Introduction
Nurses play a significant role in health care planning at a national level. This is due to their expertise in the field and their deep knowledge of what should be incorporated in health care plans. Some of the individuals who benefit from health care plans are ageing people since they require special attention. It is important for organizations that attempt to provide such services for this first time to seek expert advice from nurses who have been in the nursing profession for a reasonable period. This paper attempts to provide expert advice from the perspective of a professional nurse, on how to start a long-term care plan for ageing members.
Levels of Care
There are different levels of care that the religious organization can provide. The most common levels of care for such an organization include skilled care, custodial care and intermediate care. Skilled care is the type of care that is rehabilitative, prescribed by physicians and given by individuals with medical knowledge such as nurses. Custodial care involves assisting the patients to do their daily activities such as bathing, dressing and eating while intermediate care is provided periodically for patients who do not require continuous or constant attention (Personal Injury Lawyers, 2012)
Philosophy and Mission
A philosophy ensures that an organization remains dedicated to its core values while a mission statement defines what an organization is engaged in hence it ensures that an organization remains committed to its purpose. The philosophy of this organization will be to make the lives of its ageing individuals bearable and comfortable by protecting them from the problems and suffering that ageing people go through. The mission of the organization will be the provision of state-of-the-art services to the ageing members.
Name and Physical Setting of the Organization
The name of the facility will be Utmost Care Center for the Ageing (UCCA). The choice of name for the facility is informed by the fact the facility aims at providing the best services for the ageing members. By using the words utmost care, individuals intending to use the services of the facility will get information beforehand that the facility offers the best services for the ageing. As a result, it will be one of the most preferred centers.
The facility will be located in the city of Alachua. This is a suitable location for the facility since the city has a high population of individuals who will require the services to be offered by the facility. The facility will take care of the ageing members to relieve their families of the responsibilities of taking care of them. Consequently, it will be of great help to the residents of the city of Alachua. The employees of the center will also benefit in that their living standards will be improved and individuals from their families will be given priority once they require service at the center (Agedcarer, 2011).
Building Features of the Facility and Security
The facility needs to be constructed with quality materials for it to reflect the state-of-the-art structures. For example, the outside walls should be constructed with strong blocks to ensure that the building is secure. There should also be supporting posts to ensure that the firmness of the building is not compromised. The building should have special rooms for catering for the needs of the ageing individuals who require specialized care. Inside the building, facilities such as beds, wheelchairs, dining equipment, entertainment gadgets such as TV sets should be included (Lustbader & Hooyman, 2006). This will ensure that the ageing members feel comfortable in the facility
In addition to the building facilities, security will of great importance to the center to ensure that the workers and all those in the facility are secure. The first security measure to be taken will be the deployment of enough security officers to monitor activities in the facility. There will also be the need to build a perimeter wall and an electric fence. This will ensure that only legitimate visitors will gain access to the facility through the main entrance (Timby & Smith, 2008). In addition, it will be important to equip the facility with CCTV cameras for constant surveillance.
The residents who will use the facility may have special problems that will require the attention of the nurses. For instance, the residents may have problems when walking from one place to the other. Others may have problems with their eyes thus making it difficult for them to see well. In addition, other patients may suffer from chronic illnesses such as TB among other illnesses. These problems will require specialized attention from the nurses (Medicare, 2009).
Personnel Needed in the Facility
The success of the facility will depend on the kind of person who will be directly involved with its activities. There will be different types of personnel who will be required for the smooth running of the facility. The first group of personnel will be the nurses who will provide medical attention required by the ageing people. The support staff such as cleaners, grounds people and people to attend to the ageing members daily will also be required. It will be important for the facility to hire specialist nurses such as those who deal with eye problems, chest problems and problems related to the bones (Pratt, 2010).
The nurse-patient ratio should be one nurse per every five patients. This will be a reasonable ratio that will ensure that all the patients get the necessary attention. The aide patient ratio should be one aide per every three patients. It will be important for the patients to receive diligent care from the aides hence the number of aides should be higher than that of the nurses. This is since the patients need to be attended to daily.
