Providers receive training tips about a confident new stakeholder group

A new support group for residents in Southern California says it is helping to educate staff at nursing and assisted living facilities about best care practices to collectively improve levels of care in the post-pandemic era.

Pasadena Elder and Dependent Adult Liaisons (PEDAL) is a unique mix of officers and other professionals, organizers say.

The team includes representatives from the city manager’s office, health department, fire department, police department, city attorney’s office and others.

“We stay up to date on current needs, trends, events, who is behaving badly, who is behaving really well and who needs a little extra support,” said Rachel Tate, PEDAL member and vice president of Ombudsman Services at WISE & Healthy Aging , during a Zoom call this week.

PEDAL is all-encompassing, Tate said: It not only focuses on residents’ needs, but also develops learning opportunities and tools for providers.

This is where the CrIBs system or bulletins with critical information from the group comes into play.

“When a situation arises, it can be compressed [this] “This is a training tool that will then be sent out to all of our skilled nursing providers,” Tate explained, pointing out that provider and resident identifying information was omitted. “The bulletin is then distributed to local providers and highlights implications, patient rights, proper practices and general standard of care information.”

In one situation examined, the fire brigade received many calls from senior living and care facilities. An investigation into the calls led to the discovery of misunderstandings and system failures, said Laura Mosqueda, PEDAL member and professor of family medicine, geriatrics and gerontology at the USC Keck School of Medicine.

What followed, she said, was the targeted deployment of relevant team members to identify needs in specific facilities. That has led to staff training and council meetings, she added.

“We wanted to make sure everyone was clear about what could reasonably be expected at this level of care, what services should be provided and what to do in an emergency,” Mosqueda said.

Vendors are responding well to PEDAL, Tate and Mosqueda said. So much so that many have reached a level of comfort where they can confidently consult with the team about their most pressing needs, they claim.

“Just because a provider is struggling doesn’t mean they don’t want to do the right thing, right?” Tate pointed out.

“We’ve had providers call and say, ‘We don’t know what’s expected from transitioning care,’ or, ‘We don’t know how to go about it.’ The right,” Mosqueda said. “If you say you need help, the PEDAL team will step in and help you 100%.”