Free April 2018 Training Opportunity for NFs to Participate in Nurses Optimizing Supportive Handfeeding (NOSH) Texas
HHS is providing the NOSH Texas train-the-trainer program for 40 nursing facilities. A minimum of five members from each of the selected NFs will be trained to become master trainers who will then provide training to the remaining NF staff. This free training will take place between April 2018 and July 2018, at four regional locations between Monday and Friday for three consecutive days.
Presented by Melissa Batchelor-Murphy, PhD, RN-BC, FNP-BC, FAAN, associate professor at Duke University’s School of Nursing, in collaboration with HHSC, the training provides NF staff with information on the decision-making process and how to use specific handfeeding techniques. Staff will also learn to manage feeding behaviors by considering each resident’s functional ability, energy level and personal preference. Successful outcomes of this training include adequate handfeeding support as well as the prevention of unintended weight loss. Data collected from NFs participating in this training will be used to implement handfeeding best practices around the country.
Facilities can nominate themselves or have another source nominate them. Nominations require completing a short survey.
The nomination process ends November 2017. Selected NFs will be notified in December and the training will begin April 2018. If your facility is not selected, additional opportunities to participate will be available in the future.
Email questions to QMP@hhsc.state.tx.us.
TEXAS HCBS Dementia Training Academy – OASIS – For Assisted Living Providers
In Texas, an estimated 350,000 people live with Alzheimer’s disease. With the aging of the Baby Boom generation, the number is growing. Someone develops Alzheimer’s every 66 seconds, and projections indicate this will increase to every 33 seconds by 2050 (link is external). The Texas OASIS Home and Community Based Services Training Academy, offered by Dr. Susan Wehry, will provide information on dementia basics, person-centered care, challenging behaviors and interventions. Expand your knowledge, sharpen your skills and gain tools and resources to care for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
The goal of this training is to improve the quality of life for Texans with Alzheimer’s or dementia. This training aims to raise the quality of care provided to vulnerable Texas residents to the highest possible level. After completing this training, caregivers will be able to provide for the highly specific needs of people with dementia, enabling them to better live in the community.
Register for a Course near You Each participant will receive a participant manual, and each facility will receive the entire curriculum on a flash drive and the DVD “Bathing Without a Battle.” For cancellations or changes, email QMP@hhsc.state.tx.us.
PASRR in the Nursing Facility — Putting the Pieces Together (Two Day Event)
This training program will provide nursing facilities with thorough and sustainable education, information and resources that detail the complexities of caring for those residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness, or both. Participants will learn about PASRR (Preadmission Screening and Resident Review), PASRR-positive residents, how to care for PASRR-positive residents, PASRR services, the PASRR screening process, PASRR authorization, how PASRR relates to the Minimum Data Set and relevant regulations.
Who should attend?
Nurses, nursing facility administrators, nursing facility activity directors, therapists (physical, occupational and speech), social workers, ombudsmen, certified nursing assistants, qualified intellectual disabilities professionals, managed care organizations, local intellectual and developmental disability authorities, and local mental health authorities.
How to register
Registration begins November 2017. For more information, visit hhs.texas.gov/qmp or email QMP@hhsc.state.tx.us
PASRR Level 1 (PL1) Tools
HHSC provided the following link to a site where Referring Entity Placards can be ordered to share with referring entities, doctors’ offices, acute or psychiatric hospitals, etc. An order can be placed at no charge. These are paid for by HHSC. An additional link to the is provided to the Referring Entity training that both nursing facilities and any of their frequent referring entities may find useful.
PASRR Referring Entity Placards
Hand-sized placards which provide a quick, easy overview of PASRR and the referring entity process are now available at no charge from HHSC. To order a set of 50 placards, please visit the following site, create a login, and submit your order.
https://hhsc.pinnaclecart.com/intellectual-and-developmental-disability-services/
PASRR Referring Entity Training
The HHS Intellectual Disability and Developmental Services unit announces the release of a new online training course, PASRR Referring Entity Training.
This free training is designed to give PASRR referring entities the information, tools, and resources needed to successfully complete the PASRR Level I (PL1) Screening Form, a mandatory form that must be completed for all individuals being referred to nursing facilities. The training is highly recommended for anyone who serves as a referring entity, including all healthcare providers who refer individuals to Medicaid-certified nursing facilities.
PASRR is a federally-mandated program applied to all individuals seeking admission to Medicaid-certified nursing facilities, regardless of funding source. In the PASRR process, any entity referring a person for admission to a Medicaid-certified nursing facility is considered to be a referring entity.
To access and complete the PASRR Referring Entity Training, please go to the HHS Learning Portal (link is external), create a user login, and follow the instructions to complete the training. https://learningportal.dfps.state.tx.us/enrol/index.php?id=8