Empowering Resident Independence
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Empowering resident independence is a cornerstone of quality care in long‑term care settings. This learning package brings together expert‑led education designed to help care teams support dignity, choice, and person‑centered practices across all levels of care.
Through a curated series of webinars, participants will explore resident‑centered care principles, effective care planning, trauma‑informed approaches, behavioral support strategies, and evolving resident rights considerations. The content emphasizes practical application, regulatory awareness, and professional responsibility—equipping staff with tools to support autonomy while maintaining safety, compliance, and respect.
This series is appropriate for direct care staff, nurses, interdisciplinary team members, and leadership teams seeking to strengthen resident engagement, improve quality of life, and foster inclusive, supportive care environments.
Upon completion of the Empowering Resident Independence learning series, participants will be able to:
- Apply resident‑centered principles to daily care practices that promote dignity, choice, and meaningful engagement
- Recognize how person‑centered and baseline care planning supports resident autonomy while meeting regulatory requirements
- Identify trauma‑informed approaches that reduce triggers, build trust, and support emotional safety
- Understand how behavioral symptoms may be influenced by trauma, personality patterns, or unmet needs, and apply respectful intervention strategies
- Support resident quality of life by recognizing the importance of personal expression, relationships, and intimacy
- Navigate evolving resident rights considerations with cultural competence, professionalism, and compliance awareness
- Strengthen communication and advocacy skills that empower residents to participate in decisions about their care
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Contains 6 Component(s), Includes Credits
This program was developed to assist your care team in meeting these requirements while providing quality, person-centered care for each of your residents.
Nursing homes are required to develop a baseline care plan within the first 48 hours of admission which provides instructions for the provision of effective and person-centered care to each resident. This means that the baseline care plan should strike a balance between conditions and risks affecting the resident’s health and safety, and what is important to him or her, within the limitations of the baseline care plan timeframe. This program was developed to assist your care team in meeting these requirements while providing quality, person-centered care for each of your residents.
Objectives:
- Review the baseline care plan regulation
- Define the timelines for developing a baseline care plan
- Explain the purpose and the value of the baseline care plan
- Identify how to prioritize what is needed on the baseline care plan versus the comprehensive care plan
Attendees will be awarded 1.0 ANCC contact hours for completing the course/webinar.
Program Start Date: 11/29/2025 | Program Review Date: 11/28/2028This program has been submitted for Continuing Education for 1.25 total participant hours from NAB/NCERS.
NAB Approval #20261128-1.25-A116728-DLProgram Start Date: 11/29/2025 | Program Review Date 11/28/2026
Call the HealthCap Education Coordinator at 734-996-2700 for further information.
Kelsey Hastings, LNHA, BSN, RN, CDP, CLNC
Nurse Manager
HealthCap Risk Management Services
Kelsey Hastings is a registered nurse and a licensed nursing home administrator. She is a former owner of skilled, assisted living and independent care centers. Prior to owning post acute care facilities, Kelsey owned a national consulting firm focused on helping organizations improve quality of care, develop and implement programming to address the needs of resident populations and policy and procedure development. In addition, she has a strong regulatory background and has worked with facilities throughout the United States to achieve regulatory compliance through plan of correction development and quality assurance programming.
- Review the baseline care plan regulation
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Contains 4 Component(s)
This 30-minute presentation was developed to encourage all of us to embrace resident-centered care for all of the positive things it can provide for your residents, families, and caregivers.
Resident-centered care is more than a process, it is a journey that we choose to take with our residents. The goal of resident-centered care is that the resident drives the process, gives insight into the plan, and assists in establishing attainable goals. Long gone are the days when the medical team decided the road to take on the journey and isn’t that great news! With resident-centered care, we will learn to care for the resident as a person versus a disease process or injury. We will take time to be their advocate and share their journey whatever road it takes us on. This 30-minute presentation was developed to encourage all of us to embrace resident-centered care for all of the positive things it can provide for your residents, families, and caregivers.
