INHC - PDC: Project Overview

The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care (CFMC), the quality improvement organization (QIO) for Colorado, invited six nursing homes to participate in the Improving Nursing Home Culture (INHC) – Person Directed Care (PDC) pilot project. The time frame for the pilot was October 2004 to July 2005.

CFMC was one of a group of QIOs who volunteered to participate in the study. The group of 23 QIOs included the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The pilot focused on care practices, work place practices, and environmental modification. Initial emphasis was placed on the transformational leadership that is the underpinning of any culture change. CFMC recruited nursing homes that were at any step on the culture change journey. We worked with nursing homes that had already begun the culture change journey, as well as with nursing homes that had expressed an interest in beginning the process.

The movement from an institutional to a more home-like model was notably attributed to the work of Eden Alternative (www.edenalt.com), the Pioneer Network (www.pioneernetwork.net), and the Wellspring Model (www.wellspringis.org). Their vision and philosophy have created a firm base for culture change around the country.

Relationships are at the heart of transformational change. Control and decision-making are consistently placed in the hands of residents and frontline staff who are given the tools and support to make decisions that enhance an environment that will be reflective of home. CFMC believed that the opportunity existed for participating nursing homes to make an enormous difference in the quality of life for both residents and staff through this work, and we enjoyed working with them on their exciting journey.

Participation in the INHC – PDC pilot project was limited to six nursing homes throughout the state. Participant nursing homes made an ongoing commitment to the project and remained actively engaged from October 2004 to July 2005.

Questions?

For more information, please contact Ann Romaglia, project manager, at 303.669.2689.

The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care (CFMC), the Medicare quality improvement organization for Colorado, prepared this material under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS Policy.