Within the last year, Crown is proud to join an elite group of leading providers to receive a special grant to implement a fully-integrated, wireless electronic medical record. Through this grant partnership, Crown will be one of the first nursing & rehabilitation centers in the state to fully automate the medical records system. The grant project will prove invaluable in improving the delivery of quality care:
* Direct access to real-time clinical results through secured internet
   sites with pharmacy, laboratory & radiology services;
* Wireless and paperless recordkeeping systems;
* Improved workflow processes resulting in more staff time with residents;
* Reduced opportunities for medication errors and adverse drug interactions;
Additional Grants for 2008

• Nurse Leadership training program (4 Nurses)
• Advance Certified Nursing Assistant training program

The Interactive Gaming console is our newest and most interesting recreational therapy. The word “Wii” and its sentiment, has taken on a whole new meaning at our facility. The interactive console has brought new life and resilience to our residents and whomever dares to challenge them. The games are projected from over-head with surround sound and the residents are collectively gathered together challenging each other at their selected game. Usually the other residents are hanging out chatting about the activities of the day and routing for their peers. You can find these gamers honing their skills and challenging each other at the next game. The competition is usually, resident vs. resident, resident vs. caregiver, resident vs. grandchild, etc. FYI, they take pride in beating the younger competitors. 

This program enables our resident to not only challenge each other physically and mentally, but also allows them to challenge their physical debilitation, psychological depression, social anxiety and emotional stressors of being in a skilled nursing home. 

Since the introduction of the program, their quality of life has enhanced because it allows them to do something they otherwise might not be able to do, it enables them to laugh and have fun again like a child.  In a sense, they are a new generation of gamers; we like to call them the “Seasoned Kids”. The games allow the “Seasoned Kids” to do outdoor and indoor activities, such as bowling, fishing, cooking, baseball, and the newest game “Carnival games” or whatever interactive games that Nintendo creates.

The program allows them to do things they always had an interest in, but were unable to do.

Basically, they are able to fulfill their “Bucket list” in a safe and secure manner at the facility.

Recently, Crown completed a two-year research project sponsored by the New York State Department of Health Dementia Grant program, entitled, "Sustainable Culture Change for Persons with Dementia in the Nursing Home: An Ethnographic Study of the Relationship Model Strengthened by Staff Training and Peer Support". The results of this unique research study have been presented nationally and the Alzheimer’s Association will soon publish an explicit resource manual, offering other nursing homes the definitive blueprint for developing and sustaining effective dementia care programs.

Never satisfied, Crown is currently participating in the Nursing Home Quality Improvement [NHQI] project. Working with experts from IPRO, the Independent Professional Review Organization, the leadership team at Crown is conducting an extensive analysis of four key clinical areas to implement cutting-edge protocols and clinical tools, designed to produce the highest performance and results achievable.

Crown has been in the forefront of developing innovative programs. It has won two Best Practice awards from the New York State Department of Health Best Practices Program. [Can anyone name them?] Working in partnership with Local 1199/SEIU, Crown launched an innovative Worker Safety Program, which garnered national recognition offered advanced training in Geriatric Care for 60 staff members and Palliative Care for more than 100 of its caregivers. Despite the high cost, Crown’s commitment to cutting-edge education ensures that resident caregivers are some of the best trained in Brooklyn.