Respond to, compare your own thoughts or provide feedback to at least two other student posts. Rating it does not count as a "response."
Discussion Part 1
Quality of life:
The standard of health, comfort, and happiness experienced by an individual or group. For this individual or group, it will be better his/her quality of life. For example: physical health, family, education, employment, wealth, or religious beliefs.
In health care: all emotional, social, and physical aspects of the individuals life has been met. This also affects how the individuals well-being may be affected over time by a disease, disability, or disorder.
Quality of care:
The degree to which health care services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge. Quality of care is based on the latest evidence from medical research about what types of care works best. Each patient is different, but research has shown that some types of care get better results than others.
Differences between quality of care and quality of life:
That quality of life deals with patients happiness and quality of care deals with medical health/what type of care works best for them.
Similarities in quality of life/quality of care:
They are always in the best interest of the patient/individual group, always looking for new ways to help them, and how they can accomplish it.
Can you have one without the other?
If you have a patient or resident that is trying to get healthier then both should be present to ensure the patient/resident is both happy and healthy.
But if you have a patient/resident who is utilizing hospice services, then simply keeping them and their family happy and comfortable will be more than enough. You are not going to have this patient/resident get better, but it is essential as an administrator or someone who works in the health care field to make sure they feel comfortable in their final moments.
As health care providers and professionals, how can we promote, assure, and measure care practices that maximize quality of life for residents/patients?
Making sure that all patients/residents needs are met is the most important job we have as health care providers and professionals. In an assisted living setting/nursing home setting this is the residents new home and they need to feel like they are at their new home. Also, making sure your activities director is updating and changing activities they are doing with the residents so they are not doing the same thing over and over again.
Discussion Part 2
Think about and do some independent research on the terms "quality of life" and "quality of care."
• Quality of life- an experience of happiness, comfort, and health of an individual or groups.
• Quality of care- the degree to which the quality of care services for individuals and the population increases the desired health outcomes.
2. How do these two terms differ yet how do they relate/similarities?
• Quality of life and quality of care are very similar in the sense that they both want positive outcome when it comes to health and comfort.
Quality of life is different from quality of care because they focus more on the individual and their health and care. While quality of care focuses on treatment, but with that being said they strive to create quality of life better.
3. Can you have one without the other?
• No, because quality of care influences quality of life. The treatment of an induvial or group can and will affect their health and comfort experience.
4. As healthcare providers and professionals, how can we promote, assure and measure care practices that maximize quality of life for residents/patients?
• As healthcare providers and professionals we need to be able to provide the absolute best care for our patients and their families.
According to the article Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century they provide six ways to perform better quality of care. They are safety, timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, equality, and patient-centeredness. Though they seem very basic and expected each of these topics are lacking in almost every way.
Resource:
Mayberry, R. M., Nicewander, D. A., Qin, H., & Ballard, D. J. (2006, April 19). Improving quality and reducing inequities: a challenge in achieving best care.