Resources for the Mental Health
& Long Term Care Professional
Page Six



 


Buy It!

The Business of Medical Practice: Profit Maximizing Skills for Savvy Doctors
by Dr. David E. Marcinko MBA CFP

Hardcover: 424 pages
Springer Publishing Company; (July 2000)
ISBN: 0826113117


                         How to open, staff, and equip an insurance-friendly office for patients and raise the capital necessary for it. Highlights moneymaking and money-losing strategies to lift your practice to new heights of success. Includes employee leasing options, management information systems and computers, managed-care negotiation skills, captivation rates and break-even analysis, and effective billing guidelines. Physician leadership skills are also reviewed.

 

 


Buy It!

Nursing Home Federal Requirements and Guidelines
to Surveyors

J.E. Allen

Paperback - 409 pages 4th edition (March 15, 2000)
Springer Pub Co; ISBN: 0826181236


                         Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Text, for nursing home administrators and educators, on preparing for licensure. Includes federal surveyors' most current guidelines and procedures. Previous edition: c1997. Expanded-outline format.

 

 


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Treating Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Elderly
Anne M., Ph.D. Gurnack (Editor), Roland, Md. Atkinson (Editor), Nancy J., Ph.d Osgood (Editor)

Hardcover: 242 pages
Springer Pub Co; 1st edition (December 15, 2001)
ISBN: 0826114342


                         This manual provides state-of-the-art, practical materials to detect, prevent, and intervene with older adults who are at-risk and problem drinkers. Designed as a hands-on text for use in a range of primary and mental health care settings and includes guides to alcohol screening, protocols for managing withdrawal care, and an English/Spanish Health Promotion Workbook for Older Adults.

 

 

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Buy It!

A Guide to Psychotherapy and Aging: Effective Clinical Interventions in a Life-Stage Context
Steven H. Zarit (Editor), Bob G. Knight (Editor)

Hardcover - 294 pages (October 1997)
Amer Psychological Assn; ISBN: 1557983739

                            Psychotherapeutic interventions for the elderly. How to adapt traditional approaches to later-life problems. Discusses specific interventions, psychological interventions in nursing homes, assessment, the medical context of psychotherapy with the elderly. Presents case studies

 

 


Buy It!

Elder Abuse and Neglect: Causes, Diagnosis, and Intervention Strategies
Mary Joy Quinn, Susan K. Tomita, Claude Pepper

Hardcover: 384 pages
Springer Pub Co; 2nd edition (January 15, 1997)
ISBN: 0826151213


                           Includes information on legal interventions with suggestions on how the practitioner should act in the courtroom, give testimony, document findings, and prepare for legal involvement with the criminal justice system.

 

 

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Buy It!

The Older Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner
Deborah W. Frazer, Arthur E., Jr. Jongsma

Paperback - 274 pages 1st edition (December 21, 1998)
John Wiley & Sons; ISBN: 0471295744

                            Treatment Planner can save you hours of paperwork by providing pre-written treatment plan components for problems that occur in the aging adult such as dementia, depression, and other psychological conditions associated wit aging. Create customized care and treatment plans with ease.

 

 


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Buy It!

The Older Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner
(Practice Planners.)
by Deborah Frazer, Arthur E. Jongsma

Practice Planners
John Wiley & Sons; ISBN: 0471295817

                            Practice Planners.
 

 

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Buy It!

Aging and Neuropsychological Assessment
(Critical Issues in Neuropsychology)

A. LaRue

Hardcover (June 1992)
Plenum Pub Corp; ISBN: 0306440628


                           A guide to the psychological assessment of older patients. Includes discussions of a) changes in brain and behavior. b) tests, techniques, interpretation, evaluation.

 


JOURNALS

 

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
APA JOURNALS - SPECIAL ISSUES

http://www.apa.org/journals/special/special_issues-mag.html
Special Issues Available at: http://www.apa.org/journals/special/



Behavioral Medicine: Update for the 1990's
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Volume 60, #4, August 1992
Guest Editor: Edward B. Blanchard

A special issue on behavioral medicine, with topics devoted to psychological treatment approaches for various medical disorders, and provides in-depth descriptions of psychological interventions useful for patients with chronic pain, headache, cancer, AIDS and HIV, insomnia, Type A behaviors, GI disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and asthma.
 
Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Health Psychology
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Volume 70, #3, June 2002
Timothy W. Smith, Philip C. Kendall, and Francis J. Keefe (Guest Editors)
 
 

Resources for the Mental Health & Long Term Care Professional
Page
Six

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Your Partner for Meeting the
Mental Health Needs of the Elderly

Welcome.

On these pages, you will learn more about our clinical programs and the delivery of quality mental health and behavioral health care to older adults. We encourage you to peruse the following pages. This will help you to develop an appreciation for our standards and ethical guidelines, and for the ways we conduct our business.
If you are looking for quality, convenience and professionalism in your mental health provider, Vericare wants to partner with you.

Our plans for this year will bring us into other states. If you are a facility, or if you are a part of a chain that is located in a state other than where we are currently working, please let us know of your interest. There may be an opportunity for contracting with you, and we would like to discuss this possibility with you


 

WHY YOU NEED A MENTAL HEALTH AND
BEHAVIOR MEDICINE SERVICES PARTNER


Many caregivers have always believed that the elderly have special mental health requirements. New evidence confirms those beliefs, and new regulations have made the issues more urgent.
  • 40% of nursing home residents exhibit symptoms of depression.
  • Among the 2/3’s of nursing home residents with a mental disorder, fewer than 5% receive treatment.
  • 40% of dementia patients have additional psychiatric symptoms.
  • Depression in nursing home residents is associated with increased staff care time.
  • Government regulations demand more emphasis on therapy and discourage reliance on psychotropic medication or physical restraint.
Additionally, as of January 2002, Medicare has formally recognized the value of psychological services provided to individuals in recovery or management of medical conditions. On the basis of a medical disorder only, older adults may now get behavior medicine assessment and treatment services to aid in the prevention, treatment, or management of acute or chronic medical disorders.

Referrals are made by the primary care physician, facility staff, family member, or are self-referred by the resident

The Challenge of Meeting Mental Health and Behavior Medicine Needs

Despite the need and genuine concerns among nursing home administrators, it has not been easy to provide this care for residents. Some of the practical questions have been:
  • How do you know when mental health and behavior medicine care is needed?
  • What steps must be taken to obtain resident and family agreement?
  • Can adequate reimbursement be obtained?
  • Which provider should you recommend?

A Solution at No Cost to Your Facility

Vericare was formed to make high quality mental health care a routine and convenient adjunct to your current programs. All of the services we provide are paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, private carriers or by the resident, with no cost to your facility. We furnish the administrative help you need to set up and operate a mental health and behavioral health services program.

Our Providers will become part of your treatment team, provide input for your care plans and develop a collaborative relationship with physicians and ancillary service providers.

These services are covered by most insurance payers, including:

Medicare
Medicaid/MediCal

Managed Care
Private Insurance

GETTING STARTED


If you are looking for quality, convenience and professionalism in your mental health provider, VeriCare wants to partner with you.


Putting our program into your facility is as simple as a phone call. We will contact you and help you assess your needs. If you select us as your facility’s mental and behavioral health service provider, our local staff will take care of the details.

Please let us show you how simple it can be to add our services to your facility.    
Inquire

