The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) issued quality improvement goals for skilled nursing providers in long term and post-acute care. The goals, aligned with the priorities of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and federal mandates, were identified to improve care delivery during the next three years. According to reports:
The goals outlined by the AHCA and NCAL include:
–Safely reduce long- and short-stay hospitalizations by improving 10 percent—or maintain a rate of 10 percent or less;
–Improve functional outcomes (self-care and mobility) by 15 percent;
–Improve long- and short-stay satisfaction by 10 percent—or achieve a rate of 90 percent or greater; and
–Safely reduce the off-label use of antipsychotics by 10 percent—or maintain a rate of 8 percent or less in long-stay residents and a rate of 1 percent or less in short-stay.
Appropriately, AHCA/NCAL identified separate three-year goals for assisted living communities including:
–Reduce turnover among direct care staff to a rate of 50 percent or less;
–At least 90 percent of customers (residents and/or families) are satisfied with their experience;
–Safely reduce hospital readmission within 30 days of hospital discharges to a rate of 20 percent or less; and
–Safely reduce the off-label use of antipsychotics to rate of 15 percent or less.
