One thing that can always be expected in healthcare is change. As the delivery of healthcare is shifting, and as more seniors are choosing to “age in place” the potential residents we see coming in for care are often more acutely and chronically ill. To respond to this change, Assistant Director of Nursing, Autumn Ferringer, RN, is up for the challenge. Autumn oversees and monitors clinical regulatory compliance, staff accountability and education, resident education and proper nursing practices. With quality of care and patient outcomes as her top priority, she rolled up her sleeves and dove in, placing her focus on the needs and preferences of the residents of Cribbs Residential Center and Thoburn Village and how we can best deliver healthcare to them.

“Over the last year I have been observing, and listening to the residents, and what they are seeking is medical guidance and support. They do not want to go to the hospital; I have heard that message clearly. Changes are being made to show a proactive, rather than a reactive approach to healthcare on Wesbury’s campus. Our focus is shifting to maintain health and wellness, not just managing illness,” says Autumn. As a result, many initiatives have been set in motion.

Recently, Megan Schlaudecker joined our team as the RN Nurse Manager. She oversees the clinical regulations and process that Autumn has implemented. “It is our vision, that with this addition we will be able to provide nursing oversight of new admissions, to assist in determining the appropriate levels of nursing care needed, to have the opportunity to treat more residents and provide additional skilled nursing treatments not previously available, to institute early interventions in care and to smoothly transition residents to other levels of care as necessary,” notes Autumn.

Certified Medication Technicians or “Med Techs” have been hired to work with the LPNs to provide medications to the residents at Cribbs. All are Certified Nurse’s Aides who have undergone the Medication Certification Training and have also been trained to perform additional tasks. While the Med Techs administer medications, process referrals and orders, and manage several other administrative and clerical duties, the LPNs have more time to focus on nursing assessments, resident care and duties that are required to remain in compliance with regulations.

To promote communication between staff and physicians, nursing education has increased to include assessment skills and information to provide to the Physician using American Medical Director’s Association’s “Know It All Before You Call” tools.

To promote wellness, nurses are trained to look for subtle signs of a condition change using the InterACT program to identify changes early and get interventions in place before a significant change or serious decline happens that leads to a hospital visit.

Moving forward, we anticipate seeing more integration and outreach of our Nursing Team members across our continuum of care to meet the ever-changing needs and diversity of those who turn to Wesbury to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Wesbury is a wonderful place to live where you can remain active and engaged throughout life and have peace of mind knowing that we will be proactive in supporting your wellness and provide personalized care when needed.

If you are interested in more information about Cribbs Residential Center please contact Melissa at 814-332-9009, or submit a request for information here.