THE Vericare PROGRAM

The services we provide are based on the needs of your residents. Our providers are all licensed and thus qualified to administer evaluations to help determine the best treatment plan for the individual resident. In addition to these initial evaluations, treatment alternatives include:
  • Individual psychotherapy for residents who can participate in and benefit from a one-on-one format, improving coping and adjustment skills, enhancing quality of life and provides insights into the resident’s special needs
  • Group therapy which offers the benefits of interaction, socialization and peer support
  • Family therapy to help family members deal with the feelings generated by placing a loved one in the care of others, such as helplessness, guilt or frustration, and to develop problem solving skills
  • Family support groups providing a forum for ongoing support and problem resolution for family members
  • Specialized programs to individualize the mental health and behavioral health
    needs of your residents. These programs provide comprehensive assessment and interventions for dementia patients, geared to their functional ability, with less reliance on medication or restraint, and assists the treatment team with residents who are not progressing in their rehabilitation
  • Residential services developed for assisted, independent living and other residential settings for the elderly
THE BENEFITS Vericare OFFERS YOUR FACILITY
Although current information and changing laws make programs like ours virtually mandatory, we believe the positive benefits are even more significant.


Your residents benefit from

  • improved mental functioning and increased sense of well-being;
  • reduced anxiety and fearfulness;
  • better adjustment to a new lifestyle and reduced functioning – medical evidence even implies that reducing depression can improve outlooks for physical illnesses and extend longevity in the case of terminal conditions.

Your staff members benefit since

  • residents will be easier to treat; untreated residents add to the burden of care;
  • problem behaviors can be reduced or better controlled, especially among those residents with advanced dementia, often with fewer restraints; they develop more effective communication approaches to enhance their caregiving;
  • employee morale increases due to increased knowledge and effectiveness in dealing with mental health issues.

Your facility benefits from

  • better positioning to comply with OBRA regulations and other licensing requirements affecting psychoactive medications and behavioral interventions;
  • gaining an important marketing advantage for attracting new residents;
  • comprehensive programs at no cost to your facility.

A COMPARISON OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

When comparing mental health services, asking these questions will help you in your search. Vericare is large enough to change an industry, yet personal enough to fit into your facility. These standards reflect our attention to quality resident care, and our dedication to meeting the needs and expectations of your facility.

DOES THE MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER:
Have a mission statement that emphasizes quality of care and customer service?
Have a management structure that emphasizes ethics and regulations?
Have long term care as 100% of their focus?
Employ LICENSED Providers and provide you with current license/malpractice information on their providers?
Offer specialized service tracks like Behavior Management and Rehabilitation as well as AIMS testing?
Offer inservice training and specialized consulting as an integral part of their program?
Conduct an extensive orientation with the provider before placement into your facility?
Provide APA-approved continuing education for their psychologist providers on a bimonthly basis and provide updates, current articles, and documentation essentials through monthly mailings?
Review cases, programs, and facility needs every quarter with your IDT?
Conduct an ongoing concurrent and retrospective quality review process utilizing a full time QM Director?
Have a Regional Psychologist/Director with long-term care experience responsible for hiring, training, evaluating, and overseeing the provider and program quality?
Employ Program Coordinators with long term care experience whose priority is to ensure a smooth, "user friendly" program?
Assure you through a check and balance system that residents are not seen without a physician order?
Provide an organized intake process that insures the resident's and/or responsible party's consent to receive treatment and to bill before any services are provided?
Document service delivery to facilitate your care planning process and revenue enhancement?
Provide an inservice on the interface between the MDS and Quality Indicators and psychological functioning?
Have separate professional corporations that can employ and place psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to assist with medical consultation and work alongside the mental and behavioral health providers?

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

How Our Customers Rate Vericare:


90%  Agree our services are helpful in
improving the resident’s quality of life.

94%  Agree that our documentation is
easily integrated into their care plans.
Customer satisfaction reflects our attention to quality resident care, and our dedication to meeting the needs and expectations of your facility.
90%  Report our providers demonstrate an understanding of OBRA and state regulations.
98%  Rate the provider as professional in demeanor.
87%  Feel our services are helpful in reducing the staff’s burden of care.
94%  Agree our providers build strong relationships with the facility’s staff.
QUALITY – Vericare improves the quality of life of residents and reduces the burden of care for staff
TEAMWORK – Vericare works closely with the IDT for integrated service delivery
COMMUNICATION – throughout the treatment planning and documentation process

UNIQUE Vericare FEATURES THAT ILLUSTRATE
OUR PROGRAMS IN ACTION:

 


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