I just love it when a user calls with a request, and we can immediately meet it.
This week a user called saying they were just surveyed, and the surveyors gave her two forms to complete which essentially guided the process. The request was for PALs to computerize the forms, so they could do an internal audit monthly to be sure they were always in compliance.
Because PALs allows for user-defined assessments and user-defined QA projects, the data entry form was easily created, and can be easily edited by our user. The finished report was customized to look like the surveyors guide so they could share information in a familiar format.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Don’t Buy Assisted Living Software!
You don’t really want to buy assisted living software, what you want to do is find a solution to a problem and put systems in place to ensure resident-centered quality care.
For example, if you want to improve your medication management, and put a system in place to ensure medication orders are renewed as needed and the medications administered (and documented) as orders, you may want to consider PALs Medication Manager.
If you want to ensure that Resident service agreements meet standards, that services are given as agreed, and invoiced appropriately, PALs Executive would put the necessary systems in place. With this system, your organization integrity is protected as you will be doing what you agreed to do in the resident service agreements. PALs will print a daily shift assignment sheet for workers, so they what services to provide, and a documentation form to note conformity, or any variations.
If you are concerned about meeting other regulatory compliance issues, such as staff credentialing or training; or needs to supervise a residents plan of care or physician orders by certain dates, PALs has the systems for you.
If you may need to ensure that resident assessments meet regulatory requirements, and your agency’s needs. With PALs, you can create and customize your own assessments.
Finally, if you are finding it difficult to remain profitable, PALs has a one report that will monitor profitability, so you can review it when staff schedules are released, and monitor it daily for compliance. See 7 Steps to Profitability below.
To download a FREE trial of PALs, simply go to www.PALsSoftware.com .
For example, if you want to improve your medication management, and put a system in place to ensure medication orders are renewed as needed and the medications administered (and documented) as orders, you may want to consider PALs Medication Manager.
If you want to ensure that Resident service agreements meet standards, that services are given as agreed, and invoiced appropriately, PALs Executive would put the necessary systems in place. With this system, your organization integrity is protected as you will be doing what you agreed to do in the resident service agreements. PALs will print a daily shift assignment sheet for workers, so they what services to provide, and a documentation form to note conformity, or any variations.
If you are concerned about meeting other regulatory compliance issues, such as staff credentialing or training; or needs to supervise a residents plan of care or physician orders by certain dates, PALs has the systems for you.
If you may need to ensure that resident assessments meet regulatory requirements, and your agency’s needs. With PALs, you can create and customize your own assessments.
Finally, if you are finding it difficult to remain profitable, PALs has a one report that will monitor profitability, so you can review it when staff schedules are released, and monitor it daily for compliance. See 7 Steps to Profitability below.
To download a FREE trial of PALs, simply go to www.PALsSoftware.com .
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Michigan Assessment Plan for AFC Residents
Last week we had two requests to include Michigan's Assisted Living Assessment in our assessment library. Since we pride ourselves on listening to our customers, this assessment is now included.
PALs offers user-defined assessments for when the content is more important than the format. But when you want a specific format, so it looks like a specific form, a custom assessment is created and saved in our library.
To review this and other assessments, simply go to www.PALsSoftware.com and download our FREE PALs Executive trial.
PALs offers user-defined assessments for when the content is more important than the format. But when you want a specific format, so it looks like a specific form, a custom assessment is created and saved in our library.
To review this and other assessments, simply go to www.PALsSoftware.com and download our FREE PALs Executive trial.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Rent Roll report for Assisted Living Communities
PALs has added a new report to our over 100 reports to consolidate data into what is commonly known as a "Rent Roll" for Assisted Living Communities.
A Rent-Role report is a monthly report showing all units or apartments, occupied and vacant, and the related revenue that is generated by each occupied apartment. This report further divides the revenue into Services and Non-Service related categories.
What makes our Rent Roll unique, is that we follow this report with a follow-up report showing where the Service Revenue originates (what specific services or service packages are most popular) and the related staff costs to provide these services. So the final BALANCE after charges column tells us what services we provide most profitably.
For a short video of this report, click HERE and visit our website at www.PALsSoftware.com to download a trial copy for your review.
A Rent-Role report is a monthly report showing all units or apartments, occupied and vacant, and the related revenue that is generated by each occupied apartment. This report further divides the revenue into Services and Non-Service related categories.
