Senectus

s e n e c t u s products

Senectus provides subscribers with three key products

Personalised client reports: Subscribers to this service, such as nursing and residential homes, submit assessment data to Senectus. Senectus then processes and analyses these data to produce customised reports for the service provider, for the purposes of care planning, resource allocation and quality control.

Senectus now offers interactive online reporting using the award-winning Databeacon software. Organisations providing healthcare to older people, may view their MDS assessment data online via secure server in a variety of forms including charts and data lists. The power of this system lies in an intuitive interface, permitting users to quickly and easily obtain the critical information they need. Reports are managed centrally by Senectus, who can also generate pre-defined views of your data according to your personal needs. Please contact Senectus if you wish to see a demonstration.
Assessment training: Senectus supports the use the Minimum Data Set (MDS) system, which is Department of Health Single Assessment Process accredited and one of the most developed and widely used assessment systems in use throughout the world today. Senectus is central to the development of the MDS in the UK and is the main provider of training in its use.
Commissioned research: With a broad range of expertise in the healthcare of older people, and backed up by the Senectus database, the team are able to offer an unparalleled service to organisations who require research to be carried out.

Personalised Client reports

Organisations such as nursing and residential homes may benefit from our Personalised Client Reports. Subscribers to Senectus send us regular batches of anonymised client assessments using the MDS system, from which their reports are created. The MDS provides a person-centered assessment that enables care providers to assess the multiple key domains of function, health, social support and service use. Our reports will provide you with a detailed summary of your clients' physical and psychological status in an easy to interpret format.

Your reports will also be highly practical. Using the MDS assessment system enables Senectus to calculate your re-imbursement levels for Registered Nurse Contributions to Care (RNCCs). The system is evidence based and allows the professional to evaluate patients' needs in an objective manner, accurately placing people in the correct care band.
It is highly important that individuals are banded appropriately for both quality of care and financial reasons. The MDS system for calculating RNCCs is known to be the most accurate and reliable.

Care planning is easy using the MDS. From each assessment, a series are triggers are calculated, highlighting each patient's specific needs and problems. This comprehensive summary is ideal as a basis for care planning.

The MDS also incorporates a very effective quality monitoring system, enabling managers to quickly identify weaknesses within their organisations, and compare their performance against that of others. MDS quality indicators are directly relevant to client care, helping you to adhere to best practice.

Report elements are detailed below, with a full example report available for download.

NEW Download example residential home report

Descriptive Summary of Clients

The MDS assessment instrument covers a comprehensive range of healthcare domains, permitting detailed summary of your clients suitable for a variety of purposes. Comparison may also be made directly with other institutions or services. In this example, 80% of your clients are classified as “Independent or Supervision only” for Physical Function (corresponding to an ADL self-performance hierarchy score of 0 or 1), slightly above the general percentage for this group. It can also be seen that none of your clients are classified as “Dependent” (ADL score of 5 or 6).

Treatment Needs

CAPS (Client Assessment protocols) and RAPS (Resident Assessment Protocols) are generated from MDS assessment results and highlight specific treatment requirements. They are extremely useful in providing a clear picture of client needs from which care planning may begin. Your Senectus report will include a full list of CAPS/RAPS triggered by each of your clients, along with summary information including the percentage of your clients triggering each CAP/RAP in comparison with services elsewhere.

Care Planning

RUGS (Resource Utilisation Groups) are clinically meaningful categorisations of patients according to care planning requirements. Each RUG category has a Casemix Index giving the required amount of staff time over 24 hours. RUGS are now used to calculate RNCCs. RUGS are also generated from MDS assessment information. Reporting on RUGS will include the RUG classification, clinical group, casemix index and RNCC band of each of your clients, along with summary information including the percentages of your clients in each group in comparison with services elsewhere.

