HomeMy WebLinkAboutNursing Home CAC minutes 090517Orange County Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes Sept 5, 2017
5:30pm, Seymour Center, Chapel Hill, NC
CALL TO ORDER by Vibeke Talley, Chair
• Members Present: Autumn Cox (Ombudsman), Carol Kelly, Jackie Podger, Jerry Ann
Gregory, Jerry Schreiber, Mary Fraser (Dept on Aging), Molly Stein, Martha Bell, Peggy
Lanier, Vibeke Talley (Chair), Karen Macklin
• Members Excused: Susie Dieter, Teri Driscoll
• Members Absent/Unexcused: Jennifer Moore
OLD BUSINESS
• Discussion /Approval July 11, 2017 Minutes: Approved as written.
NEW BUSINESS
• Site Reports:
• Brookshire: 8/7/17 accepted with changes.
• Carol Woods: 8/8/17 accepted; no changes
• Carolina Point: Quarterly visit postponed due to ongoing state inspection;
rescheduled for September
• Signature: 6/17/17 approval tabled until this meeting. Changes discussed in July
2017 meeting were made. Report approved. 7/18/17 report accepted with changes.
Noted by committee members new administration personnel were prompt in
addressing concerns; very accepting of suggestions.
• Ombudsman Report: Autumn Cox provided the following:
• All day Leadership Education Conference scheduled 26 September;
• Change to CAC Member Appointment to county committees: reference HB 248 -July
2017.
o Addressed the question re: are committee members allowed to visit a facility while it
is undergoing an annual state inspection. Point rose because of the Carolina Point
report and need for rescheduling because of the state visit. Autumn advised that it is
our choice as a group visiting the facility to decide whether or not to enter for a
quarterly visit. If team members do so, they may speak not only with residents, staff
members, and facility administration, but may also approach and speak, as resident
advocates, with the state personnel conducting the visit. As we are able to review a
state survey once it is posted on line, we also have the authority to ask general
questions about the resident advocacy and resident rights aspects of our work.
Autumn advises that it would be inappropriate for any facility staff, e.g.,
administrator, Director of Nursing, etc., to ask team members to postpone a visit
because it coincides with one by the state. All members present at this meeting
appreciated her guidance.
Department on Aging Report: Mary Fraser provided the following:
o The County's Master Aging Plan meeting to discuss goals was attended by Jackie
Podger and Carol Kelly. The meeting began the process of identifying how people
like those of us on the committee, as well as others in the county can assist with
providing life enrichment opportunities for residents in long term care housing. Our
state, like the national councils, is emphasizing the importance of quality
improvement in addition to planned program activities. The DOA is looking for
ways to recognize such events and persons involved in addressing actions that can be
noted to raise the quality of living in ways other than those only focused on physical
or emotional care. Subcommittees will continue to meet at least quarterly to
continue making optimal plans that can work across the county. The next meeting is
scheduled for October 4.
o There is another county group wanting to raise recognition and work towards
improving advance for the direct care givers, AKA Certified Nursing Assistants
(CNAs). The bulk of efforts regarding a resident's quality of his /her daily living fall
to this group of specially educated personnel. While Orange County, and
particularly Chapel Hill, has adopted a minimum "living wage" (currently
$13.75 /hour) for the providers, there is also a need to improve the advancement for
direct care givers, e.g., promotions, further education and achievement recognition.
Further discussion ensued re; ways in which Orange County's DOA has worked to
recognize CNA accomplishments and remuneration.
o Further discussion by both the County Commissioners and thus, this committee, was
made re: Objective 3.5: Improving the Quality of Life through more public activity.
Mary related that our County Commissioners have very positive views about the
work of the OCNHCAC members as advocates for residents. We are asked to
examine ways in which OCNHCAC expertise /strategies can help successfully move
this objective along. Examples might include calling for volunteers to come into
facilities to visit with residents who are unable to leave the buildings and /or who
have no other opportunities for family visits. This prompted a lengthy discussion at
the meeting re: ideas for interventions as well as potential liabilities that might be
faced by either committee members and /or volunteers who may wish to take on such
roles.
Activity Program Questions. (Attachment 1) This has been an agenda item for several
meetings. Committee members want to respectfully ask residents and staff about success
of activity /life enrichment programs. Susie Dieter, Carol Kelly and Jackie Podger made
outstanding progress to develop questions that were more substantive rather than ones
asking for a "yes or no" answer. Attachment 1 is the result of their collective work. All
agreed it will be very helpful.
• Reminders:
o Quarterly Activity Reports Due: end of September, 2017
o Quarterly Site Visit Reports Due: When visit is completed. Autumn mentioned that
while regulations require a "mandatory" quarterly visit with a written report, we are
still able to do "friendly" visits to respective sites in order to be better known to
residents and staff, keep conversations on top about ongoing projects and needs. She
noted that any "friendly" visits would still need to have at least two committee
members in the group, although there would be no requirement for completing a site
visit report.
• Next Meeting: Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Respectfully submitted
Martha R. Bell, Secretary
Attachments:
1: Activity Questions