What makes our Rent Roll unique, is that we follow this report with a follow-up report showing where the Service Revenue originates (what specific services or service packages are most popular) and the related staff costs to provide these services. So the final BALANCE after charges column tells us what services we provide most profitably.
For a short video of this report, click HERE and visit our website at www.PALsSoftware.com to download a trial copy for your review.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Assisted Living Activities
PALs has extended it's support for Activities program. You can now enter an activity, select days of week, and PALs will automatically enter the event into an events calendar.
So if you have a M/W/F exercise program, you enter the event, "Exercise" and click in Monday, Wednesday, Friday then set the date, 3/1/2010 to 3/31/2010, and PALs will automatically enter the events for the appropriate dates and print the Activity Schedule for March.
In addition, when residents attend an event, an attendance sheet is printed for documentation. Later, or in real-time, you can enter the residents who attended, and repeat for other residents, with a single push of a button. You can then print a resident activity report for any time period entered.
For more information, or to download a free trial of PALs and try it yourself, visit our website at www.PALsSoftware.com
So if you have a M/W/F exercise program, you enter the event, "Exercise" and click in Monday, Wednesday, Friday then set the date, 3/1/2010 to 3/31/2010, and PALs will automatically enter the events for the appropriate dates and print the Activity Schedule for March.
In addition, when residents attend an event, an attendance sheet is printed for documentation. Later, or in real-time, you can enter the residents who attended, and repeat for other residents, with a single push of a button. You can then print a resident activity report for any time period entered.
For more information, or to download a free trial of PALs and try it yourself, visit our website at www.PALsSoftware.com
Texas Resident Assessment Form
PALs is pleased to announce that the Resident Assessment form for Texas has been added to the assessment forms library.
Texas regulations require that residents be assessed along 23 domains (A-T), but does not provide a form. PALs now provides that form. This form is user-defined, so programs may add additional items.
For more information, go to www.PALsSoftware.com and download a FREE trial of our PALs Executive program, the complete Assisted Living operations software.
Texas regulations require that residents be assessed along 23 domains (A-T), but does not provide a form. PALs now provides that form. This form is user-defined, so programs may add additional items.
For more information, go to www.PALsSoftware.com and download a FREE trial of our PALs Executive program, the complete Assisted Living operations software.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
MAR with Picture
We have been repeatedly asked to add a picture to our MARs and we have now done so. The primary reason for adding pictures is to help ensure that the medication is given to the right resident. The picture helps staff, particularly new staff, identify residents.
To view our MAR with Pictures click HERE.
To view our MAR with Pictures click HERE.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Mailing Lists, Labels, and Letters
This is the time of year to send out seasonal greeting, and maybe information on your foundation, or a monthly newsletter.
PALs makes it easy to print mailing labels, for any addresses entered. For example, Residents' contacts, physicians, pharmacies, and staff, all permit printing of labels, letters, or even emails.
Download a FREE trial of PALs Executive today and take a look. www.PALsSoftware.com
PALs makes it easy to print mailing labels, for any addresses entered. For example, Residents' contacts, physicians, pharmacies, and staff, all permit printing of labels, letters, or even emails.
Download a FREE trial of PALs Executive today and take a look. www.PALsSoftware.com
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Assisted Living Pricing & Profits
Assisted Living operations usually categorize income into three streams: Housing, Food, and Services. This discussion is meant to address Services (the heart of assisted living).
In summary, management is buying staff time at an hourly rate, then adding value (training, supervision, setting, etc.) and reselling staff time in 15 minutes units for resident cares. Hopefully, if you use monthly package pricing, the packages are based on minute of care.
So if you price your 15 minute of service to include:
1. wage related expenses including taxes and benefits (fully-loaded).
2. Administrative Overhead to include supervision, training, etc.
3. ROI - Return on Investment to convert staff time to a profit center!
4. Shift Productivity = Resident Service Hours divided by shift hour. So if a shift is 8 hours long, and includes 6 hours of direct resident care, 6/8 = .75 (75%) shift productivity. Hence, 100% - 75% = 25% non-productivity factor. The .25 is used in the following calculations. This step ensures that the full 8 hour shift is paid.
