Quality Improvement Program
Watermark’s Quality Improvement Program consists of Quality Assessment, Quality Assurance, and Quality Improvement Plans. The program is an ongoing process, designed to objectively and systematically monitor and evaluate the quality and appropriateness of resident care while pursuing opportunities to improve care and resolving identified problems. Additionally, the plan is designed to measure associate performance against standards.

The Quality Improvement Program uses proprietary guidelines, tools, and resources to achieve extraordinary service for our customers. Quality Improvement reports give a snapshot of the key quality indicators for both Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing. They enable Watermark to chart potential care concerns and trend community progress at reducing indicators that do not meet the high expectations for quality.

Data of resident care needs and significant health events is collected and charted against standard quality indicators. Skilled Nursing results and performance are analyzed based on this data, and follow-up actions are determined and implemented as needed. These health-related indicators are trended and measured against a threshold on a monthly basis. Any performance that does not meet threshold expectations requires an action plan that is tracked objectively each month.

Clinical Review
Residents’ care needs and recuperative progress or decline are reviewed at an holistic level by an interdisciplinary team to evaluate the appropriateness and quality of care provided to residents in licensed programs. This clinical review process occurs most frequently for residents that are at high-risk for sentinel health events such as falls, infections, difficulty eating, and pain management.

Seven Dimensions of Wellbeing
Watermark views resident health and happiness as being a key indicator of successful retirement living management. One element that we take very seriously is the promotion of education among our residents regarding steps they can take themselves to promote wellness in their lives. That is why we have developed the Seven Dimensions of Wellbeing. These are seven aspects of life that we encourage residents to research through corresponding activities and events sponsored by the community. The seven aspects are Physical, Emotional, Vocational, Spiritual, Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Wellness. An added bonus is that all employees are also encouraged to participate, thus reinforcing a message of health and wellness to every member of the community.

Community Life Philosophy
Resident Programming, otherwise known as Community Life is the soul of our communities. The Community Life department is charged with planning, directing, and implementing activity choices and opportunities for those living within Watermark communities. Community Life must reflect the broad range of goals, hopes, and needs of this expanding, pioneering generation. Activities, events, and opportunities are related to the existing areas of our residents’ interests, as well as meeting their desires for new experiences in lifelong learning and growth.

Community Life planning is accomplished through a blend of our residents’ requests and suggestions and awareness of the local community offerings, in addition to creative planning with other departments. Implementation of programs is tracked through newsletter and calendar offerings as well as Standard Reviews. Program evaluation is assessed by resident, family, and associate satisfaction.

Getting to Know You Questionnaire
Knowing the residents we serve is important to Watermark. That is why, when a resident first enters our community, we ask them to fill out a “Getting to Know You” questionnaire so that we can find out information that will let the communities customize their service to the resident’s needs. We ask about their past, their profession, their hobbies, and their interests. This questionnaire is then kept on file and referenced regularly. In Assisted Living settings – and with resident permission – caregivers and activities professionals have these forms readily available so that they can perform impromptu activities that are tailored to the residents needs, strengths, and interests.

In the memory care setting, we ask residents’ family members and loved ones to fill out the forms on their behalf. This gives caregivers important information about how to care for the resident living with dementia. Having this window into each resident’s strengths and experiences can shed a new light on that resident’s care needs while providing for activities that engage the resident’s body, mind, and soul.

Safety Standards
The Safety Standards are a community-wide set of Best Practices designed to ensure that the appropriate Risk Management practices are in place at every Watermark community. Some required components include the creation and regular meeting of a Safety Committee attended by both residents and employees, regular safety training, a posted safety goal that is revised at least annually, the appropriate documentation and action plan initiation in response to all injuries, regularly documented fire drills, and the proper documentation of MSDS and emergency procedures.

Emergency Preparedness Manual
Watermark provides each community with a specially prepared Emergency Preparedness Manual. This document provides the communities with effective policies and procedures that have been effectively implemented in the past at various Watermark communities. The manual is required to be stored in various areas of the community (such as the front desk, in the Executive Director’s office, and at every nurse’s station) so that it will be readily available in the event of an emergency. These manuals are customized to each community based on the architecture, levels of care, and emergency challenges presented at each property.

Incident Reporting System
Communities receive multiple tools for the appropriate documentation of both resident and associate injuries and other incidents. These tools have been developed in consultation with legal professionals to ensure that they are appropriate for the various levels of care in which they are used. The Incident Reports are required to be filled out for every incident, thus helping to document the event fully and respond effectively. The result of this program has been a more effective legal response when necessary, and the implementation of programs in response to each incident that have reduced recurrences dramatically.

Compliance Plan
Watermark’s extensive Compliance Plan documents are stringent standards of ethics and transparency, as well as our devotion to both the letter and the spirit of HIPAA. Beyond the general training received by every employee, there is also job-specific training for employees working in Skilled Nursing, operations, and sales. This program is complete with training material, as well as the appropriate forms and documentation.

Preventative Maintenance Program
Watermark recognizes that the condition of major capital assets may drastically affect the bottom line of any community. For this reason, all assets are tracked at the community through the Micromain software program. Micromain not only generates a 15-year asset replacement list annually, but also tracks and produces work orders for everything from changes in HVAC filters to changing the oil in the bus. This cuts the expenses of preventable repairs while maximizing equipment life.