Dr. Melissa O鈥機onnor is expert panelist for national report on safe care in the home
Melissa O鈥機onnor, PhD, MBA, RN, associate professor in the 草榴社区 M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, was an invited panelist for a November 2017 two-day think tank, convened by the Boston-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). She is an expert in geriatric nursing and home health care, with a body of research dedicated to safe and quality care for patients in the home. IHI released 鈥�No Place Like Home Report: Advancing the Safety of Care in the Home鈥� July 16. The report, funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, has been endorsed by the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing.
鈥淭his was a remarkable experience to work with incredibly accomplished and well-known experts related to older adults. It is a critical topic and a report that I have no doubt will have tremendous impact for years to come,鈥� notes Dr. O鈥機onnor.
The panel - consisting of national experts in nursing, medicine, pharmacy, public health, safety and quality, policy, and innovation in health care 鈥� developed recommendations for advancing safety in home care. Why? Millions of people are recovering from acute illness or coping with chronic conditions in their own homes, but their care may not always be delivered under the safest of conditions. The report finds there are numerous risks to care recipients and caregivers alike due to the growing complexity of health issues now dealt with at home and the lack of training and preparation to manage it. The report focuses on recommendations to drive improvement.