Using Scope-of-Service Documents to Support Dementia Care

​Clear scope of service documentation with explicit delineation of coverage within each service line is crucial, said Victor Lane Rose, MBA, NHA, CPASRM, Operations Manager, Patient Safety, Risk, and Quality (PSRQ)—Aging Services, ECRI Institute, in his session "Designing for Dementia Care in Scope of Service," at the 2017 Spring Education Series: Dementia Care Workshop, proudly sponsored by Caring Communities and Peace Church Risk Retention Group (PCRRG) and in collaboration with ECRI Institute. "We are saying to the resident and their loves ones, 'We can take care of you, and here is how we'll fulfill that care,'" explained Rose. Suggested key elements of the scope-of-service document include the mission, goal, or purpose of the service line; the population served; the hours of operation; staffing levels, competencies, and training; services provided; resident assessment and reassessment guidelines; and coordination of outside or contracted services. "Without scope-of-service guidelines, there may be gaps between levels of available care," said Rose. "You may not have the right tool for that individual in that service line. So we can look at scope of service and identify gaps."