Lisa Littlejohn talked about her work as a restorative aide at the Worth County Convalescent Center board meeting last Wednesday night. Administrator Karen Fletchall said that she would be having various employees of the facility give a talk to the board about their work at the facility. She said that she planned to have Activity Director Beth Meek next month.
Littlejohn takes over where the therapy stops for residents of the facility. She does things like one on one feeding, making sure that patients are not losing weight, and maintaining or improving the physical condition of the residents. But like most employees of the facility, she does much more than what she is asked to do. She serves on the safety committee, which makes sure that everything is safe for employees and residents; she also serves on the Employee Relations Committee, which helps maintain morale of the employees and recognize them for their service.
Littlejohn does daily exercises that are certified by the National Arthritis Foundation. One of the biggest challenges she and most of the other employees have to deal with is the constant changes that are part of the job; for instance, it used to be that she didn't worry about residents who were in hospice care. But now, she said that she works with residents in hospice care, saying that increasing range of motion is now seen as necessary to help hospice residents reduce pain and suffering. She has also helped several residents get to where they could go home again.
This year, the Employee Relations Committee has formed a Relay for Life team and they have already raised over $1,200 for Worth County Relay for Life this year. They are still planning fundraisers right up until the Relay for Life starts.
May finances were better than April's. The facility is estimated to be $49,000 in the red this year, including the one-time payments for the cooling system. Among challenges that will be faced is the push to computerize all medical records so that, for instance, the facility can share information with a hospice or a doctor. The problem is security; for instance, protecting such a system against disgruntled employees would be a main challenge. The facility had a small payment for the cooling system. They are looking for grants or loans for the boiler system; the USDA has allocated most of their funds for this year, however.
There are currently 31 residents in the facility after the population had fallen to as low as 27 at one point. Administrator Karen Fletchall said she would draw up a budget based on 30 residents, which is in line with what the facility had this year. Cost per resident was around $126 while Medicaid reimbursements were around $116 per resident. Fletchall said she was doing phone contacts and promoting the facility's short-term care services to prospective residents. She said that 20 residents plus family members and staff went outside to watch the Sesquicentennial Parade, which came into the parking lot at one point. The facility took residents to the Senior Center Potluck.
The board does not have a formal recognition policy for employees who have served for a long time, but will work with the Employee Relations Committee in developing one.
The facility is planning a celebration in honor of the facility's four star rating, which is one of the best in the area.
The board gave Fletchall direction regarding insurance people selling health insurance policies through the facility. The board felt that it would simply create more paperwork for staff and would open up a Pandora's Box of insurance salespeople coming to sell their products. Also, selling such policies would imply that the facility endorsed them and and could lead to cancellation of existing policies depending on who was ensuring people now.
One of the computer programs was having problems; it was not letting Secretary Jozy Moyer log in. The facility will call someone to look at it.
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