NVH Newsletter August 2024

Nursing Home Facility Assessment:

Every year we conduct a Facility Assessment for North Valley Extended Care. This document (a breezy 29 pages) outlines the care we provide, the residents we care for, the resources and tools we need, and the staff required to conduct that work. Historically, the Facility Assessment had been prepared each year by a small group of NVEC employees, but a recent CMS rule now requires a broad audience to participate and engage in the process of creating the Facility Assessment.

This change has been a great opportunity to connect with residents, families, front-line employees, and our Board of Commissioners on the great work we do in the nursing home. We are proud of our 5-Star rating and the feedback throughout the process has been overwhelmingly positive.

Although we’ve completed the document for 2024, it will require updates and before you know it we will get started on the 2025 version.

Immunization Awareness Month:

August is National Immunization Awareness month which raises awareness about the importance for people of all ages to get recommended vaccines throughout their lifetime. In 1796, an English doctor named Edward Jenner developed the first vaccine when he noticed that milkmaids who had been exposed to cowpox appeared to be immune to smallpox. His techniques were not up to today’s standards, but he started the learning process which led to modern day vaccines. Vaccine development has come a long way since then and has expanded as new scientific discoveries have been made. Although no vaccine is 100% effective, vaccines have proven to be one of the most successful & cost-effective public health tools to help prevent serious illness. Not only do they protect the person receiving the vaccine, they also keep diseases from spreading to other people. 

Here are some common vaccines recommended for adults:

• Shingrix is the most recent vaccine for shingles.  It was released in 2017 and requires 2 doses for the best protection.  People who had the previous version of the shingles vaccine, Zostavax, should get both doses of Shingrix for maximum protection.  The CDC recommends this vaccine routinely for people over the age of 50. If you are unsure which vaccine you had for shingles, talk to your doctor or pharmacist and they can help you determine if you should have this vaccine.

• RSV is a vaccine that is now recommended for people over the age of 60 who are at increased risk for severe respiratory illness. This includes people with chronic conditions like lung disease, heart disease, those who live in a nursing home or other long term care facility and those with other chronic conditions.  This vaccine is a 1 dose vaccine.  Your doctor or pharmacist can help you determine if this vaccine is recommended for you.

The CDC also recommends everyone over the age of 6 months get a flu shot every year.  People over the age of 65 are eligible to get the high-dose flu vaccine but if that is not available it is fine to get a regular flu vaccine. In addition, there is also a new 2024-2025 COVID vaccine that will be available this fall and it is recommended that everyone over 6 months of age get this updated vaccine. 

For up-to-date information on recommended vaccines, visit CDC.gov/vaccines/schedules/index.html

Wound Care:

The wound clinic at NVH treats complex and non-healing wounds with a referral from a primary care provider. These types of wounds may be caused by injury, disease, or poor blood supply. Our clinic combines advanced clinical tools with traditional practices to provide exceptional wound healing.

The wound clinic will work with each patient to develop an individualized treatment plan to aid with wound healing.

In addition to traditional wound treatments, our wound clinic, when appropriate, can utilize:

• Advanced Dressings

• Non-selective and Conservative Sharp Debridement

• Skin graft substitutes / Allografts

• Negative Wound Pressure Therapy/Wound Vacs

• Compression therapy

• Biological debridement

This service continues to grow as our team’s reputation for great outcomes brings patients from throughout the region. Hopefully you won’t need treatment for a complex wound, but if you do, its’s great to have this team at North Valley.

Community Events:

Look for the NVH Booth at upcoming events. We had a lot of fun at Oroville’s National Night Out last week, and we will be at the Tonasket Tiger Tail Gate and Garlic Festival later in the month.

Our Dietitian Frano is a staple at the Tonasket Farmers Market. Stop by and say hi!