36 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • FEBRUARY 21, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Parker Care Teams Create Strategies for
Improving Quality and Patient Safety
Hospital Care teams are oft en challenged
with overseeing fragile and elderly
patients. Such challenges may include
a balance between the risk of patient
self-harm and staff injury, and the risks
associated with anti-psychotic medication
administration.
Th is challenge was undertaken by the
Parker health care team to assess the
risks associated with the patient being on
an anti-psychotic medication upon being
admitted to Parker, and provide a strategy
to reduce the need for the administration
of these anti-psychotic medications upon
admission to the facility.
“As these patients arrived from
local hospitals to Parker for rehab,”
said Michael N. Rosenblut, Parker’s
President and CEO, “at times, they’re
on high doses of anti-psychotic meds.
Th e majority of these patients had not
received anti-psychotics prior to hospitalization.
Th ese powerful pharmaceuticals
posed barriers to the success of
Parker’s rehabilitation eff orts, since they
impacted patients’ moods, psycho-social
needs and their quality of life.”
Rosenblut asked his nursing staff to
develop a solution.
Analyzing this trend, Parker’s Vice
President for Patient Care Services, Dr.
Colleen Ariola, and Clinical Director of
Nursing, Sub-Acute, Susan Costella, RN,
came up with a solution. Costella instituted
an aggressive behavior management
strategy.
“We advocated a gradual reduction
in medications, using a timely interdisciplinary
approach immediately upon
admission,” Costella said. “In doing
so, we enhanced our patients’ quality of
life, while assuring compliance with the
demands and rigors of governmental
regulations,” she added.
Costella’s strategy resulted in remarkable
and sustained outcomes, and was
achieved by learning as much as possible
about each patient admitted on anti-psychotic
drugs.
“She instructed her Sub-Acute Team
members how to develop person-centered
care plans,” Ariola noted. As proof
of such positive results, Parker’s current
quality measurement reports for
short term stays - anti-psychotic medications
- is now at zero percent. Th is
compares favorably with the national
average which is 2.1 percent, according
to Ariola.
With over 25 years at Parker, Costella
has a reputation for treating patients
and residents like family. “Suzie sets her
professional bar very high, and by following
such high ideals, has achieved
excellent results,” Ariola concluded.
Costella will receive the United Hospital
Fund “Quality Improvement Champion
Award” for her achievement. She resides
in Garden City, New York. Susan Costella.jpg
8 ways to banish spring allergies
Spring. Th e time of year when, as poet
Alfred Lord Tennyson famously said, a
young man’s (and woman’s) fancy “lightly
turns to thoughts of love.” Th at is, of
course, if you’re not sneezing, coughing
or dealing with itchy eyes. Spring allergies
seem to get worse every year. Is there anything
you can do to avoid them?
Yes, says allergist Todd Mahr, MD,
president of the American College of
Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
(ACAAI). “You might feel like suff ering
from allergies is going to happen every
spring no matter what, but there are ways
to help alleviate your symptoms.”
Th ese 8 ACAAI tips will help you enjoy
the season instead of sitting it out indoors.
1. See an allergist. Before the season
kicks in, make an appointment with an
allergist to fi nd out exactly what is causing
those itchy, watery eyes. Discovering the
allergen that you’re reacting to is the fi rst
step in treating it. Th e ACAAI’s Allergist
Locator can help you fi nd a board-certifi
ed allergist in your area.
2. Find out if it’s allergies or asthma. Or
both. Th e symptoms from asthma can be
similar to those of allergies. To make matters
worse, allergies plus asthma can be a
one-two punch for some allergy suff erers.
Almost 75 percent of asthma suff erers
also have allergies. Your allergist can
diagnose what’s causing your symptoms
and off er suggestions for treatment so you
can start living the life you want to live.
3. Consider allergy shots... Th ey may
be the best way to treat tree, grass,
mold, dust mite, cat and dog allergies.
Allergy shots are immunotherapy. Th at
means your allergist will gradually give
you increasingly larger doses of whatever
you’re allergic to. Th ere are also tablets
that melt under your tongue to treat
allergies to ragweed, grass pollen and dust
mites. Both forms create a tolerance within
your immune system.
4. ...or get a prescription. Research has
shown that most allergy suff erers fi nd
prescription medications more eff ective
than those they can get over the counter.
But most people don’t go in search of
a prescription. An allergist can discover
exactly what you’re allergic to and prescribe
the right medication to ease your
symptoms.
5. Start medication before the season
hits. Don’t wait. Much like successful pain
management involves getting in front of
pain before it kicks into high gear, by taking
your allergy medications before the
worst symptoms develop, you’ll be doing
a lot to alleviate those symptoms. If you
usually start feeling it in March or April,
start taking your medications in February.
6. Commit to a thorough spring cleaning.
It’s not just to give the house a fresh
look aft er the long winter. A deep clean
will reduce allergens like mold, which
build up in basements and other areas
where you might not go every day. It’s
also a great way to get rid of the pet hair
and dander that have built up in places
like your sofa. Wash throw rugs regularly,
too, in hot water.
7. Wash the day away before going to
bed. Take a shower and wash your hair
before hitting the hay to rinse away pollen
and other allergens you’ve picked
up during the day. Similarly, wash your
sheets and bedding once a week in hot
water.
8. Use the AC. It’s tempting to throw
open the windows and let that fresh
spring air waft into the house. Th e only
problem is, pollen and other allergens will
waft in with it. Instead, use your air conditioner
and make sure the fi lter is clean.
Change your fi lter every three months
and use one with a MERV rating of 11
or 12.
With a few commonsense tactics, you
can get ahead of your allergies and keep
them in the rear-view mirror all season
long.
About ACAAI
Th e ACAAI is a professional medical
organization of more than 6,000 allergists
immunologists and allied health
professionals, headquartered in Arlington
Heights, Ill. Th e College fosters a culture
of collaboration and congeniality in which
its members work together and with others
toward the common goals of patient
care, education, advocacy and research.
ACAAI allergists are board-certifi ed physicians
trained to diagnose allergies and
asthma, administer immunotherapy and
provide patients with the best treatment
outcomes. For more information and to
fi nd relief, visit AllergyandAsthmaRelief.
org. Join us on Facebook, Pinterest and
Twitter.
Courtesy BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
/Costella.jp
