Communities Advancing Retirement Excellence (CARE) is an insurance program formed by and for its members. Established in 2002, it is a financially stable alternative for the provision of insurance and risk management services for not-for-profit retirement communities in Central Pennsylvania. Workers' compensation, general and professional liability, automobile liability and physical damage coverages are underwritten in the program.

CARE is uniquely qualified to provide the protection you need. Integrating strict eligibility guidelines and exceptional insurance services with an innovative risk control program and aggressive litigation management strategies, CARE provides a comprehensive insurance program unlike the traditional insurance model.

The CARE Council is the driving force behind the combined efforts of the CARE members to continually improve the overall quality of the individual communities for residents, their families and employees.

The CARE Council's goal is defined by the following Statement of Purpose and Action:

Together We CARE, using the individual talents of all participants to:

• Set an example of responsibility and action
• Recognize and correct hazards
• Measure, reward and take pride in successes
• Excel in customer service
• Strive for continuous growth and development
• Earn the trust and respect of coworkers and the people served by the communities

SENIORS:  Stopping Scams

According to an article in the Lancaster New Era (May 19, 2008) by Mary Beth Schweigert, seniors are often targeted by con artists.  Going back to school is a way to combat this problem.  Joyce O'Brien, a community liaison in state Attorney General Tom Corbett's new Elder Abuse Unit, leads free seminars to help seniors avoid the most common scams.   O'Brien recently visted St. Anne's Retirement Community, Columbia, to present her program, Senior Crime Prevention University.  The program addresses an age-old adage:  "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."  O'Brien went on to say that Pennsylvania is fertile ground for scam artists.  Fifteen percent of the population is over age 65 - the third highest in the nation.  The member resource area has more information including how to help seniors avoid falling victim to these scams as well as more information on O'Brien's program. 


Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), each year approximately 250,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) outside of the hospital.  Evidence suggests that the risk of cardiac event is higher during or immediately following vigorous exercise.  Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is critical to maintaining the supply of oxygen to vital organs, but the single most effective treatment for cardiac arrest is defibrillation - a shock deliverd to the heart using a small electronic device known as a defibrillator.  The AHA recommends defibrillation within three to five minutes or sooner.  Go to the Member Resource Area to view the CARE Member AED program.

Safe Medical Device Act  (SMDA) - Reporting

The purpose of the Safe Medical Device Act Reporting Program is to identify medical device related incidents as soon as possible after their occurrence in order to initiate corrective action, prevent or minimize the occurrence of similar incidents, and comply with the reporting requirements of the Fderal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act and FDA regulations.  A sample reporting policy can be found in the Member Resource Area.

Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention

Slips, trips, and falls are one of the leading loss drivers for retirement communities.  The average person takes between 3,000 and 5,000 steps a day over varying surfaces and changing elevations.  Do the math – that adds up to over one million steps a year!  It makes sense that statistically, a fall is expected at some point in everyone’s lifetime.

CARE has developed a three-fold method to minimize this danger:  Identify, Evaluate, and Control the exposures.  Identification of the risk is done through several strategies so that different types of slip, trip, and fall exposures can be recognized.  Next, the exposures are evaluated to determine the likelihood that a loss will occur and, if it does, the severity of the outcome.  Thirdly – and most importantly – implementing prevention procedures based on the findings is key to the process.  Engineering, administrative, and personal protective equipment controls need to be put in place.

Engineering:  It would be wonderful if you were able to start from scratch and make sure the walking surface in place was selected specifically to prevent slips.  If possible, select floor surface materials that are appropriate for the conditions that will be present.  Wet environments should have a floor surface that will provide a COF of at least .5 when wet - as it is realistic that the surface of a healthcare facility could get wet.  If you have to deal with an existing floor surface, you need to consider the maintenance and cleaning of the surface.  This can be done by considering floor treatment / cleaning systems.  These can provide very positive results, when used properly.

Administrative:  Adequate cleaning and maintenance of the floor surfaces is the next control tactic.  Facilities should review cleaning procedures to verify they are having a positive impact on the walking surfaces.  Issues to review include frequency of cleaning, adequacy of the cleaning procedures (are mop buckets being emptied frequently while mopping), quality and compatibility of cleaning products, use of wet floor signs, reporting and cleaning spills, etc.  Regular inspections must be performed.

Personal Protective Equiment (PPE):  People don't usually think of "shoes" as PPE unless they are steel toes or have metatarsal guards.  One of the best tools you can use to protect yourself from injuries related to slips, trips, and falls is your footwear!