The Promise
In this article, you will learn why doing your own service plans will help you avoid deficiencies, increase the quality of documentation, and reduce your anxiety levels when inspection comes!
The Problem
The problem is that you are spending a lot of time and money on your service plans and you are not getting what you are paying for. Your service plans may still look unprofessional and contain errors or missing information that could lead to a deficiency from the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS).
Mythbusting
There is a myth out there that says you are not allowed to do your own service plans. However, as you will see throughout this article (and the next one), AZDHS actually encourages you to do your own service plans, as doing so will reduce errors and will lead to a more accurate and complete document.
How can this be done?
You may be asking yourself, how can I complete my own service plans on top of all the other responsibilities I have as a group home owner?
It is much easier than you think.
The only thing you need to knock your service plans out of the park is a good form, and a registered nurse who will review and sign your service plans once completed. I will provide you with both.
All service plan templates must address a few select areas specified by AZDHS. You can be assured my form addresses all these areas. I verify AZDHS requirements and update my form to ensure its quality and completeness monthly.
If you have the most complete service plan form at your disposition, and an experienced Registered Nurse on your side, the only thing left is to fill in the blanks with information pertaining to your resident! I guarantee you the benefits of doing this will dramatically improve your documentation and will help reduce your anxiety when inspection comes!😊
The benefits
A more professional form
Think about this for a second. When inspection comes, will the surveyor be able to clearly read and understand every section of your service plan? If so, that is great! However, you are part of the minority. The truth is that most service plans are quite challenging to read and understand since they are messy and handwritten. Add in all the different color pens and you almost have a piece of abstract art in your hands.
Service plans are probably the most expensive documents you need in your business. For a group home of 10 residents, the cost quickly adds up to about $1200/year. That is an expensive piece of abstract art!
The good news is you will now have access to inexpensive, professional grade TYPED service plans that are easy to read and understand!
Increased accuracy
The truth is that you know much more about your residents than anyone else! Let’s face it, the nurse that completes your service plans does not know your residents.
I have encountered the following case scenario in the past too many times: the nurse completing the service plan writes that the patient is alert and oriented, walks independently, and needs minimal assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), when the reality is that the patient needs constant supervision, is confused most of the time, and needs moderate assistance with most ADLs.
The nurse tried his/her best to complete the service plan using information obtained from the resident, their file, or even from you, the group home owner (GHO). However, the nurse has no way of ensuring this information is accurate and up to date because this may be the very first time he/she has ever seen the resident.
Unfortunately, when state inspection comes, they do not take this into consideration. The only thing they are concerned about is to verify whether your service plan is accurate and matches the ADLs and medication administration record (MAR) of your resident. I have witnessed first-hand GHOs receive deficiencies because of errors such as this, which could have easily been prevented.
When GHOs complete their resident’s service plans themselves, the incidence of error decreases dramatically.
Cost efficiency
Doing your own service plans will significantly drop your expenses. Now, I know most of the time residents or their representatives are the ones who pay the bill and not the GHO. However, there are instances when residents or their representatives are unwilling or unable to pay. Even more so, what if instead of writing a check for $45 every time you need a service plan, YOU were the one RECEIVING the check?Â
With my help, you will be the one getting paid for doing the service plans. After you start using our services, you will not want to go back to the old ways.
Convenience
In my own experience, I have discovered that it can be very challenging to schedule service plan appointments that work well for both the nurse and GHO, especially when the 14-day time frame needs to be upheld. Why put your compliance with AZDHS at the mercy of the nurse’s availability?Â
You can now fill in your service plans ANYTIME and ANYWHERE, literally. I will provide you the platform to do so AND you will receive your service plan back, reviewed and signed by an experienced registered nurse within 1 business day. That is a promise.
Next steps
If you have read this far into the article congratulations! You are much more concerned about the quality of your business’ documentation than most of your peers. Now, I have made you a few promises in this article.
If you decide to work with us,
- You will have more accurate and complete service plans.
- They will be more convenient to complete.
- They will look more professional.
- They will cost much less than what you are currently paying.
This Friday I will be posting an article on how this is possible. Stay tuned! Please comment below and feel free to ask me any questions you may have (I will answer them).
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