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The newest additions to PHI’s National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce:

Improving Job Quality: Direct Care Workers in the US — This paper presents several strategies for improving the quality of direct-care jobs in the U.S. and the U.K. It argues that a “decent public sector investment” in caregivers’ wages, working conditions, career advancement opportunities, and training requirements is necessary to substantially improve job quality. The paper was published in September 2011 by the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture: 2011 User Comparative Database Report — This August 2011 survey contains data compiled from 226 nursing homes throughout the U.S. The data presents the opinions of nursing home staff regarding resident safety, the incidence of medical errors, and event reporting. The survey was conducted by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Cost of Turnover in the Direct Care Workforce — This June 2011 report by the Iowa Department of Public Health estimates that statewide turnover among the direct-care workforce cost Iowa $117 million in 2010 alone. That figure is expected to increase as the workforce grows larger; by 2015, turnover will cost $148 million.

The Influence of Nurse Staffing Levels on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes — This study examines the relationship between the certified nursing assistant (CNA) staffing levels and the Nursing Home Compare scores of Florida nursing homes. The authors demonstrate a correlation: For every six-minute increase in CNA hours per resident day, a nursing home sees a 3 percent reduction in its care-quality deficiency score. The authors therefore conclude that nursing home providers would benefit by hiring more CNA staff. The study was published on the website of the Gerontologist in May 2011.

PHI’s National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce is a national online library for people in search of solutions to the direct-care staffing crisis in long-term care. It houses over 1,000 articles, reports, issue briefs, and fact sheets on the direct-care workforce.

– by Matthew Ozga

Dr. Donald Berwick

Donald Berwick, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), will conduct a conference call at 1:45 this afternoon to discuss a new program designed to improve patient safety, increase health care quality, and lower the costs of care.

The program is a public-private partnership called Partnership for Patients: Better Care, Lower Costs. Its two primary goals, according to a fact sheet issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, are:

• to keep patients from getting injured or sicker; and
• to help patients heal without complication.

Berwick will be joined by two other high-ranking CMS officials for the call.

The call-in number is 888-469-1561, and the passcode is HHS. The conference call is off the record and may not be used for press purposes.

Robyn Gershon

Robyn R. M. Gershon, MHS, DrPH, a professor of sociomedical sciences and associate dean at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, explores the occupational hazards faced by home care workers. Read the full story

Logo for 2010 Nursing Assistants Week

The National Network of Career Nursing Assistants (NNCNA) has announced that the 33rd Annual National Nursing Assistants Week will take place from June 10-17. Read the full story