinators and directors of
nursing in the area to share the DVD. Brenda Speck, Director of Nursing
at the Gardens at St. Henry, said of the DVD, “We will use it for all
newly hired staff in their general orientation. We will also show it to
all staff, not just the nurses and aides, because the death of one of
our residents affects everyone, including housekeeping, dieticians, and
cooks.” She added, “We can use it to educate all staff about what
hospice is and the benefits, and they may be able to use that
information in their personal lives as well.”
The DVD covers the hospice philosophy, pain and symptom management,
principles of death and dying, patient rights, care-planning, chart
requirements, and when facilities should contact State of the Heart.
“I’m hoping to reach more facility staff,” said Hall. “When I would do
a live in-service, usually second and third-shift workers could not
attend. I’m hoping for more compliance in viewing the material with the
DVD format and the fact that it’s less than 15 minutes.”
Hall will continue to distribute the DVD through October. The agency
also plans to use it as part of their own orientation for new staff and
volunteers. Hall added that she is still available to show the DVD at
live in-services with question and answer sessions for facilities that
request it.
For more information, call 800-417-7535 or visit www.stateoftheheartcare.org.
For 30 years, State of the Heart Hospice has been caring for patients
and families facing a life-limiting illness. The nonprofit agency
serves 12 counties in western Ohio and eastern Indiana, with offices in
Greenville and Coldwater, Ohio, and Portland, Indiana.
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