Plugging in the numbers; if your fully-loaded wage related costs are $14.00 per hour then:
$3.50 per 15 minutes ($14.00/4)
+0.88 (3.50 x .25 = 100% - 75% = 25% shift non-productivity factor)
$4.38
+1.53 = 4.38 x .35 (admin overhead, 15% + ROI, 20% = 35%)
$5.91 = price per 15 minutes of service
Once you set your shift productivity by policy, and create your staff work schedule accordingly, your service side of the business is on track to create profits. Staff scheduling becomes the critical focus that needs to be managed and measured each week.
PALs includes templates to do the above calculations, and reports to review the shift productivity and resident service plan profitability.
Visit PALs Software website and download a FREE 7 day trial and calculate your price points.
In summary, management is buying staff time at an hourly rate, then adding value (training, supervision, setting, etc.) and reselling staff time in 15 minutes units for resident cares. Hopefully, if you use monthly package pricing, the packages are based on minute of care.
So if you price your 15 minute of service to include:
1. wage related expenses including taxes and benefits (fully-loaded).
2. Administrative Overhead to include supervision, training, etc.
3. ROI - Return on Investment to convert staff time to a profit center!
4. Shift Productivity = Resident Service Hours divided by shift hour. So if a shift is 8 hours long, and includes 6 hours of direct resident care, 6/8 = .75 (75%) shift productivity. Hence, 100% - 75% = 25% non-productivity factor. The .25 is used in the following calculations. This step ensures that the full 8 hour shift is paid.
Plugging in the numbers; if your fully-loaded wage related costs are $14.00 per hour then:
$3.50 per 15 minutes ($14.00/4)
+0.88 (3.50 x .25 = 100% - 75% = 25% shift non-productivity factor)
$4.38
+1.53 = 4.38 x .35 (admin overhead, 15% + ROI, 20% = 35%)
$5.91 = price per 15 minutes of service
Once you set your shift productivity by policy, and create your staff work schedule accordingly, your service side of the business is on track to create profits. Staff scheduling becomes the critical focus that needs to be managed and measured each week.
PALs includes templates to do the above calculations, and reports to review the shift productivity and resident service plan profitability.
Visit PALs Software website and download a FREE 7 day trial and calculate your price points.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Care Management in Assisted Living
PALs software supports the following 5-step process of Care Management (or Case Management) in Assisted Living Settings.
1. Resident Assessment - To identify resident needs. In most states an RN does this assessment, other states permit a "manager's assessment".
2. Service Negotiation - identifying which assessed needs will be met and how. Also, resident "wants" may be added.
3. Service Plan or Agreement - a signed agreement between the Assisted Living Provider and the Resident (or their representative) identifying the services to be provided to meet both resident needs and wants. These services will customized for the resident, and will provided at a stated time and frequency (daily or weekly or...). Finally, the cost of these services will be itemized (or combined into a monthly package).
4. The Service Plan is supervised on some schedule, based on agency policies, or state licensing requirements. In many states where services may involve delegated nursing, the services are supervised more frequently the services that are not delegated. The most common nursing delegated service is medication administration. The purpose of the regular plan supervision is to determine if the current plan is meeting the resident's needs and preferences. If there is a change in condition, a new assessment and service plan may be negotiated.
5. Re-Assessment. The may start the process anew. Most states require an annual physician review that most providers precede by a nursing assessment which accompanies the resident. In this way, the physician and Care Manager are coordinating services.
PALs supports the above process in the following ways.
1. Assessment templates are provided for Care Managers that can be edited to fit their preferences, program specialties, and state requirements.
2 & 3. Service Planning is supported by selecting services from approved services based on licensure then customizing the service for the individual resident based on the resident assessment and “wants”. These services are assigned to a shift and scheduled for a specific time and day(s). This same information is used to create a Resident Agreement to be signed, shift assignment sheets, service documentation forms, and invoices.
4. Based on the services provided, if they are Nurse Delegated or not, and state licensing requirements, PALs will compute the date for the next plan supervision. PALs also provides a plan supervision form, for the nurse to document their finding regarding the appropriateness of the plan to the residents current health care needs and preferences, staff competence in providing the service, and resident’s evaluation of the service provision. Also the service documentation forms may be reviewed noting any variations (added or cancelled services). Based on the date of this interview, the next plan supervision is computed. So the nurse may print an up-to-date plan supervision schedule at any time.
