Guest post by Zachary Zlotoff who is with Senior Home Blog

According to a new study, nursing homes that have gone through the process of accreditation report a stronger safety culture than non-accredited facilities. The study was published in the May 2012 issue of the “Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety,” which is published monthly by Joint Commission Resources.

Findings Are Significant The study has found that Joint Commission accreditation at more that 4,000 facilities across the United States has a positive influence on administrative level functions such as hiring, staff training and teamwork, openness in communication, and reserving punishment on smaller mistakes. These positive influences lead to a stronger culture of safety and care. Few studies have looked at the impact of Joint Commission accreditation in senior living facilities, so the findings that accreditation leads to positive changes that affects the care of residents is significant. Laura M. Wagner, Ph.D., R.N., and assistant professor at the New York University College of Nursing at the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, was the lead author of the study. She notes that the managers who were surveyed such as nursing home administrators and nursing directors can wield a great amount of influence over an organization’s culture, and the research is “both timely and of great importance.”

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