May 17, 2010 | Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe signed a proclamation May 11 declaring May 10-14 Advancing Excellence in Nursing Homes Week, recognizing the state’s standing as a national leader in improving the quality of care in nursing homes.

Several geriatric nursing experts from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) including Claudia Beverly, Ph.D., R.N., and Cornelia Beck, Ph.D., R.N., along with representatives from the coalition of partner programs participated in the proclamation.

“Today is an important day in recognizing and celebrating the effort made across the board in improving the lives of staff and residents in our state’s nursing homes,” said Beverly, tri-chair of the Arkansas Coalition for Nursing Home Excellence and director of the UAMS Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence. “It speaks volumes that 100 percent of all nursing homes in the state have made the commitment to improve the overall quality of care they provide.”

Beverly, Beck and Peggy Moody, executive director of Catlett Care, led the 2004 creation of the Arkansas Coalition for Nursing Home Excellence. It includes more than 30 groups and individuals dedicated to managing, overseeing and improving nursing homes in the state. Arkansas Advancing Excellence is a program of the coalition and is the state chapter of the national Advancing Excellence campaign. Beverly is a member of the national Advancing Excellence Steering Committee.

The proclamation celebrates that 100 percent of Arkansas’ nursing homes enrolled in the first two phases of the Arkansas Advancing Excellence in Nursing Campaign, which is part of a national push that began in 2006 as a voluntary effort to improve nursing home quality. Arkansas was the first state to do so both times. Arkansas Advancing Excellence was recently awarded $2,000 to be used for educational purposes as a reward from the national organization for its complete participation.

“In addition to the all-inclusive support we’ve gotten from the state’s nursing homes, we’ve also seen tremendous results implementing its goals,” said Carole Ault, program director of Arkansas Advancing Excellence. “This program is well on its way to making a big difference in the way nursing home care is delivered.”

Some of the measured results since the campaign began include:

• The pressure ulcer rate in Arkansas is currently 10 percent below the national average
• Since 2006, the rate of the use of physical restraints has dropped more than 64 percent
• The Arkansas rate is nearly 30 percent below the national average in the management of acute pain and 40 percent below the national average in chronic pain
• Total complaints regarding nursing homes and related care have decreased 30 percent over the past 3 years
• During the statewide satisfaction survey, 89 percent of residents, 86 percent of families and 65 percent of employees gave their facility an overall satisfaction rating of excellent or good

While the goals of the first phase of the Arkansas Advancing Excellence campaign were focused on reducing rates of pressure ulcers, improving management of pain and significantly reducing the use of physical restraints, the second phase aims to improve retention rates among quality nursing home caregivers and foster the professional relationships between caregivers and residents.

“Those goals are all key building blocks toward improving the overall care and happiness of nursing home staff and residents,” said Beck, tri-chair of the coalition and professor in the UAMS Department of Geriatrics. “The culture change needed in nursing home care nationally is well underway and we look to continue to make Arkansas a leading example.”

The effort in accomplishing the goals of the Arkansas Advancing Excellence campaign is a collaboration of several partners including the Office of Long-Term Care of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, the Arkansas Health Care Association, LTC Obmbudsman, Advocates for Nursing Home Residents and the Arkansas Innovative Performance Program.