5. Finally, at the time of physician review, at least annually by regulations, the nurse is again prompted by PALs to complete a re-assessment prior to the physician visit and PALs will print a form summarizing the nurse's recommendations and current treatments and medications for physician review and signature. A list of upcoming required physician visits can be printed at any time.
The above process has proven effective in meeting state requirements as reflected in state surveys.
For more information, visit our website at www.PALsSoftware.com and consider downloading a trial version.
1. Resident Assessment - To identify resident needs. In most states an RN does this assessment, other states permit a "manager's assessment".
2. Service Negotiation - identifying which assessed needs will be met and how. Also, resident "wants" may be added.
3. Service Plan or Agreement - a signed agreement between the Assisted Living Provider and the Resident (or their representative) identifying the services to be provided to meet both resident needs and wants. These services will customized for the resident, and will provided at a stated time and frequency (daily or weekly or...). Finally, the cost of these services will be itemized (or combined into a monthly package).
4. The Service Plan is supervised on some schedule, based on agency policies, or state licensing requirements. In many states where services may involve delegated nursing, the services are supervised more frequently the services that are not delegated. The most common nursing delegated service is medication administration. The purpose of the regular plan supervision is to determine if the current plan is meeting the resident's needs and preferences. If there is a change in condition, a new assessment and service plan may be negotiated.
5. Re-Assessment. The may start the process anew. Most states require an annual physician review that most providers precede by a nursing assessment which accompanies the resident. In this way, the physician and Care Manager are coordinating services.
PALs supports the above process in the following ways.
1. Assessment templates are provided for Care Managers that can be edited to fit their preferences, program specialties, and state requirements.
2 & 3. Service Planning is supported by selecting services from approved services based on licensure then customizing the service for the individual resident based on the resident assessment and “wants”. These services are assigned to a shift and scheduled for a specific time and day(s). This same information is used to create a Resident Agreement to be signed, shift assignment sheets, service documentation forms, and invoices.
4. Based on the services provided, if they are Nurse Delegated or not, and state licensing requirements, PALs will compute the date for the next plan supervision. PALs also provides a plan supervision form, for the nurse to document their finding regarding the appropriateness of the plan to the residents current health care needs and preferences, staff competence in providing the service, and resident’s evaluation of the service provision. Also the service documentation forms may be reviewed noting any variations (added or cancelled services). Based on the date of this interview, the next plan supervision is computed. So the nurse may print an up-to-date plan supervision schedule at any time.
5. Finally, at the time of physician review, at least annually by regulations, the nurse is again prompted by PALs to complete a re-assessment prior to the physician visit and PALs will print a form summarizing the nurse's recommendations and current treatments and medications for physician review and signature. A list of upcoming required physician visits can be printed at any time.
The above process has proven effective in meeting state requirements as reflected in state surveys.
For more information, visit our website at www.PALsSoftware.com and consider downloading a trial version.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Vaccination Record
PALs has updated its software to make Resident Medical Records easier to enter and access for the following components.
Diagnoses / Allergies / Medical Appointments and Changes / Vaccinations.
Print reports for any or all of the above for any date range entered.
PALs, the leader in Assisted Living Software, just keeps getting better with age!
Diagnoses / Allergies / Medical Appointments and Changes / Vaccinations.
Print reports for any or all of the above for any date range entered.
PALs, the leader in Assisted Living Software, just keeps getting better with age!
Pennsylvania Assisted Living Forms
PALs has added Pensylvania's Adult Residential Licensing forms to its library of assessments and forms.
Personal Care Home Assessment - 55 Pa.Code 2600.225
Personal Care Home Support Plan - 2600.227
Resident Medical Evaluation - 55 Pa.Code 2600.141
Please contact our office for copies of these forms, or better yet, visit our website and download our FREE Trial.
PALs, the leader in Assisted Living Software, just keeps getting better with age!
Personal Care Home Assessment - 55 Pa.Code 2600.225
Personal Care Home Support Plan - 2600.227
Resident Medical Evaluation - 55 Pa.Code 2600.141
Please contact our office for copies of these forms, or better yet, visit our website and download our FREE Trial.
PALs, the leader in Assisted Living Software, just keeps getting better with age!
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