[Claver]

I am into my third day of a state audit with a possibility of a 4th on Monday. These auditors are so rude. We have been sited on every possibility that there is - a 60 day letter is being issued - I do believe that some jobs are on the line. It would appear that they are coming after my agency with the iron rod - all of our recent audits have been long 3-4 days. The auditors are very demanding - I want this document in 10 mins and are not allowing any flexibility at all. I have never met a bunch like these. Any similar experiences out there? Please share.

[Claver]

We have been issued with a 60 day letter yesterday - by Monday we will know if we still have our jobs -

Originally Posted by Claver

I am into my third day of a state audit with a possibility of a 4th on Monday. These auditors are so rude. We have been sited on every possibility that there is - a 60 day letter is being issued - I do believe that some jobs are on the line. It would appear that they are coming after my agency with the iron rod - all of our recent audits have been long 3-4 days. The auditors are very demanding - I want this document in 10 mins and are not allowing any flexibility at all. I have never met a bunch like these. Any similar experiences out there? Please share.

[RoseKas]

Originally Posted by Claver

We have been issued with a 60 day letter yesterday - by Monday we will know if we still have our jobs -

Claver, I read your postings regarding your awful survey, and am wondering how it went for you...do you still have your job??? I've read some of your postings, and can tell you are a wonderful DD nurse, and am hoping things work out ok.

We have openings in Chicago, if need be, and would welcome you with open arms.

[Claver]

Hi RoseKas,

The whole team is still employed. We have to come up with a plan of correction (POC) and submit it to administration. I believe that the reason we are not fired is because they appear to be after the agency. Some of the citations were ridiculous - not having mugs for the clients to drink a hot beverage from - forks that were bent - a client who is smoking outside the home on the steps was not given an ash tray - Snow was not cleared from the back yard- None of these are life threatening - for my medicals -they cited because I had crossed out the date on a semi-annual and did not initial it - and also for not having a lab - a few missing signatures in the MAR - etc.

Programming issues - community inclusion, goals, physical plant, data collection, incidents were our main citations. So we are beginning to clear up this mess and move on. And you are right I do like working with this population - to me it takes all of your skills and knowledge to try to provide nursing services to a population that is predominatly non-verbal, and to supervise AMAPs who have taken a 2 week course in medication administration.

I have two more houses awaiting audits, so I am going through my paperwork with a fine tooth comb. The thing about these audits, you are never sure what angle they will be coming from. I will keep you informed of progress.

[RoseKas]

Well, I am happy you still have your job, although surveyors just love to play "Gotcha!" and make our lives more complicated, don't they?! At my last place of employment, they actually wrote up our ICF for not having enough choices of jelly flavors on the dining room table. This was at a house where we employed a professional chef who made amazing meals for our residents. Go figure!

I have worked as a nurse consultant, a health services coordinator, and as a DON. Now I've started at a different organization (one with a really good reputation in the field), as a residential director/DON of a 53-bed house (4-units, 2 of which are CP, and we're licensed as an ICF). We are facing a Public Health survey in the next couple of months, and I'm quaking in my boots, because this is my first time as a RD. I'm sure we'll be ok, although God knows what kind of stuff they'll dream up because that's what they do! We just went thru a CARF survey, and seemed to do ok, although that was for the entire organization, and they barely looked at my house. We did get a few recommendations, of course, and our biggie was also community integration and cultural diversity. We're working on that, but haven't gotten the completed report with the decision yet.

Thank God for our residents, who make it all worthwhile at the end of the day! The other evening, I stopped into one of our lounges as I made my final rounds, and said goodnight to some of my ladies. Our oldest resident asked me if I was going home then, and I told her I would be going back to my office to finish up a little work first. She said, "I know what! Why don't you bring it here, and we'll ALL do it! And then we'll tell them that YOU did it!!" You gotta love that! What a sweetie!

Talk to you later! Hope your fine-tooth comb has all of its teeth!

[Claver]

We have just spent two days responding to the POCA - some of these auditors are ridiculous - they cited us for not having enough choices of deserts - the only place has more than one choice for desert is a restaurant- and they say that these people are living in a "home environment" - any way I have three more audits to get through - may be by tomorrow they will be in another one of my houses - I will just thank God when it is all over.