People Feel More Comfortable When Their Loved

¶ … people feel more comfortable when their loved ones are comfortable and are in environments where they feel safe and are close to the people they love. Long-term healthcare therefore provides people with this option whereby there is upholding of an individual's independence as well as their ability to continue with their normal routine as possible. Therefore the long-term healthcare aims to provide in-home care for those who crucially need it and at the same time allowing individuals to remain in the homes as long as possible, regardless of their age or disability. There have been various challenges faced by patients as they transition from the hospitals to the long-term healthcare facilities within the healthcare system that is fragmented. Within the long-term healthcare organization there are various challenges faced, one of the issues include an intake department that lacks effectiveness when it comes to organization of referrals and relating appropriate material to the visiting nurse prior to home visit. This paper will therefore look at a plan on the proposal of how the issue can be solved.

Proposed plan

The issue of transition of a patient from the hospital to the long-term-health care centre is very important. This is due to the fact that services provided in the long-term healthcare are individualized and one is able to get all the attention that they need. There should be assurance that a smooth transition takes place. The proposed plan should include the following; first there should be improvement in the logistics within the intake department to ensure that referrals are made and reach the facility in good time. This means that processing of the referrals should be done immediately and fast expedited so that there are no pending cases. This can be done with the creation of another department; a logistics department alongside the intake department, that will work together to ensure that the referrals are processed within the shortest time possible. This starts from the doctors in the nursing rehab facilities giving a patient the actual go ahead for them to be moved from the hospital to the long-term healthcare. Therefore when a doctor sees the need of a patient to go into the long-term healthcare they should give a referral immediately. The same logistics department should ensures that the equipment that is to be used in the facility gets there in time this will be done through quick processing of documents of the equipment to be used. With this department in place it means that the equipment will reach the facility in time and therefore used by the patients that are being admitted.

The plan should also include the collaboration of the organization with insurance companies that ensures that any payments that are to be made by the insurance are done and processed within the shortest time possible. Therefore this means that there are no delays with the intake department when it comes to the admissions of the patients into the centre and also reducing delays at the discharge after recommendation of transfer or referral.

Need for the changes proposed

Too much time is wasted between making of referrals, processing of the referrals and the actual admission of patients into the facility. These changes are essential for the organization as they will ensure that the least time is taken to make referrals. At the same time very little time is also taken for the processing of the referrals once recommended. The changes are important as they will ensure that patients take the least possible time to move from the hospitals to the home care facility. Therefore the changes are very important when it comes to the welfare of the patient as well as the quality services offered by the facility.

Barriers to the proposed change

The changes to be made can be hard to implement due to various barriers and challenges. This can be on an individual level as well as the entire organization. On an individual level there can be lack of collaboration among the various people in the departments. If staffs from different departments do not work with the aim of a common goal, this means that they cannot reach the desired goal. This means that any effort made by a particular individual and is not supported by other individuals is a wasted effort. On an organizational level there can be resistance to create a new department. They might term this move as wasteful and claim that there are no available and adequate resources to facilitate this change. This resistance means that it will be quite challenging to create the new department. On the other hand the organization might also refuse to collaborate with insurance companies therefore there can be problems when it comes to insurance payments and hence slow the process of patients being admitted into the facility. The insurance may also drag their feet in clearing the accrued medical bills and allowing the implementation of the referral, this means the patient will miss the essential care for which the transfer has been recommended by the medics.

Factors influencing the proposed change

There are various factors informing the proposed changes in the transfer process. The first reason is that these changes will make work easier for employees of the concerned organization if successfully implemented. The other factor is in full interest of the comfort of the patients who need close and keen attention without a lapse in any service required. The delays after recommendation of the referrals essentially mean the patient will be missing the essential care that they should get at the home care facility.

Factors influencing organizational readiness for the proposed change

There are various factors influencing the readiness of the organization for the proposed change. These factors include the availability of resources needed to facilitate these changes. These changes can only take place if the organization has enough resources. Among these resources are finances as well as adequate personnel to ensure that the changes are implemented effectively.

Another factor that influences the readiness of the organization is effective communication. Effective communication systems within the facility is crucial. This is because effective communication ensures that there is great understanding of all the requirements needed in the changes to be made and hence with everyone understanding the requirements they will work towards that.

Theoretical model of the proposed change