ThomasvilleSeveral years ago, a southwest Alabama nursing home made a commitment to improve resident care and the building’s function and appearance.

Investments in new technology and training caregivers to focus on quality are paying big dividends.

Thomasville Health Care & Rehabilitation Center (THCRC) in Clarke County is celebrating a deficiency free health survey. Being declared “deficiency free” means that a team a state government inspectors found the facility met all of the more than 140 federal government requirements for skilled nursing centers. THCRC was deficiency free in 2008 as well.

“Accomplishing something like this big takes all of our 110 employees working together,” THCRC Administrator Diane Gatlin said. “They take pride in their work and are committed to doing the best for our residents.”

Commitment to Health Care & Quality of Life

THCRC’s commitment to high quality health care is gaining national attention. The American Health Care Association’s Quality Initiative has recognized THCRC for safely reducing hospital readmissions and for safely reducing the off label use of antipsychotic medicine. Of course, the best recognition is seeing lives improved.

“I’ll often see someone who came to our facility for rehab out shopping in Thomasville,” THCRC Administrator Diane Gatlin said. “It makes me feel good to see them doing so well and returning to their daily lives. That’s living proof that our nursing home staff are improving lives.”

THCRC has implemented three new technologies to improve quality of life and safety:

  • Nurse alert system with computerized tracking of response times. The system allows residents to talk directly with someone at the nurses’ station. While talking through the system, the nurse begins accessing the resident’s needs and can send the appropriate caregiver and services to the resident. Of course, the residents can also call just to have a conversation with the nurses.
  • State of the art heating and air conditioning system that provides individually controlled temperature and humidity for each room. The computerized system automatically reports any errors and can be remotely controlled. The units are mounted in the ceiling to save valuable floor and wall space in each room.
  • New security system only allows employees with special badges to use the building’s many entrances. All visitors are required to use the main entrance.

Flip this Room

Another successful initiative is THCRC’s “Flip this Room.” The facility is making dramatic transformations to resident rooms with this project.

THCRC staff will teach other nursing home to flip rooms at  at Alabama’s Best Practices on August 28 in Birmingham. This website will have more information on “Flip this Room” and other best practice presenters soon.

About Thomasville Health Care & Rehabilitation Center:

Thomasville Health Care & Rehabilitation Center is a licensed, 80-bed skilled nursing facility offering comprehensive rehabilitation and long term health care. Diane Gatlin is the Administrator and Gala Carpenter is the Director of Nursing. The facility opened in 1973 and is owned by the City of Thomasville.