WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson has stated the two-year evaluation of the federal Nursing Home Quality Initiative (NHQI) shows marked improvements in key indicators of care.
Launched in 2002 as a unique public-private partnership between government and long-term care providers, NHQI was designed to provide consumers with reliable, easy-to-understand, comparative information regarding care quality in nursing homes.
“The data we’re releasing ... shows nursing home residents have better care -- I want to repeat that -- they have better care and a better quality of life since we launched this program,” said Thompson at a recent HHS press conference. "... Fewer nursing home residents suffer from chronic pain and fewer physical restraints are being used to take care of elderly patients. Even more impressive, the prevalence of chronic pain in nursing homes has gone down in 50 out of 50 states.”
Joined by AARP and leading nursing home provider organizations, including the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care, Thompson announced that among the top findings were reductions in the number of residents who experienced pain and the number requiring physical restraints.
“After two years, it’s worked better than we could have hoped for,” stated Thompson. "... we’re pleased that nursing home residents are now receiving better care compared to just two years ago.”
Headlines following the news conference included: AP: Government: Nursing Home Care Improving Boston Globe: Nursing Home Quality-Improvement Program to Expand, White House Says Hartford Courant: Nursing Home Effort Pays Off, Reducing Pain Seattle Times: Care Improves in Nursing Homes
“NHQI is clearly doing what it set out to do two years ago,” said Hal Daub, President and CEO of AHCA. “The demonstrable, quantifiable success of NHQI is giving momentum and support to the movement within the long-term care community to increase quality care, despite the challenging environment. Our seniors’ quality of life is improving -- and we intend to continue on this positive course.”
Stephen Guillard, Chairman of the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care and CEO of Harborside Healthcare -- a national skilled nursing facility company -- stated, “Two critical actions have contributed to improvements in quality: first, the Bush Administration established NHQI and is working collaboratively with providers to help make us part of the solution; second, the Administration restored critical funding last year that’s helped stabilize the long-term care sector following billions in budget cuts. These significant developments have allowed providers to invest resources toward making NHQI a success thus far.”
Observed Thompson: “You’ve got to realize, we stabilized the funding in the last two years and improved it [care quality]. And the nursing home industry has just remarked about how that has helped. And we’re going to hopefully be able to continue.”
Care
American Health Care Association; Alliance for Quality Nursing Home
CONTACT: Rebecca Reid, +1-410-267-1128, for the Alliance for QualityNursing Home Care; or Susan Feeney of American Health Care Association,+1-202-898-9354
