Methods for Examining the Regulations and Applying them as a Leader

The Administrator of a LTC facility is responsible for providing respectful and competent care, following the laws and regulations set by the federal, state, and local governments and extending knowledge and experience to his/her staff. With each unit of this course, the regulations were addressed and examined for relevance to specific federal and state laws. The student should have mastered methods for examining the regulations and applying them as a leader, with exemplary communication and more importantly by example. The final assignment encompasses the application of these laws and regulations. Please provide details and examples in each of the following questions: If you could design the long-term care regulatory process from scratch, which components would you keep and which would you see as unnecessary? Would you add any regulations that are not currently in place? Would you simplify or clarify anything? Discuss OBRA 87 and the impact it has had on quality of care and quality of life in nursing homes. Highlight some practices that have changed since 1987? What steps or policies/procedures does (or will) your facility implement to assure compliance with professional standards, and who is assigned this responsibility? Describe 3 key parts of the HIPAA Privacy Rule that apply to long-term care settings. How will you ensure resident privacy as an Administrator? What methods would you use to train staff and ensure that resident protected health information is not inappropriately shared?  In your opinion, which of the NF/SNF resident rights is the most important? Explain your answer in detail with examples. Discuss your role as Administrator with ethical issues around a resident with mild to moderate dementia who no longer appears to be paying his bills, is not kempt, and has made poor safety decisions by wandering away from the facility. What steps would you take? How can you best assist in ensuring competent decision making on his behalf? Are survey findings and financial penalties adequate to force all providers of all LTC services into compliance? Are there other methods that can ensure compliance?