Communication Processes
We have been working and making progress with communication processes mentioned in a prior post, specifically:
Issue: There have been issues when there have been higher call volumes with family members/loved ones connecting with a manager or in some cases, with the room
directory program.
Outcome: We have made significant progress earlier than scheduled by supplementing inbound calling capabilities (through a third party service plus internal call tracking/logging software) especially during the evening and night. As this is a new way of addressing this issue, we will continue to refine this approach and work out glitches/issues as they come up.
Family/loved ones "visits" with residents
The ongoing restriction of visitation, while still in force- has been a focal point of internal discussion. One of the main issues is that we do not know when the restrictions can and should be lifted. We have been working on other ways we can help ease the enormous strain on residents and their families caused by the restriction. Through AOHConnect families and residents have had many Facetime/Skype/Call sessions but our goal is to enhance the interactions when/where possible- and with appropriate and necessary infection control/prevention protections in place- by having private "through the window visits". We are working out the logistics of this option and will communicate more information, soon.
Telemedicine
AOH is committed to making necessary investments in ways that enhance quality of care.
Soon we will be able to offer telemedicine visits with a medical provider and residents, particularly for off-hours coverage. We will soon be "rolling out" a tele-medicine "robot" which has a stethoscope for the provider, 6 parameters patient monitoring to measure continuous BP, HR, Pulse oximetry, continuous temperature, 5 lead EKG and an exam camera. The telemedicine platform is also able to connect multiple physicians to see the resident together if needed.
