Making a Difference with Restorative Nursing, A Solution-Driven Service!
As a result of isolation and social distancing related to COVID, many of our patients have experienced excessive weight loss, increased falls, and increased loss of ADLs/independent movement. This is reflected in nationwide CASPER reporting and is evidenced within the facilities we serve. As a result, our facilities have coordinated their care to offset these declines and to improve the lives of the patients they serve. They do so through interdisciplinary care, including Nursing, Dietary, Activities, Rehab Therapy, and Restorative Nursing programs.
The purpose of a Restorative Nursing Program (RNP) is to maintain patients’ functional status and to improve their quality of life. The RNP consists of communication, eating, walking, ADL, transfers, range of motion, and bed mobility programs, that are able to address many different deficits of patients within the facility. While a Restorative program is nothing new to Nursing Facilities, TMC offers our customers the opportunity to consistently carry out this program by hiring the RNAs as TMC Team Members. Our highly trained RNAs see patients of all complexities including those with dementia, neurological deficits, UTIs, and ortho deficits. RCNAs Dianna and Jennifer have wowed everyone at our Senatobia, MS, facility with their extraordinary service as Restorative Aids.
Through their daily interventions, Dianna and Jennifer have helped to improve patients’ quality of life and overall happiness, while also reducing risks of illness and injury related to declines that the patient might have experienced without their interventions. Dianna and Jennifer work closely with the Rehab Team at their facility to implement and carry out Restorative programs that supplement the individualized therapy services that they receive.
In addition to carrying out daily Restorative programs, Dianna and Jennifer have taken on the task of reducing dehydration and weight loss in their facility by implementing a hydration cart. This unique intervention ensures that each resident has opportunities to remain hydrated. To help decrease weight loss and Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), they have coordinated with the facility’s Dietary and Nursing departments to replace juice or water during hydration rounds with dietary supplements as needed, including providing cranberry juice for those with a history of UTIs. The hydration cart is provided to everyone in the building, to ensure that residents (not just the therapy caseload) are getting adequate hydration and supplements which decreases hospitalization rates related to dehydration.
The facility staff has been very receptive and positive regarding the hydration cart and the RNP. The CNAs are happy to have some help, as they have had staffing shortages in the last year. Family members have noticed an increase in patient involvement and excitement regarding their hydration time during the day. It is always rewarding knowing that what you are doing is making a difference!
The hydration cart and the Restorative Nursing Program have influenced the whole facility, and Dianna and Jennifer, as well as the Therapy team, Dietary staff, and other facility staff cannot be thanked enough for their remarkable service. TMC has received praise for these two ladies from patients, nursing staff, and administration, with one administrator commenting that they have never seen Restorative done this way and that they are extremely impressed.
Not only are they receiving praise across the facility, but their hard work is also showing in the Quality Measures, as well; CASPER measures associated with Urinary Incontinence, Weight Loss, Wounds, and Independent Movement have shown improvement since implementation of focused Restorative programs.
In Senatobia, MS, we believe in making a positive difference in the lives of ALL of the patients we serve, both inside and outside of the Therapy gym. Way to make a difference with this Solution-Driven Service!
