Nursing Department
This is the best thing that ever happened to me, it is a wonderful program.
Elder Services of Worcester’s nursing department serves as an integral part of the case management team, providing in home assessments for clients in our service area. Our nurses determine a plan of care for clients in need of assist with Personal Care (click here for definition) at the request of Elder Services case managers. They visit elders in their homes to assess their needs for assistance with bathing or other personal hygiene and to evaluate the home environment. Our nurses determine if any accommodations such as safety equipment or adaptations need to be made before personal care begins.
Our Nurses also….
…Determine a person’s medical eligibility for Nursing Homes, and Adult Day Health services for those individuals who have Medicaid. We refer to this process as a screening. The clinical determination is based on Mass Health regulations.
How to Request a Nursing Home Screening
See the step by step process below for more information. Please note that consumers must be a current Medicaid or Mass Health recipient, or be in the process of applying for Medicaid, in order to begin the screening process. If you are in the process of applying for Medicaid and wish to begin the screening process, please have the date that the application was mailed when you speak with our Intake staff.
Step one in requesting a nursing home screening for a consumer living in our service area is to contact our Intake/Information and Referral Department at (508) 756-1545. We are available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.
Step two is when our nurses review the request for the urgency of each individual situation. Contact with the consumer or referral source is made within 1-5 business days. If required, an appointment is made for a visit to meet with the consumer and determine their current needs. We must also contact the client’s physician for medical information. A recent medical visit and a physician who is very familiar with consumer’s needs and current difficulties are always suggested.
Step three is a review of medical information by our nurse and the results of the assessment visit for nursing home eligibility. Often we see consumers who would benefit from various services offered in the community and may refer them to agencies that could meet their needs and maintain them safely. This could be as little as a personal care worker to assist with bathing tasks or as much as a complete change in residence to an assisted living or rest home program. If consumer meets clinical criteria for nursing facility service based on Mass Health regulations and community services are not available to adequately meet the consumer’s needs, then approval for nursing facility admission is made. Then approval could be time limited or for long term placement depending upon the consumer’s needs and goals. Our nurses routinely request medical information from other providers such as Home Health Agencies or Adult Day Health Programs that may be involved with the consumer’s care in the community as part of the Nursing Home admission process.
Click here to go to our Frequently Asked Question section regarding Nursing Issues.
