Archive for the ‘Leadership’ Category

It’s been a little while since I have last written. Work these days has been extremely busy…which by all means, is wonderful. However, it’s moments such as these that something gets sacrificed because there is only so much time. Depending on the day, I might be missing out on adequate amounts of sleep, quality meals, or time spent TRULY listening to others.

After a long day, some nights I come home practically comatose to the world. On these occasions, there are times when my husband may start a conversation. Suddenly, midway through I realized I only caught parts of what he was trying to tell me. Some people may call this typical to married life. Ha. Anyway, this got me thinking about how often this happens everyday….to many people. It reminds me how valuable a person who truly listens.

When I was a Masters in Social Work Intern in Austin, Texas, I had my own clients assigned within a couple of nursing homes. A lot of time was spent with each one of my clients, since I didn’t have other work related obligations. As a result, I knew their intimate frustrations, worries and fears, and was able to better assist them with this knowledge.

Some of my clients had no family, or if they did, they were rarely in contact. Often after having an hour session, they would want to continue longer. These individuals were by far the most likely to develop signs and symptoms of depression. However, it was noticeable by their reaction that having someone that would listen, meant the world.

Nursing home staff, family and friends of nursing home residents, also have hectic lives. Often it may inhibit them from being able to slow down long enough not to miss every other word of a story. It’s extremely hard to always be an active listener. For me, it is a work in progress….but, an effort that’s truly worth making.

For those of you who are Florida Nursing Home Administrators or are health care managers in North Central Florida, I would encourage you to attend the Florida Health Care Association’s (FHCA) district meeting. This is an excellent way to meet some of your peers, along with gain knowledge on important topics related to the field and our community. Below I have listed information pertaining to the meeting, which is also posted on www.fhca.org.

DISTRICT VIII
David Minnic, President
Hawthorne Health and Rehab of Ocala
Phone: (352) 237-7776
Fax: (352) 237-5551
District VIII Meeting Information
Date: 2nd Thursday of each month
Time: 11:30 AM
Location: Ocala Hilton, Ocala

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Florida Nursing Home Administrator, North Central Florida, Florida Health Care Association, Ocala

Recently, I learned of a V.A. aid and attendants program available to veterans or their spouses. Under this program, a veteran can receive a maximum of $1673.00 per month in benefits, and a spouse can receive up to $869.00 per month.

To qualify for this program a veteran must have had 90 days or more of active duty, only one day of which was during wartime. It is not necessary that they saw combat. They must not have had a dishonorable discharge.

In addition, the veteran or spouse must be determined to be “permanently and totally disabled.” This includes but no limited to: trouble dressing/undressing him or herself, blindness, and mental or physical incapacity.

The veteran or spouse does not need to be house bound or considered helpless. You just have to prove the person is in need of aid and attendance on a regular basis. The V.A. will generally accept a letter from a physician, which should state that the person has an incapacity that requires care or assistance on a regular basis to live safely at home.

There is a net worth requirement for this program. This is something the V.A. could assist you with since it changes on a routine basis. The last known net worth cutoff was $80,000, not including your home.

In addition to the net worth requirement, there is also an income requirement. The veteran’s countable income should not exceed the maximum annual pension rate which is currently $1,673 (adjusted periodically), or $869.00 per month for the spouse. However, some items may be deducted from income in order to meet this criteria. For example: doctor and dental visits, co-payments, medical supplies, therapy, transportation to the doctor, ect.

It can take up to ninety days to receive approval. However, once approved payments are made retroactively from the first month after the month that you apply. So, funds you previously spent on home care may be reimbursed to you when the V.A. aid and attendants coverage starts.

This information was provided by Interim Healthcare Private Services (Ocala, Florida), which provides quality home care to veterans and others needing assistance. To view their website, click on the link: www.interimhealthcare.com

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V.A., veterans, Interim Healthcare Private Services, Ocala, Florida

For my first “real” entry, I wanted to start off by saying that I am excited to begin this blog. Since I am a newly licensed nursing home administrator (April 2008), I am relatively new to the field of long-term care. I don’t claim to know everything pertaining to this field, but I’m passionate about making a difference. As I gain knowledge, I hope to be fortunate enough to share it with you.

Today I listened to an interesting speaker at our local “Toast and Topics” meeting in Ocala, Florida. One part of his lecture pertained to the importance of having a vision in business. As he pointed out, without a strong vision (specific objectives) of where you are going, it’s hard to meet one’s goals. How could a business meet distinct objectives without planning a way to get there?

For example, if a nursing home administrator wanted to change a hospital-like nursing home to more of a home-like atmosphere, it would take a strong vision to make these changes. Imagine how many people would have to get on board, not only to invest the money, but also to share the same goal. Many of the staff may even disagree with your vision–believing the old way is the “better” way. However, once people begin to share your vision and are willing to make changes, real positive results can be made. Leaving the meeting, I felt energized to begin focusing on my vision. Like he pointed out, without a vision, how do you expect to get where you’re going in life?

To All Nursing Home Residents and Staff: Happy Nursing Home Week!

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Ocala, Florida, nursing home administrator, nursing home, Nursing Home Residents, Nursing Home Week