Improving Patient Identification Skills in Long Term Care Linda Barboa, Ph'D', CCC', SLP Missouri St

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Improving Patient Identification Skills in Long
Term Care Linda Barboa, Ph.D., CCC.,
SLPMissouri State UniversitySpringfield,
Missouri

• Screening Rationale
• Improves patient function and outcomes.
• Enhances SLP partnership with facility.
• Increases SLP satisfaction through a varied
  caseload.
• Screening Responsibility
• The Speech-Language Pathologist will
• Screen routinely and timely.
• Develop communication with facility personnel to
  identify patients at risk.
• Educate facility staff to the role and benefit
  of Speech-Language and Swallowing services.
• Screening Schedule
• New admissions
• Readmissions
• Quarterly with care plans
• Change of status assessments

• Why Improve Your Patient Identification Skills?
• 1. Every SLP in Long Term Care is clearly
  responsible for high quality services to our
  patients and to our customers.
• It is the job you were hired to do.
• Referral Sources

• Step 2 Interview / Observe the Resident
• Improvements-the patient might now be able to
  tolerate therapy to achieve a higher level of
  function.
• Declines- therapy could get the patient back to
  the prior level of function, and prevent further
  declines.
• Step 3 Interview the Caregivers
• Common changes in function which signal the need
  for an SLP evaluation are
• Weight loss, diet change or swallow problems
• Change in cognitive status
• Change in social interaction
• Change in speech or comprehension
• Change in hearing
• Pressure ulcers combined with weight loss or
  dietary issues.
• STOP

New Admit screenings Care Plan screenings Incident
s Nursing referral Family referral Patient self
referral Social services Dietary Activities Other
therapists Doctors

• Inservice Your Referral Sources
• Educate facility staff WHAT we do
• Educate facility staff about WHICH RESIDENTS TO
  REFER
• Caseload Mix Opportunities
• Look at your caseload patterns from the ICD 9
  code analysis. Consider all of the Speech ICD9
  Codes.
• Consider SEVERITY. We service MILD, MODERATE
  AND SEVERE disabilities.
• Your Professional Development
• Stay Current!
• Professional Books
• Professional Articles
• Topics researched on Internet
• The Most Successful
• Screening Program

STOP
STOP
Available Tools for Identifying Patients in Need
of Services

• Nursing Notes
• Doctors orders
• Physicians progress notes
• RAP
• Medication treatment sheets
• Resident Care Plans
• Skin Integrity Lists
• Weight Loss Lists
• Fall Lists
• Dietary Notes
• Interviews with staff/ family/ doc.
• Incident reports