Approved Dementia Designation program
The National Institute for Home Care Accreditation Inc. (NIHCA) understands that being able to identify qualified help is essential to maintaining the person living with dementia safe and sound at home. This is one reason why NIHCA developed the Approved Dementia Designation. By looking for the easily recognize Dementia Designation Logo, families can be reassured the care from an approved designated provider meets basic care practice standards.
APPROVED DEMENTIA DESIGNATION
To help ensure the care provided to the vulnerable dementia patient is safe, competent, accountable, and appropriate, the National Institute for Home Care Accreditation Inc. (NIHCA) has developed an Approved Dementia Designation.
The basis of achieving this designation is the adherence to the NIHCA dementia standards of care and designation process. The standards and designation procedure provides the framework to help home care firms implement and comply with basic organizational benchmarks and responsible service delivery practices. This means, everyone can be assured that the designated organization is conforming to recognized standards of care that include the necessary safeguards to reduce the risks of care at home.
The guiding principles of the core standards of appropriate practices for designation are:
- Safe, competent care
- Consumer (recipient, family caregiver) and Employee protection
- Effective service outcomes
- An accountable, stable, organized agency
- Financial viability and transparency
Considering the guiding principles of designation, the process to become an Approved Dementia Designated program would include the following steps:
- Complete an Application for Designation and pay the application fee. This fee includes the Dementia Designation Guidebook or self-assessment, the assistance of NIHCA in completing the self-assessment, and work needed to initially integrate the agency into the NIHCA system.
- Complete the Self-Assessment and return it to NIHCA with all the required supporting documentation.
- NIHCA completes an in-depth review of the organizatons self-assessment and supporting documentation.
- Perform an on-site visit by a NIHCA peer reviewer, when deemed necessary.
- Presentation of the self-assessment and peer review finding to the NIHCA Board of Accreditation and Review for their final decision.
The Board of Accreditation and Review can confer Approved Designated status on an agency for up to three (3) years. At the end of the approval period the organization will have to update their self-assessment, have a peer site visit, and the findings of these activities presented to the Board of Accreditation and Review for their decision, in order to retain the Approved Dementia Designation. This is to ensure that the agency continues to meet the program requirements.
Once an agency has earned Designated status they must remain in good standing by continuing to adhere to the NIHCA Dementia Designation standards by completing an annual compliance report to NIHCA, and pay the annual membership fee.
If you are interested in knowing more about the Dementia Designation for your agency, or would like an application to become a designated Dementia provider, please CLICK HERE to send us an email.