Monitoring Performance

MDS QIs (Quality Indicators) are an excellent way to monitor performance in a manner directly relevant to client care. Quality indicators are calculated using the data collected from your clients and compared with average values elsewhere. In this example chart, each quality indicator is listed, the black dots indicating the percentage of your clients triggering each indicator. For example, nearly 38% of your clients were found to experience intense daily pain, as compared to 32% elsewhere (white dots). QIs also highlight area requiring specific focus, e.g. in the example below the absence of influenza vaccination in nearly 70% of your clients.

Profile Summaries

The above information may be combined into a useful summary of your clients' health profiles.

RNCC
Cont care
High
Medium
Medium
Medium
Medium
Cont care
Medium
Medium
High

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Training in the use of the MDS Assessment System

To use the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment system is to support the single assessment process. This is because the MDS is fully person-centered and covers all the domains stipulated within the SAP. Only the MDS is built around a structure which is completely cross-comparable. In other words, the assessment profiles of your clients may be compared directly and in meaningful ways with the MDS results of anyone else. In addition, MDS data from groups of people are easily aggregated into measures directly relevant to service planning.

Once familiar in its use, MDS assessments are easy and quick to perform. The most effective way for your staff to acquire the appropriate skills is through a short course with a member of our experienced training staff. (A training CD can also be purchased and used to supplement the course.)

Senectus is committed to promoting good practice in assessment, and recognises that different types of staff within your organisation may undertake assessments. For this reason, you will find that our trainers have all used the MDS in clinical practice and will be familiar with the questions your staff may have. They will also advise on how to complete the assessment in a person-centered manner. The training course usually takes place over two days: day one is spent looking at how to complete the form, with day two a follow-up after your staff have had an opportunity to use the form in practice.

MDS Training: Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who will carry out our training course?

Our trainers are qualified nurses skilled in the use of the MDS and will be able to answer any questions your staff may have.

Q. Who are your courses aimed at?

Courses are aimed at all grades of staff who may be involved in the assessment of older people, including: care assistants, nursing staff, social workers, occupational therapists etc. Training courses are tailored to meet the specific requirements of your staff.

Q. Can we train our own MDS trainers?

In addition to training people in the use of the assessment system we can also train your staff to become MDS trainers themselves. Ideally, a senior qualified member of staff who has an interest in best practice in assessment, training and staff development would be most suited to this role.

Q. What will our course involve?

We provide a two day basic training course. On Day 1 our trainer will go through the assessment form, showing your staff the most effective way to undertake a person-centered assessment, whilst recording all the necessary information. At the end of the day your staff should feel confident to undertake an assessment without supervision.

After your staff have done a number of assessments for themselves in everyday practice, we recommend they attend Day 2. On this day we ask them to bring an assessment form to the course and our trainer will go through and difficulties or questions they may have. (Day 2 is obligatory for people who plan to become MDS trainers.)

Q. How much does the course cost?

The basic course costs £600 per day per group (plus expenses). We ask you to provide a venue and refreshments. We recommend a maximum of 12 people per group.

Q. Do you offer any further support services?

We also offer a quality monitoring service. For this purpose, you send us anonymised copies of your assessment forms. We then identify omissions and provide additional training if required. (The cost of this additional service is negotiable and dependent on the number of assessors and forms to be reviewed).

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Commissioned Research

Senectus undertake commissioned research projects on all aspects of healthcare for older people, helping you to improve the quality of the service you provide, and to meet your NHS plan or National Service Framework target. We have expertise in the use of a range of research methods such as surveys and Randomised Controlled Trials, and qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups. We operate within a dynamic research environment benefiting from a broad knowledge base.

Senectus' services also draw on the team's background in operational research techniques such as Simulation Modeling. In a healthcare environment, this approach can predict demand on patient beds and staffing levels as resources are changed, for example: in order to see how waiting times change with available resources. The team recently completed a project for local intermediate care services using such a system. Other work by the team includes facilitating problem structuring workshops, an ideal way for organisations to develop strategies or plan for future development.

Example: The ICON Project

For an example of our work, an evaluation of Intermediate Care using computer simulation, please visit: www.icon-uk.net

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