Hospitals, MH/MR

Healthcare organizations are a very unique market segment.  At any given moment, high emotions by patients (or their family) can erupt into an antagonistic and even violent situation.  In July 2009, the Emergency Nurses Association released findings that more than half of emergency nurses polled had been physically assualted on the job.

Handle With Care is ideally suited for hospital and hospital security staff as healthcare organizations need to create a balance between maintaining a hospital environment that is consistent with a “servant’s heart” while being able to create a safe environment by using the least restrictive intervention methods appropriate and effective under the circumstances.

Handle With Care trains hospitals, hospital security, emergency room staff, EMT’s, outpatient and community service providers in behavior management and physical intervention across the country.

In 2006 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) enacted the Final Patients’ Rights Rule on Use of Restraints and Seclusion. The patients’ rights regulations were set forth as a condition of participation (CoP) in the Medicare and Medicaid programs that all participating hospitals including short-term, psychiatric, rehabilitation, long-term, children’s and alcohol/treatment facilities must meet. See, 42 CFR Part 482.

In 2008, pursuant to the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), CMS revoked the Joint Commission’s (formerly JCAHO) exclusivity for deeming an organization compliant with national standards. As a result the Joint Commission had to reapply to HHS in order to be recognized as a national accrediting organization.  In the process, the Joint Commission (in 2009) removed its existing restraint and seclusion standards and replaced them wholesale with the CMS restraint and seclusion CoPs. See, 42 CFR Part 482.

Challenging behavior by clients may be caused by a number of factors including biological (pain, medication, the need for sensory stimulation), social (boredom, lack of social skills, lack of empathy), environmental (noise, close living quarters) or psychological (stress, tension, anger, fear).  Often persons engage in challenging behavior as a method of communicating dissatisfaction (real or imaginary) with the services or people providing the services.

Handle With Care’s program teaches staff how to identify the root of the dissatisfaction or need that is prompting the behavior while remaining detached from the affect and behavior the client is demonstrating.  When the safety of the client, staff or others are in jeopardy, the dangerous behavior must be stopped before the root of the behavior can be determined.  Handle With Care’s program teaches staff to do this in the least restrictive manner that enables the staff to maintain a therapeutic relationship with the patient after s/he has calmed down.

On-Site Training

An HWC trainer can go to your facility and provide training for your staff.

Seminar Training

Your organization can send staff to one HWC’s seminars.

For more information contact us: Tel: 845-255-4031; E-mail: info@handlewithcare.com