HIGHLIGHTING PARTNERSHIPS

STRONG RELATIONSHIPS HELP NURSING FACILITIES SERVE COMMUNITIES HIGHLIGHTING PARTNERSHIPS

In 2019 and 2020 there has been a lot of attention on the role of nursing homes in the continuum of services utilized by individuals in need of long term services and supports. In 2019 and early 2020 there was a lot of media attention due to a number of nursing homes closing. In the 2020 legislative session, additional investments were made to the Medicaid rates of nursing homes. The COVID-19 outbreak that began at the end of February in Washington state once again put nursing homes in the spotlight, highlighting the vulnerability of residents served in these settings.

For almost four decades, Washington has worked to ensure that individuals have choice about the setting they reside in. Each year, our staff assist almost 4,000 nursing home residents to transition to community settings, which might lead people to assume that nursing homes are less relevant than they used to be, but that simply is not the case.

Nursing homes are a vital part of our long-term care system. Strong partnerships with nursing homes and nursing home organizations will ensure that these facilities continue meeting the diverse and complex needs of Washingtonians.

“Not only are they providing jobs in the regions they are in, they are providing rehab, skilled nursing, and physical and occupational therapy for people with complicated medical needs,” said Julie Cope, HCS systems change specialist. “I truly do not believe that any nursing facility case manager would say that nursing facilities are obsolete and that they don’t provide a very valuable role in the communities they are in.”

One of the key ways in which Home and Community Services partners with nursing facilities is by working with them to adjust their practices to meet the evolving needs of long-term care clients. The more than 100 nursing facility case managers at HCS work directly with the state’s 200 nursing facilities to offer support in the form of training and consultation. Many of the case managers spend part of their work weeks stationed at nursing facilities so they can provide more direct service and focus on building strong relationships with staff members and nursing facility residents.

“There’s something to be said when you know your facility that well. When you have that relationship with facilites, a lot of great things can happen. – Julie Cope, HCS Systems Change Specialist “There’s something to be said when you know your facility that well,” Julie said. “When you have that relationship with facilities, a lot of great things can happen.” Nursing facility case managers can offer support on a wide range of topics that impact residents. Not only does HCS work with nursing facilities to problem-solve at the local level, but it also works with nursing facilities organizations and groups to solve problems at the regional and state-wide level. Quarterly work groups address questions and concerns about everything from implementation of new or changed policy to the growing population of residents with behavioral support needs.

This partnership and collaboration is increasingly important as nursing facilities serve clients who are transitioning from acute care hospitals, who have experienced homelessness or who have a complex set of needs. As client needs shift, many nursing facilities offer specialized care to address those needs.

As the older population grows and as clients’ needs become increasingly complex, the relationship between HCS and nursing facilities will continue to be important.

“It’s good to partner with nursing facilities to solve problems on a local level,” Julie said. “That work will never be done, which is cool.”

What is a nursing home? Nursing homes provide 24-hour supervised nursing care, personal care, therapy, nutrition management, organized activities, social services, room, board and laundry.

200+ Number of nursing homes in Washington 20,000+ Number of nursing home beds in Washington