PHI Introduces Abuse-Prevention Training to Indiana Nursing Homes
PHI is working with the Indiana State Department of Health to reduce the occurrence of adult abuse, mistreatment, neglect, and misappropriation in the state’s nursing homes.
In November 2013, PHI Organizational Change Consultant Cean Eppelheimer and Cathy Macomber, assistant professor of social work at Saginaw Valley State University, led a train-the-trainer session to prepare key long-term care leaders to teach the Training to Prevent Adult Abuse and Neglect (TPAAN) curriculum.
The goal is to use this training as the foundation for Indiana’s abuse prevention initiative.
PHI Introduces Training to Indiana Conference
In early 2013, Terry Whitson, Assistant Commissioner, Indiana Health Care Quality and Regulations, approached PHI to participate in their biannual Healthcare Leadership Conference. With increased federal and state attention focused on adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and the promise of stricter legislation, the topic of the day was Abuse and Neglect Prevention.
Eppelheimer and Macomber, along with PHI Midwest Director Hollis Turnham, introduced a curriculum focused on prevention and how to create and foster an abuse-free culture in nursing homes. The presentation was well received by the audience and resulted in PHI being asked back to conduct the actual training.
Twenty-two hand-selected long-term care stakeholders attended the one-day TPAAN training, followed by a two-day train-the-trainer session, preparing participants to teach the session throughout the state of Indiana.
The project is being funded by Indiana civil monetary penalty funds.
Training Developed in 2004
The TPAAN training is an adapted version of the original abuse and neglect prevention training that was developed for Michigan in 2004 as a deliverable for a $1.5 million grant awarded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The initial training was designed for direct-care staff to prevent, identify and report adult abuse and neglect with an emphasis on prevention through staff empowerment, person-centered care, and skill building — a goal that remains consistent today with the TPAAN curriculum.
