New PHI Publication Series Documents Innovations That Improve Quality of Care and Jobs

From the PHI Blog:

Long-term care providers across the nation are investing in their direct-care workers as part of their efforts to improve the quality of care and quality of life for elders and people with disabilities. Their innovative approaches to transforming their industry are showcased in a new PHI series of case studies and best practices.

The series offers concrete examples of how long-term care employers — nursing homes, home care organizations, and residential long-term care facilities — are achieving their visions of relationship-centered care, in which consumers and the caregivers closest to them have greater control over everyday decision making.

Case Studies

The Business of Caregiving, a series of eight in-depth case studies, focuses on overarching management philosophies that have led to better-quality jobs for direct-care workers and better-quality care for consumers.

Among the practices highlighted are The PHI Coaching Approach^SM, which builds communication and problem-solving skills and provides a strong foundation for relationship-centered caregiving; accessible and affordable education and career advancement opportunities; peer mentor programs; and participatory management styles, including self-managed teams.

Several of the nursing facilities featured report that investing in frontline staff is essential to their efforts to implement changes such as consistent assignment, self-managed households, and individualized care.
Several of the case studies, which are available online, also include a multimedia component, such as podcasts, photo slideshows, video clips, and downloadable charts.

Best Practices

The series’ 20 “best practice” profiles highlight specific approaches to reducing turnover, promoting job satisfaction, and implementing relationship-centered care. These profiles are intended to offer enough detail to encourage other long-term care providers to adapt the practices within their own organizations.
Each of the best practices provides details on:

• Practice implementation
• Outcomes of the new initiatives
• Lessons learned — both challenges and successes
• Background on the organization and contact information to learn more

Sectoral Workforce Development

PHI was funded by the Hitachi Foundation because of its industry role as a sectoral workforce development organization. PHI is the only national organization focused solely on improving jobs for direct-care workers as a strategy for strengthening long-term care businesses and improving care for elders and people with disabilities.
PHI’s sectoral strategy is described in a new paper, entitled “Improving Jobs and Care: a National Sector Strategy.” Authored by PHI President Steven Dawson, the paper provides workforce development practitioners with a deeper understanding of how PHI has succeeded in influencing the fields of long-term care and workforce development — and the challenges and opportunities going forward.
The paper was presented in late May at the “Building Ladders and Raising the Floor Conference,” sponsored by PHI and Jobs for the Future in Washington, DC.

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PHI (www.PHInational.org) is a national organization that works to improve the lives of people who need home or residential care — and of the direct-care workers who provide that care. PHI’s work is grounded in the philosophy that quality jobs for direct-care workers will lead to quality care for long-term care consumers.