1199SEIU Continuing Care Leadership Coalition Quality Care Committee
» QCC VIII Conference
About Quality Care
The
Quality Care Committee (QCC) is a partnership forged between nursing
home labor and management committed to improving quality of life for
residents and staff. The QCC provides a medium for senior-level
leaders, frontline workers, supervisors and executives- representing
both union and management- to come together to jointly problem-solve
around difficult issues facing the long-term care industry, such as
staffing, clinical care and fiscal constraints.
Conceived in
2001 as part of the CBA between the Association of Voluntary Nursing
Homes and 1199SEIU, the QCC works to transform nursing homes into more
homelike spaces where residents and staff alike have choice and control
over their day-to-day activities. This unique alliance is guided by a
partnership between the 1199SEIU Nursing Home Division and the
Continuing Care Leadership Coalition (an affiliate of the GNYHA
representing voluntary, not-for-profit nursing facilities in New York
City).
Under their direction, the QCC combines facility-based work and
training with large-scale sharing and learning forums so that
participants gain the knowledge and skills necessary to work
constructively to resolve conflict and pursue mutual interests. In
doing so, a strong commitment and passion are formed to provide
person-centered, quality care and to seek solutions to pressures that
challenge the economic well-being of each nursing home and employee.
Involvement in QCC activities has changed the way nursing home staff
work and the way that residents experience care. Many facilities have
transformed dining experiences by eliminating tray service, where food
arrived from a central kitchen on plastic plates. Now meals are served
"family style" on china. Instead of fixed meal times, some facilities
have expanded choices for residents; breakfast is available from 7 - 9
am to accommodate both early risers and late sleepers.
In other facilities, interdisciplinary staff teams have redecorated
stark institutional bathrooms into warm, spa-like environments.
Residents at these homes can now bathe with their choice of fragrances,
shampoos and soap as their favorite music plays in the background.
Also, staff are beginning to plan their own work schedules around the
needs of their residents - enabling them to honor both their own as
well as their residents' wishes.
Eight years after its inception, the QCC continues to strive toward
its mission, widening its tent to include participants from over 40
nursing homes, legislators, New York State Department of Health
regulators, national experts and other key stakeholders in working
together for quality care.
To date, the QCC has hosted eight large-scale conferences. Together, the partnership teams have:
- Laid the foundation for joint work through the development of a shared language and vision of long-term care's future;
- Gained a historical perspective of how today's "nursing home" evolved;
-
Heard from pioneers in the long-term care movement about the overall
concepts and elements necessary to transform traditional facilities
into homes;
- Learned various national staffing approaches that have been developed to move homes toward person-centered care;
-
Attended workshops about the various skills, training, supervision, and
decision-making abilities needed to shift organizational culture;
- Participated in national long-term care conferences focused on person-centered care; and
- Learned of resources available to build support for nursing home changes and how to access them.
QCC participants have remained steadfast in their commitment to work
jointly to achieve their personal visions of long-term care through
creative solutions to current roadblocks and challenges. The fortitude
and commitment of QCC participants have been extraordinary and
deserving of acknowledgement, but there is still more to do. In the
motto of the QCC - "Together We Can!" - the journey continues!
QCC CONFERENCES: 2003 - Present
- Understanding Our System of Long-Term Care
- Together We Can...Build a Person-Centered Culture
- Staffing New Models of Person-Centered Care
- Getting from Here to There: Joint Strategies for Achieving Person-Centered Care
- Reflect, Renew, and Rejoice: Celebrating Our Past...Planning Our Future
- Advancing Culture Change: Jointly Creating Opportunities and Overcoming Barriers
- Navigating a New Course for Long-Term Care
- Leading for Tomorrow in Times of Great Change
Updates:
For more information about the Quality Care Committee please contact the Labor Management Project at (212) 894-4314/ 4315.