8/19/2020
Where regulatory oversight is varied by state and inconsistent, the CARF standards can position assisted living providers to prepare for and respond to a pandemic.
11/13/2019
With a growing aging population, many adult children and other loved ones step up to provide care, but family caregivers take on a significant amount of work in addition to regular jobs and family responsibilities, which can lead to extreme burnout.
7/25/2019
Social determinants of health (SDH) are the conditions in which people live, work, and age and include factors like housing stability, employment status, geographic location, education, and other socioeconomic circumstances. SDH, often determined by distribution of wealth and resources, has proven responsible for inequities in healthcare and has become its biggest cost-driver.
3/14/2019
By CARF International
The CARF Connection blog often discusses integrative
services and ways to approach a person in a holistic way. In other words, we
focus on many of the things that social workers have been advocating since the
era of Jane Addams in the 1890s. It is no wonder that CARF’s workforce is
teeming with social work professionals.
This March, CARF joins the National Association of Social
Workers in celebrating social workers.
2/25/2019
By CARF International
With healthcare information more
widely available than ever, consumers are boosting their health literacy,
taking the initiative to educate themselves more thoroughly on how to take care
of themselves. Here are some suggestions for taking control of your own health
literacy.
2/13/2019
By CARF International
CARF shares best practices related to outcomes management through
its standards. To complement that effort, here are some recent field examples
of outcomes systems’ improving performance.
1/3/2019
By CARF International
As providers, regulators, and payers in health and human
services around the world seek value and efficiency, many are adopting new
standards, integrating new methods, reviewing existing regulations, and
exploring innovative practices from other countries.
12/20/2018
By CARF International
As 2018 comes to a close, we thank the many stakeholders who
spent another year advancing the goals and values close to CARF’s mission. In a
brief look back, here are some of the most consequential stories from 2018.
10/23/2018
By CARF International
Although private and state insurance sometimes cover opioid addiction
treatment, Medicare historically has not. However, on October 3, Congress passed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which
expanded Medicare coverage to include opioid treatment programs.
5/24/2018
By CARF International
Take advantage of the professional development resource
offered to CARF-accredited organizations, and encourage your emerging leaders
to become CARF surveyors.
5/17/2018
By CARF International
A recent report discusses the future of community-based
human services. The first four initiatives are directly supported by CARF
standards, meaning, if you’re a CBO applying the standards for accreditation,
you’re likely strengthening the overall ecosystem. Here are the standards and
other CARF resources that can offer guidance to your organization.
4/10/2018
By CARF International
Surveyors representing health and human service organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada attended the 2018 CARF Surveyor Continuing Education Conference on March 24 and 25 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort in beautiful Tucson, Arizona.
2/28/2018
CARF’s winter Transforming Outcomes Institute concluded on February 24.
It hosted more than 100 participants in Tucson, AZ. Here’s a visual breakdown of the
training.
9/1/2017
We at CARF are deeply concerned about the many lives
affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, natural disasters of significant scope and scale.
8/23/2017
We spoke with three former CARF
surveyors who are now CARF staff members. They shared some interesting context
on themselves and why they first got into surveying
11/30/2016
Schlegel Villages manages multiple accredited long-term-care programs
and retirement housing in Ontario. Earlier this year, in response to feedback from
its quality of life survey, Schlegel Villages conducted the #ElderWisdom Green
Bench project. This campaign addressed ageism by inviting community members to
engage in conversation with elders to gain knowledge and receive advice. This
article discusses ageism and shares feedback from Resident, David Kent.
9/16/2016
Responsible, quality-based practitioners in the health and human services industry should educate and train themselves to act in a responsible and timely manner when presented with a person at risk for suicide. We know through research that applying evidence-based practice and delivering comprehensive and integrated prevention programs can reduce the rate of suicide. In regard to Suicide Prevention Month, please access CARF’s Quality Practice Notice on Suicide Prevention for first step resources to saving a life.
6/21/2016
Telecommunications and data management technology has
unavoidably made its way into healthcare industries because it can increase
consumer access to services and providers’ ability to provide them. Many
providers are successfully incorporating technological solutions, which is why
CARF has made an effort to highlight practices related to this topic in the Promising Practices newsletter series. This blog
post features some articles that highlight successful uses of technology to
improve business practices or service delivery.
5/31/2016
A major story so far in 2016 has been the change in service
delivery models toward larger systems and networks through affiliations,
mergers, and various other types of integrations. Providers are forming
relationships across multiple sectors to expand their reach and provide services
more efficiently to a broader population. The changing environment poses
challenges for providers as they find themselves operating within a new service
infrastructure or environment. This trend is of particular interest to CARF
because it poses quality questions for providers across a spectrum of
industries.
5/3/2016
The Margaret T. Morris Center in Prescott, Arizona, a
residential assisted living community specializing solely in dementia care, shares
how it created a horticultural therapy program to address a range of resident
outcome goals.
4/8/2016
After your programs or services have earned CARF accreditation, you will want to market and advertise your achievement to your community and stakeholders. CARF provides resources that can help you promote your accreditation, including guidelines for citing your accreditation, example news release and letter text, and several CARF seal options. This blog post explains how to properly use and display the CARF seals of accreditation in your online and printed materials.
2/4/2016
As part of CARF’s 50th year anniversary, we will be sharing snapshots of the industries in which we offer accreditation services. This is part 1 of a series: Aging Services.
8/6/2013
With advances in medicine and assistive technology, persons with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) are living more productive and longer lives. This extended life expectancy also means that these individuals experience an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) as they age. This article highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG) and CARF International.