Objectives:
- Define resident-centered care
- Integrate your resident’s personal preferences into care plans
- Communicate in a resident-centered way
- Discuss ways to make the physical environment more resident-centered
- Discuss resident-centered ways to improve the emotional health of clients
Angie Szumlinski, LNHA, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-CT, BS
Director of Risk Management
HealthCap Risk Management Services
Ms. Szumlinski is a nationally-recognized leader in long-term care with experience as an Owner/Provider, Administrator, Director of Nursing, Corporate Quality Assurance Coordinator and independent consultant. Ms. Szumlinski conducts risk management visits at facilities across the country, touching every acuity level within the post-acute care spectrum. Ms. Szumlinski served as an Associate Board Member for NCAL, is a member of the AHCA/NCAL Survey/Regulatory committee, NCAL Quality committee, HCAM Legal/ Clinical Committee and served as a Senior Examiner/Team Leader for the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Program for 7 years. Ms. Szumlinski is a Nurse Planner for the HealthCap® RMS ANCC accredited education program.
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Contains 6 Component(s), Includes Credits
This program was developed to assist you in developing the assessment skills needed to identify how best to provide quality of care and quality of life for each of your residents.
Person-centered care plans guide care by recognizing resident goals, preferences, and values. Success is measured by patient-reported outcomes, by providing coordinated care, managing chronic and complex conditions and building trusting relationships with caregivers. This program was developed to assist you in developing the assessment skills needed to identify how best to provide quality of care and quality of life for each of your residents.
Objectives:
- Identify the key elements of a person-centered care plan
- Describe the benefits of person-centered care plans
- Describe the difference between a medically based care plan and a person-centered care plan
Attendees will be awarded 1.0 ANCC contact hours for completing the course/webinar.
Program Start Date: 10/20/2025 | Program Review Date: 10/19/2028This program has been submitted for Continuing Education for 1.25 total participant hours from NAB/NCERS.
NAB Approval # 20261019-1.25-A116041-DL
NAB Program Start Date: 10/20/2025 | NAB Program Review Date: 10/19/2026Call the HealthCap Education Coordinator at 734-929-2700 for further information.
Angie Szumlinski, LNHA, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-CT, BS
Director of Risk Management
HealthCap Risk Management Services
Ms. Szumlinski is a nationally-recognized leader in long-term care with experience as an Owner/Provider, Administrator, Director of Nursing, Corporate Quality Assurance Coordinator and independent consultant. Ms. Szumlinski conducts risk management visits at facilities across the country, touching every acuity level within the post-acute care spectrum. Ms. Szumlinski served as an Associate Board Member for NCAL, is a member of the AHCA/NCAL Survey/Regulatory committee, NCAL Quality committee, HCAM Legal/ Clinical Committee and served as a Senior Examiner/Team Leader for the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Program for 7 years. Ms. Szumlinski is a Nurse Planner for the HealthCap® RMS ANCC accredited education program.
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Contains 6 Component(s), Includes Credits
This program was developed to assist you and your team in understanding trauma informed care and the benefits your residents may enjoy.
Per CMS “human beings experience many types of traumas throughout their lives. Each person adjusts, adapts, and heals from trauma differently. When our internal/external coping mechanisms are overwhelmed, we can’t manage, and this is considered trauma.” With trauma informed care we are trying to avoid triggers that may cause a resident to become agitated, act out, become depressed or simply “shut down”. As we get to know our residents these triggers will be more obvious and enable us to maintain a calm environment where each resident develops a level of comfort and trust. This program was developed to assist you and your team in understanding trauma informed care and the benefits your residents may enjoy.
Objectives
- Define trauma
- Define resilience
- Define trauma-informed care
- Identify who may benefit from trauma-informed approaches
Attendees will be awarded 1.0 ANCC contact hours for completing the course/webinar.
