Common assessment tool benefits LTC residents September 2007- The quality of resident care in Ontario 's nursing homes is key for residents, their families, and the healthcare sector as a whole. The Long-Term Care Homes Common Assessment Project (LTCH CAP) is playing a prominent role in addressing these concerns. The Project has been facilitating and supporting the implementation of a standardized and automated common assessment tool known as the Resident Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set (RAI-MDS 2.0). Two years into this initiative, residents and the sector as a whole are reaping the benefits. Today, homes use a variety of methods to capture residents' abilities, preferences and care needs when they create care plans. While standards are often very high, the lack of consistency and the ability to gather standardized, evidence-based clinical information makes it difficult to compare and improve the quality of care. It also restricts the ability for homes to exchange information efficiently with other health agencies. The RAI-MDS 2.0 addresses these needs by producing consistent and detailed resident information that is analyzed using scientifically proven decision frameworks. This care management tool is already being used in more than 30 countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Japan and Australia as well as several provinces and territories in Canada. Ontario is now amongst the leaders, using the full RAI-MDS 2.0 approach to create in-depth care plans. By incorporating each resident's strengths, preferences and needs into the assessment from all aspects of the care team involved, the results enable an in-depth care plan that is tailored to the resident. Currently, 159 of Ontario 's 600 long-term care homes have implemented or are in the process of implementing RAI-MDS 2.0. During this process important benefits have already become evident within the homes. “You develop a keener sense of the resident. I thought I knew the residents but now I know more about their abilities and limitations,” explains Andre Charron, an RPN at Perley Rideau Veterans' Health Centre. “The tool allows you to look deeper than what you physically see. Your assessment is better because it is based on a holistic approach. I find myself asking ‘why is that?' more often.” The successful operation of a long-term care home requires the synchronization of several disciplines. The tool is proving to enhance interdisciplinary teamwork. “The RAI-MDS 2.0 has also assisted us in developing a team, which allows all disciplines to determine the resident's care needs and provide a more personal approach in delivering that care,” says Sherri Filograno, a Registered Nurse at Hogarth Riverview Manor. As homes implement RAI-MDS 2.0, they are provided with support and resources from the Project. This includes free training, guidance and support throughout the 15 months of the implementation, and access to the Online Project Support Portal, a useful intranet site that includes documentation and updated information on all aspects of the initiative. With the benefits to residents, nursing staff, and improvements in the homes increasingly evident, everyone can be proud of the progress that has been made so far towards providing long-term care residents with the highest quality of care. For more information on RAI-MDS 2.0 and the LTCH CAP Project, please contact the Project Support Centre at 416.314.7365/1.866.909.5600 or LTCHProject.moh@ontario.ca. Article submitted by David Abbou from the Communications Project Support, Continuing Care E-Health. |