Richmond, Va.-based VCU Health has developed a trauma-informed care toolkit to help nursing homes comply with CMS requirements.
CMS mandated that nursing homes provide trauma-informed care to residents. This includes training staff to recognize trauma symptoms, creating supportive environments and designing care plans for residents with a history of trauma.
The VCU Trauma-Informed Care Toolkit offers evidence-based guidebooks, assessments, training videos and organizational strategies. It is the first of its kind in the nation, according to a Feb. 5 system news release.
"Hearing the experiences of certified nursing assistants, who provide 90% of hands-on care, inspired the toolkit," Gigi Amateau, PhD, assistant professor in the department of gerontology, equity faculty fellow with VCU's Health Humanities Lab, and director of VCU's gerontology department's Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Care Lab, said in the release. "We hope this resource will help nursing home staff plan how to implement trauma-informed care and inspire them to imagine their communities as spaces where residents can heal, thrive and flourish."
The toolkit was developed over three years by the VCU College of Health Professions' department of gerontology, the Virginia Center on Aging, the Family and Children's Trust Fund of Virginia, LeadingAge Virginia, the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, nursing home staff, an advisory group of providers, and resident family members.