For the residents to be able to determine the different healthcare providers visually, the healthcare providers will be required to wear badges that will define their areas of operation. In addition, the administration at the facility should plan to have the different areas of operations represented by unique uniforms for the health care workers to be easily recognizable. In addition to the nurses who will be providing health services to the patients, the facility will need ancillary health workers. They will include experts on nutritional issues and specialists in healthy living.
Services to be Offered at the Facility
The facility will be expected to offer different social services to the patients and some extent to the residents. Some of the social services the facility will be expected to offer to include the provision of health services, maintaining patient cleanliness and providing moral support to the patients. The patients will require special diets to ensure that they remain healthy. Their food will mostly be comprised of energy giving foods and other foods that will protect them from infections and illnesses. Some of the foods will be bought straight from the market while others will be prepared at the facility. Some facilities such as cookers, gas cylinders and well-equipped kitchens will be important for preparing particular foods at the facility.
Activities for Residents
Since the residents will be beneficiaries of the facility just like the patients, they will take part in various activities. Some of the activities they will take part in include cleaning the facility, supplying materials required at the facility and providing any assistance that will be required by the nurses. However, they will not be involved in activities that will require them to directly handle the patients since they do not have the required skills. For the facility to function well, there are critical amenities that will be required. Some of the amenities will include electricity, ample water supply, toilets and resting places. This will ensure that the patients’ life at the facility is comfortable.
Criteria for Employees to Join the Facility
In addition to their training in nursing, nurses who will join the facility will be required to have some training on how to handle ageing people. This is because these are individuals who will require specialized care that nurses may not have gotten from their training as nurses. Nurses who will join the facility will be asked questions that will reveal their attitude towards taking care of ageing people. One of the questions they will be asked is whether their interest to work at the facility will be driven by high salaries or the desire to assist the ageing members (Evashwick, 2005). Another question they will be asked is whether they can abandon their commitments to attend to the ageing members when called upon at odd hours. These questions will determine their capability to work in the facility well.
When interviewing the aides who will join the facility, they will be asked questions that will determine their willingness to assist the patients indiscriminately. For example, they will be asked to explain their thoughts about ageing people. They will also be asked if they have dealt with ageing people before.
Special Services for Residents and Employees
There should be special features reserved for both the employees and the residents. For instance, the residents should have places where they will spend time with their family members who will be visiting them (Brunner & Smeltzer, 2009). The employees should have special equipment that will facilitate them in their work such as cleaning tools. The families of the patients should also be provided with special services. Some of the services they should be provided with will include the opportunity to see their patients regularly. They should also be provided with regular information on the progress of the patients. Finally, they should be given a chance to interact with the facility employees and learn more about how they will help the ageing patients.
Conclusion
In designing a long term care plan, organizations need to consult people with expert knowledge on what such plans entail. For the organization discussed in this essay, it needs to get the information from a qualified nurse. There are many aspects of the nursing profession that should be addressed before the intended facility begins to function appropriately. Taking care of ageing is not an easy task hence the facility requires great effort. The personnel to be involved in various operations in the facility are crucial to its success.
References
Agedcarer. (2011). Caring for Ageing Parents. Web.
Brunner, L., & Smeltzer, S. (2009). Brunner and Suddarth’s textbook of medical-surgical nursing. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Evashwick, C. (2010). The continuum of long-term care. New York: Cengage Learning.
Lustbader, W., & Hooyman, N. (2011). Taking care of aging family members:a practical guide. Washngton: Free Press.
Medicare. (2009). long-term Care. Web.
Personal Injury Lawyers. (2012). Levels of Nursing Home Care. Web.
Pratt, J. (2010). Long-Term Care:Planning across the Continuum. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Timby, B., & Smith, N. (2008). Essentials of nursing:care of adults and children. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.