Program Start Date: 04/14/2026 | Program Review Date: 04/13/2029This program has been submitted for Continuing Education for 1.25 total participant hours from NAB/NCERS.
NAB Approval #20270413-1.25-A120059-DL
Program Start Date: 4/14/2026 | Program Review Date: 4/13/2027
Call the HealthCap Education Coordinator at 734-996-2700 for further information.Angie Szumlinski, LNHA, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-CT, BS
Director of Risk Management
HealthCap Risk Management Services
Ms. Szumlinski is a nationally-recognized leader in long-term care with experience as an Owner/Provider, Administrator, Director of Nursing, Corporate Quality Assurance Coordinator and independent consultant. Ms. Szumlinski conducts risk management visits at facilities across the country, touching every acuity level within the post-acute care spectrum. Ms. Szumlinski served as an Associate Board Member for NCAL, is a member of the AHCA/NCAL Survey/Regulatory committee, NCAL Quality committee, HCAM Legal/ Clinical Committee and served as a Senior Examiner/Team Leader for the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Program for 7 years. Ms. Szumlinski is a Nurse Planner for the HealthCap® RMS ANCC accredited education program.
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Contains 6 Component(s), Includes Credits
This program was developed to assist you, the caregiver, in identifying causes of behavioral symptoms, recognizing what interventions don’t work and promoting and encouraging positive experiences in your center.
Personality disorders are a class of mental disorders characterized by enduring maladaptive patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience that often deviates from those accepted by the individual’s cultural environment. These patterns of behavior develop early, are inflexible, and are associated with significant distress or disability. This program was developed to assist you, the caregiver, in identifying causes of behavioral symptoms, recognizing what interventions don’t work and promoting and encouraging positive experiences in your center.
- Define personality disorders and how they may manifest in post-acute care settings
- Define causes of behavioral symptoms
- Identify best practices to behavioral interventions
- How to promote & encourage positive expectations
Attendees will be awarded 1.25 ANCC contact hours for completing the course/webinar.
Program Start Date: 07/02/2025 | Program Review Date: 07/01/2028This program has been submitted for Continuing Education for 1.50 total participant hours from NAB/NCERS.
Program Start Date: 07/02/2025 | Program Review Date 07/01/2026
NAB Approval # 20260701-1.50-A107568-DLCall the HealthCap Education Coordinator at 734-996-2700 for further information.
Kelsey Hastings, LNHA, BSN, RN, CDP, CLNC
Nurse Manager
HealthCap Risk Management Services
Kelsey Hastings is a registered nurse and a licensed nursing home administrator. She is a former owner of skilled, assisted living and independent care centers. Prior to owning post acute care facilities, Kelsey owned a national consulting firm focused on helping organizations improve quality of care, develop and implement programming to address the needs of resident populations and policy and procedure development. In addition, she has a strong regulatory background and has worked with facilities throughout the United States to achieve regulatory compliance through plan of correction development and quality assurance programming.
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Contains 6 Component(s), Includes Credits
This program was developed to assist you the caregiver in providing quality care to your residents with improving their overall outcomes and independence.
All humans have a natural desire for intimacy, or a sense of closeness and familiarity with other people. Emotional intimacy happens when we care deeply about someone else, feel a sense of trust, share similar values, and are able to express ourselves freely. Physical intimacy refers to acts of touch like hugging, cuddling, hand-holding, and sexual intercourse. In older adults, there are a number of emotional, cognitive, and physical issues that can hinder our ability to be intimate with a partner. This program was developed to assist direct care staff in understanding and respecting each resident’s individual physical and emotional needs, while providing an environment that allows for self-expression and intimacy.
Objectives:
•Identify ways to encourage expressions of intimacy
•Describe ways to support resident rights and choice
•Identify resources to determine a resident's capacity to make choicesAttendees will be awarded .75 ANCC contact hours for completing the course/webinar.
Program Start Date: 3/31/2026 | Program Review Date: 3/30/2029This program has been submitted for Continuing Education for 1.0 total participant hours from NAB/NCERS.
