Mission Island Health Director Sharon Daley, RN said, “Telemedicine makes this teamwork possible, so the presenter can be on the mainland, working with the class on the island.”
BAR HARBOR, ME — On Thursday February 7th Maine Seacoast Mission Island Health Director Sharon Daley, RN joined two other island leaders in speaking to nursing students at University of Southern Maine College of Nursing’s Casco Bay Fishing and Island Partnership. Fourteen nursing students will partner with the Casco Bay islands during their nursing school studies. For many nursing students this was their introduction to Maine islands.
Island Health Director Daley spoke to the students at the invitation of Nurse Practitioner Peggy Akers. Ms. Akers teaches the Partnership course, and is a member of Sharon Daley’s Island Elder Care Conference, a group of health care workers focused on finding ways for island residents to age in place, among family and friends.
Maine Seacoast Mission hosts an Annual Elder Care Conference where members gather in person. Between Conferences, group members stay connected with the internet and phone.
USM’s Casco Bay Fishing and Island Partnership course is taught by Nurse Practitioner Peggy Akers who also participates in Director Sharon Daley’s Island Elder Care group.
As explained in USM’s College of Nursing course description, “The Casco Bay Fishing and Community Partnership is primarily focused on those individuals and families who make their living in the commercial fishing industry, and those living on the remote islands in Casco Bay.”
Island Health Director Sharon Daley shared with the nursing students information about island life, the Sunbeam, telemedicine, and answered questions about the sustainability of island life, health care, emergencies, schools, telemedicine and daily life on islands. Peggy Akers, NP of the USM School of nursing said it is especially important for the students to learn about the collaboration of mainland providers and Maine Seacoast Mission in providing health services to Islanders.
Island Health Director Sharon Daley is standing fifth person from the right.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2018
For more information:
Contact: Scott K Fish, Communications & Marketing Director
Maine Seacoast Mission
207-458-7185 or [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2018
For more information:
Contact: Scott K Fish, Communications & Marketing Director
Maine Seacoast Mission
207-458-7185 or [email protected]
Island Health Director is Go-Between with Island Elder Care Administrators, State DHHS
BAR HARBOR — With a group of Maine island elder care Administrators she organized, Mission Island Health Director Sharon Daley traveled to Augusta, January 26, to participate in a Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) meeting on elderly care regulations affecting Maine island residents and caregivers. The group meets a few times each year in Augusta with State regulators “to make things better,” said Director Sharon Daley, who is the go-between among the group Administrators and the State.
The two-hour DHHS meeting agenda included discussion on new State regulations requiring time consuming background checks on caregiver staff members and board members. Compliance is expensive for island elder homes who are sometimes under the same regulations as large nursing homes; regulations that do not fit the island elder homes, and “make it difficult” for administrators, said Daley.
State regulators offered the visiting group ways to relieve the burden of compliance by pointing out features on the State website, and identifying a specific DHHS contact person. “This is a chance for DHHS and administrators to work together, with increased understanding by all parties,” Daley said.
Part of the discussion centered on making sure caregivers are aware of new or changed State regulations, and that caregivers understand the regulations.
Also, when island elder care residents need to travel to the mainland, an elder home staff member must accompany the traveling resident. Attendees shared ways their communities are dealing with this by using grant money and community support for a new staff position.
Finally, the State is looking at rewriting all smaller elder care home regulations. The island administrators submitted suggestions. “We will meet again and continue to have input” on that process, said Director Sharon Daley.