Ensure that no condition or symptom is overlooked and documentation is as accurate as possible with Home Health Assessment Criteria: 75 Checklists for Skilled Nursing Documentation.

This unique, spiral-bound handbook is compact, portable, and written with busy home health nurses in mind! Organized by body system, it offers instant advice on assessment and care planning for the disorders home health nurses are likely to encounter. Providing assessment guides for all body systems, the home environment, and the client's psychological status, it includes full care plans for over 50 illnesses and conditions most commonly encountered in the home. Each plan lists nursing diagnoses, short- and long-term expected outcomes, nursing interventions, and client caregiver interventions. Care plans are organized by body systems to allow for quick retrieval of information. Both short-term and long-term outcomes are included in the care plans to aid evaluation of the care provided. Detailed assessment guidelines are provided for all body systems to facilitate complete and comprehensive client examinations. Guidelines for environmental and safety assessments aid in the appraisal and improvement of clients' living conditions. Client and caregiver interventions are outlined in the care plans to promote active client participation in self-care. The convenient pocket size makes transportation and use convenient to home health nurses. Appendices on documentation guidelines, laboratory values, medication administration, home care resources, and standard precautions provide quick access to useful home care information. Related OASIS items are identified in the assessment section, and ICD-9 diagnostic codes in the care plans section assist with proper home care documentation. Visit frequency and duration schedules are suggested within each care plan to assist nurses in evaluating and planning care. NANDA nursing diagnoses are consistent with the latest 2001-2002 nomenclature. An increase in suggested therapy referrals within the care plans and in a new appendix helps nurses identify indicators for specialized services. A fully updated Resources Appendix includes websites for easy access to home health service information.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

As more people live longer, the need for quality long-term care for the elderly will increase dramatically. This volume examines the current system of nursing home regulations, and proposes an overhaul to better provide for those confined to such facilities. It determines the need for regulations, and concludes that the present regulatory system is inadequate, stating that what is needed is not more regulation, but better regulation. This long-anticipated study provides a wealth of useful background information, in-depth study, and discussion for nursing home administrators, students, and teachers in the health care field; professionals involved in caring for the elderly; and geriatric specialists.

In addition, with the updated HCFA home health agency manual coverage as well as coverage and documentation guidelines, forms may be completed with knowledge of the latest Medicare rules. Best of all, the OASIS-B form, which is hot off the press, is included in its entirety!