Blog by:  Jessica Duffy, OTR, Regional Director, Healthcare Therapy Services, Inc.

The word relationship is defined as: “The way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.” I think it is fair to say that COVID has completely changed how many of our interpersonal and working relationships operate now. As we look at this from a higher perspective, however, what has that really changed for us?

When I think of the relationships that are very important in our life, I am acutely aware of the importance of being present. For example, as a mother, it is not an option for me to miss any of my children’s events. I would not be happy with just getting the “rundown” after the big game; I would want to experience it with them first hand! Who wants to hear the exciting tale of making the game point–an hour after it occurred?! Not me. I want to see it and experience it. There is power in being present. This power and concept of being present applies in our professional lives as well. Let’s discuss how we can be present at our workplace.

With all of the new regulatory changes, quarantining, the elimination of group gatherings, etc., it has become all too easy to lose track of some of the systems we have in place to continue relationships in our buildings. We have at times, just given a document or report, in lieu of having our normal meeting because it more readily meets the demands of COVID-19 restrictions. Perhaps in a larger site, we stayed only in the healthcare area to prevent cross-contamination. I’m sure as you read this, ten more scenarios have popped in your mind of how we have changed our operations, but is what we are doing right or even optimal? Is it truly meeting that need of “staying connected”?

As in my parenting example, would you be ok with just getting the report of your child’s big event, or would you somehow finesse the opportunity to be more personally present? If entry is not permitted, is it live-streamed? Can you Zoom, Facetime, etc.? I have done it all, by the way, this past year. As a proud sports mama, I have watched live-streamed sporting events through the school and Zoomed my children’s teammates or coaches who could be at the event so that I can experience it firsthand while working in the red zone.

When it comes to our clients and our daily operations, HTS Therapy chooses to be PRESENT. Instead of assuming it is ok to substitute a connection, such as the morning meeting, a clinical or Medicare meeting by simply passing out forms, we want to finesse that personal interaction. If an in-person meeting is not an option, then we will leverage a virtual meeting or conference call. Our team believes best practices happen through an interdisciplinary team collaboration.

HTS Therapy chooses to be present.

Need a Powerful Therapy Partner? Contact Amanda Green, Executive Director of Strategic Development amanda@htstherapy.com for information about our contract therapy partnerships.

Jessica Duffy, OTR
Regional Director | Healthcare Therapy Services, Inc.

Providers are now tasked with the responsibility of mitigating the risk of virus exposure in their facilities which, unfortunately, sometimes requires preventing some staff from entering the building. At times the staff being turned away has included therapists. Lack of detailed guidance early on during the PHE created an environment in which key long term care decision-makers such as administrators were left to interpret regulations as best as possible until further clarification was received. However, thanks to the numerous studies recently published in 2020 and clarification from the CDC, it has become clear that providing early and consistent rehabilitation care throughout the SNF stay is important for successful outcomes.

Long-term negative physical, cognitive, and psychosocial effects for those not receiving the caliber of care required to meet their individualized needs are now evident. Furthermore, on March 19, 2020, a Memorandum from the Department of Homeland Security stated that therapy practitioners are critical health care workers and need to be a part of the treating team.  Simply put, if a patient requires skilled level of care, that service must be provided. If services required to rehabilitate the patient back to a prior level of function are not being delivered, this puts the facility at risk for substandard quality of care.

The CDC has also now provided guidance. When asked “should any diagnostic or therapeutic intervention be withheld due to concern about transmission of COVID-19?” The CDC answered by stating patients should continue to have the opportunity to get any interventions they would normally receive as a standard of care. The Journal of Physical Therapy Science recently published research study findings to further support this claim. The purpose of the study was to recommend methods of respiratory rehabilitation and psychotherapy for patients in different stages of the coronavirus.

“Physical therapy of COVID-19 patients will not only reduce the mortality rate of patients, hospital admission time, and medical expenses, but also save medical resources, reduce personal and national economic losses, and the probability of adverse social stability events such as medical collapse. Therefore, physical therapy should be introduced into the mainstream treatment of COVID-19 patients as early as possible.”

Although this example depicts the critical nature of service delivery from a physical therapist…occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists also play a pivotal role in patient rehabilitation. With respiratory distress comes a myriad of potential complications including insufficient breath support for communication and/or swallowing as well as the inability to complete one’s daily tasks due to insufficient pulmonary capacity required to complete the activity. The bottom line remains that therapists are highly skilled healthcare professionals that play a significant role in the rehabilitation of patients.

In order to further support HTS therapists, resources, and tools were created to not only educate on infection control but also to facilitate best practices in these unprecedented times. Check out the list below for just a few examples of recently created materials:

• Breathe: A Pulmonary Intervention Program
• Therapist Treatment Hierarchy Delivery Chart
• Dining Assistant Emergency Program Toolkit
• HTS Annual Training: COVID-19 Supplement
• Teletechnology Quick Reference Tools
• Virtual Home Assessment Tool
• Waiver Related Claim Guidance

Written by: Sheena Mattingly, M.S., CCC-SLP, RAC-CT, HTS Director of Clinical Outcomes

Sources:

• “Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community” Retrieved from: Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response (cisa.gov)
• J Phys Ther Sci. 2020; 32(8): 545–549. Published online 2020 Aug 8. doi: 10.1589/jpts.32.545

Hoping & Coping:  Smiling Faces

This story from the field focuses on the new “HTS Hoping & Coping Series”. This series emphasizes all the wonderful HTS therapists and the extraordinary lengths taken to assure quality services and patient well-being are maintained during the PHE.

Meet Alexis Jackson, OT and Rehab Manager at Good Sam Home in Evansville, Indiana. Alexis found herself reimagining the work environment during the PHE after watching the May “HTS Lunchtime Learning: COVID-19 & The New Normal”. That very afternoon, Alexis knew The Smiling Faces Initiative described on the webinar was one that would improve morale at Good Sam Home. Smiling face nametags encourage facility staff members to post pictures of themselves on their nametags so that patients are able to more easily identify them and, of course, see their smiling faces! This initiative eliminates a created barrier, real or perceived, between staff and patients. “I feel strongly that our patients deserve to see who we are in order to make a connection that is needed to deliver quality therapy” said Alexis Jackson, OT.

Alexis and the Good Sam Home therapists were the drivers of The Smiling Faces Initiative. Their mission was to bring out smiles from underneath masked faces. First, Alexis trolled Facebook and found pictures of each therapist. Then, after the pictures were included on their nametags, the therapy team began wearing them on a daily basis. “Once we therapists starting wearing smiling face nametags, the initiative just took off!” said Alexis. Soon the facility’s DON, Admission’s Coordinator, Nursing, and Staff Development Coordinator were all wearing a smiling face nametag. We can all use a few more smiles and thanks to the Good Sam Home therapy team, patients are now getting them!