THE SPECIAL CARE PLAN MEETING- ADMINISTRATOR PERSPECTIVE

  As all administrators know, one of our main duties is to deal with and rectify resident and family complaints.  I learned relatively early in my career that the best approach to systemic problem solving was through group meetings attended by both families and key facility staff (as opposed to a single staff person trying to solve the problem alone).  I collected and analyzed the facts of the complaint and then scheduled a meeting with my leaders and the complaining party.  Subsequent to those meetings, as long as the promises made were kept, the results most often satisfied residents and families.  And not only was complaint satisfaction achieved, but I found that I had much more knowledgeable residents/families regarding the nursing home's operational processes.  This gave them a greater level of trust in what we were trying to accomplish.  

     In essence, what we were performing was an ad hoc care plan meeting.  And, as much as the meetings greatly helped the family's needs, it also made our own staff much more aware of how the problem solving process should be conducted in an interdisciplinary approach.  The left hand must always know what the right hand is doing so that nothing falls through the cracks.  If you are not already doing this, and I mean on a regular basis, you may wish to try it.  It's always worked for me.  Good Luck!