Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) working in nursing homes are at significant risk for work-related injuries, but little is known about the frequency and types of their injuries, and how assistive equipment such as patient lifts affects injury rates. The study described in this research report analyzed the prevalence, nature, and predictors of injuries among CNAs working in US nursing homes. Researchers used 2004 data from the National Nursing Assistant Survey and the National Nursing Home Survey. One of their findings was that 60 percent of all CNAs nationally reported a work-related injury in the year prior to the survey.

As the first of the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin reaching age 65 in 2011, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and woefully unprepared to meet their specific health needs. Retooling for an Aging America calls for bold initiatives starting immediately to train all health care providers in the basics of geriatric care and to prepare family members and other informal caregivers, who currently receive little or no training in how to tend to their aging loved ones. The book also recommends that Medicare, Medicaid, and other health plans pay higher rates to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and care aides. Educators and health professional groups can use Retooling for an Aging America to institute or increase formal education and training in geriatrics. Consumer groups can use the book to advocate for improving the care for older adults. Health care professional and occupational groups can use it to improve the quality of health care jobs.

Among the issues confronting America is long-term care for frail, older persons and others with chronic conditions and functional limitations that limit their ability to care for themselves. Improving the Quality of Long-Term Care takes a comprehensive look at the quality of care and quality of life in long-term care, including nursing homes, home health agencies, residential care facilities, family members and a variety of others. This book describes the current state of long-term care, identifying problem areas and offering recommendations for federal and state policymakers. Who uses long-term care? How have the characteristics of this population changed over time? What paths do people follow in long term care? The committee provides the latest information on these and other key questions. This book explores strengths and limitations of available data and research literature especially for settings other than nursing homes, on methods to measure, oversee, and improve the quality of long-term care. The committee makes recommendations on setting and enforcing standards of care, strengthening the caregiving workforce, reimbursement issues, and expanding the knowledge base to guide organizational and individual caregivers in improving the quality of care.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently calculated nearly 60,000 musculoskeletal injuries to healthcare workers resulting from heavy lifting during attempts to move patients. Often the nurses, aides, orderlies, and attendants who suffered permanent injuries were forced out of the profession, straining an already inadequate pool of workers and

Effective Management of Long-Term Care Facilities, Third Edition examines the complex operations of the long-term care facility and offers critical skills to current and future long-term care administrators for delivering quality, cost-effective services. Comprehensive, yet concise, the Third Edition explores the necessary skills and tools for creating a person-centered environment. Topics covered include: how to adapt an existing nursing facility, the growing culture change movement, and the laws, regulations, and financing of the long-term care industry, as well as its organization and delivery. Finally, this book offers extensive coverage of the essential skills necessary to manage it all.