QAPI: Four Letters Spell Quality, Commitment & Care

Masonic Villages’ staff make delivering the highest quality of care to residents a daily priority and their efforts are being noticed. Masonic Village at Warminster and Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill  recently earned Basic Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Accreditation, recognizing their dedication to continuous improvement.

“We constantly strive to give our residents the quality of life and level of dignity they deserve,” Beth Bossert, chief operating officer – health care services, said. “Staff have put in a lot of time and energy into this effort, and we are extremely proud of this accomplishment.”

Masonic Village staff use the abaqis® Quality Management System , a web-based assessment and reporting tool, to track data, produce reports and identify areas for improvement. The software is similar to the methodology the Department of Health uses during annual inspections of long-term care communities to ensure they meet federal regulations.

Staff from various departments repeat the assessment and reporting process several times a year. Data collection, which includes interviews with dozens of residents, family members and staff; observing residents; and reviewing census and admission records, takes about one month. Staff devote two months to identifying and resolving any problems revealed in the resulting reports.

QAPI Accreditation recognizes that through the use of abaqis®, Masonic Villages’ staff are continually assessing residents’ quality of life: managing pain, maintaining dignity and respecting resident choice. They are also documenting quality of care issues: managing weight loss, infections, rehabilitation following injury or illness and preventing readmission to the hospital.

“We appreciate the participation and feedback of residents, their families and staff,” Rose Dunkle, organization, development and training instructor, said. “It all translates to better care.”