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All About Care Conferences
Copyright 1999 IlluminAge,
206-625-9128. Reprinted from the Resident and Family Guide to Long
Term Care. Provided exclusively for individual use by long term
care residents and their families. All other use, reproduction,
distribution or adaptation is prohibited.
- What Is a Care
Conference?
- When Are Care Conferences Held?
- What's Your Role?
- How Can You Get Ready?
- What If You Don't Live Nearby?
- Are Care Conferences Important?
- When The Resident or Patient Can't Understand
- Who Is On the Care Team
What
Is a Care Conference?
Care conferences are held for every person
receiving health care at home or in a care facility. They help the "care
team" ~ everyone involved in the person’s care ~ share information and
work together to meet the person’s needs.
Think of it this way: A hiker needs a map.
A builder needs a floor plan. A shopper needs a list. People who provide
health care are the same. To do their best, they need a "care plan" for
the person they’re caring for. A care plan tells:
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what the
needs are |
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what the
team’s goals are for meeting those needs |
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what
steps are planned to meet those goals. |
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When Are Care Conferences Held?
The first care conference is usually held before or soon after care
begins. This is a chance to share information and talk about concerns.
At the first care conference:
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An assessment ~ a
list of the needs staff sees ~ is presented. This is used to help
plan care; and it also acts as a kind of starting point or
"baseline" to see how things change ~ getting better or worse ~ as
time goes by. |
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Facts about the
person are discussed. Things like:
-family and work background
-medical and social needs
-attitude and interests
-likes and dislikes |
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A plan is worked
out so that everyone acts as a team: they know their part, and they
also know what others are doing. |
After the first conference, more care conferences are held as changes
take place, or after a set amount of time has passed. These new meetings
are used to keep the assessment, facts, and plan up-to-date.
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What's Your Role?
You may have an important role to play in
an upcoming care conference...
. . . if you are a resident or patient.
Taking part in your own care planning is a right protected by law ~ and
one you should take advantage of, if you can. Let the care team know
what you think. Do you want one thing over another? Say what your
decision is.
. . . if you are a family member or
friend. You may be involved because the person has asked you to attend.
Or because the person is no longer able to understand and make decisions
and you’re there as his or her health care representative. Either way,
you can help by: being a familiar face and providing support, and by
helping staff understand as much as possible about the person.
. . . if you are part of staff. Home care
or nursing facility staff who attend care conferences are there to
explain, ask questions, and gather information. They also take
information back with them to others on the care team who could not
attend, so everyone knows the plan.
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How Can You Get Ready?
In today’s health care, there’s no room for wasted time. So care
conferences should run smoothly. They will if you help by getting ready
ahead of time.
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If you are a
resident, patient, or family member, you’ll get word ahead of time
telling when and where the next care conference will be. Take the
time to let staff know whether or not you plan to attend. If you
want to make sure an issue or concern of yours is discussed, bring
it up at this time. |
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If you’re going
to attend, be sure to get there on time . . . or even a bit early.
That way, you’ll have some time to meet the others. And things won't
seem so hurried. |
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Beforehand, jot
down any questions or concerns you have. And make a note of any
facts you think the care team should know about. |
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During the
meeting, speak up. If you don’t understand a point, ask to go over
it again. If you don’t agree with something, say so. |
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What If You Don't Live Nearby?
You might not live close enough to come to every
care conference. If you can’t attend because of distance, you can still
help the care team.
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Beforehand, you can raise questions or concerns by phone or letter
with a contact person on staff ~ such as a social worker. |
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Afterward, talk with the staff person again. What was discussed at
the care conference? What new information should you be aware of? |
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If you
can't usually attend, but plan to visit in the future, let staff
know. With enough notice, maybe a care conference can be set while
you are in town. |
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Are Care Conferences Important?
You bet they are!
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They
help make sure there is a team approach to care. |
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They
help make sure everyone providing care has the facts they need. |
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They
help make sure everyone understands three key things: the person’s
needs; the goals set up to meet
those needs; and the plan for reaching the goals. |
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When The Resident or Patient Can't Understand
A resident or patient who can no longer
understand what’s happening ~ because of Alzheimer’s, stroke, or some
other condition ~ is still an important part of the care team. His or
her right to take part in care planning doesn’t go away because of
"incapacity." But you may have to attend and speak for the person as a
stand in. If this happens, your job is to say and do what the person
would want if he or she could still take part.
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Who Is On the Care Team
In care at home or in a nursing facility, a care
team includes:
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the
patient or resident, who is the most important person on the
team. |
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family, when the person asks them to come ~ or if the person
needs help. |
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the
doctor, who is in charge when it comes to medical care. |
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nursing staff, who provide nursing and personal care. |
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social work staff, who help meet emotional and social needs. |
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rehab
staff (physical, occupational, speech therapy), who help set and
meet goals for getting back or holding on to as much function and
independence as possible. |
In a nursing facility, the care team also includes:
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activities staff, who help meet the need for an active life. |
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dietary staff, who plan the kind of meals the person needs and
wants. |
An excellent additional resource is
the "Resident and Family Guide to Long Term Care", from which this
information piece was taken. To order, call 800-448-5213. Or order
online at www.IlluminAge.com.
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