Program Start Date: 3/31/2026 | Program End Date: 3/30/2027
NAB Approval #20270330-1-A118883-DLCall the HealthCap Education Coordinator at 734-996-2700 for further information.
Cathy Hamblen, BSN, RN, CLNC
Risk Manager
HealthCap Risk Management
Ms. Hamblen was educated at the University of Kentucky and presently is President of Hamblen Healthcare Consulting. She previously was Executive Vice President of Risk Management for multi-state Health Care Management group overseeing ten Nursing Home/Transitional Care facilities in Kentucky and Ohio. Cathy worked in the Acute Care setting for 23 years with a focus on Orthopedics and Management. She has worked as a Risk Manager for HealthCap since 2017. Cathy currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
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Contains 6 Component(s), Includes Credits
As we consider how we support older and more complex residents, as well as our staff, we must also consider how to best address individuals whose sexual orientation, or gender identity may differ from others in your community.
The characteristics of the residents we serve, and the staff who provide the services, continue to change. The average age of our residents is older than it has ever been, and the complexity of the challenges our residents suffer from has never been greater. The diversity of our staff also continues to change. As we consider how we support older and more complex residents, as well as our staff, we must also consider how to best address individuals whose sexual orientation, or gender identity may differ from others in your community. Our webinar will touch on the state of the law in this area, and provide practical tips on how to address questions as they arise within your community related to both staff and residents.
Objectives
- Will provide attendees with an update of relevant state and federal laws, and Court decisions;
- Will provide guidance on policies and procedures that impact staff;
- Will provide guidance on policies and procedures that impact residents.
Attendees will be awarded 1.0 ANCC contact hours for completing the course/webinar.
Program Start Date: 06/26/2025 | Program Review Date: 06/25/2028This program has been submitted for Continuing Education for 1.25 total participant hours from NAB/NCERS.
NAB Approval #20260625-1.25-A113318-DL
Program Start Date: 06/26/2025 Program Review Date: 06/25/2026Call the HealthCap Education Coordinator at 734-996-2700 for further information.
Angie Szumlinski, LNHA, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-CT, BS
Director of Risk Management
HealthCap Risk Management Services
Ms. Szumlinski is a nationally-recognized leader in long-term care with experience as an Owner/Provider, Administrator, Director of Nursing, Corporate Quality Assurance Coordinator and independent consultant. Ms. Szumlinski conducts risk management visits at facilities across the country, touching every acuity level within the post-acute care spectrum. Ms. Szumlinski served as an Associate Board Member for NCAL, is a member of the AHCA/NCAL Survey/Regulatory committee, NCAL Quality committee, HCAM Legal/ Clinical Committee and served as a Senior Examiner/Team Leader for the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Program for 7 years. Ms. Szumlinski is a Nurse Planner for the HealthCap® RMS ANCC accredited education program.
John P. Hessburg, JD
Principal, Kitch Attorneys & Counselors
Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook
John Hessburg leads the Senior Living Practice Group at Kitch Attorneys & Counselors. He began his career with the Kitch firm as a law clerk in 1984. His experience extends to all aspects of state and federal regulation of Senior Living Providers, national coordination of medical device liability cases and medical malpractice defense litigation. Since establishing the firm’s senior living practice, he has built a multidisciplinary practice that focuses on the myriad of challenges his clients face on a daily basis, which include general healthcare and regulatory compliance, corporate compliance, federal and state administrative law, defense of state and federal false claim actions, as well as professional negligence claims.
Mr. Hessburg received his J.D. from Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, where he was the Managing Editor of the Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy. He also received a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Economics from St. John University, where he was a four-year All American swimmer and an NCAA Merit Scholarship recipient.
He has been working with HealthCap® since it wrote its first policy over 20 years ago.
Terence P. Durkin
JD, The Kitch Law Firm
Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook
Terence Durkin’s practice blends labor and employment law with medical malpractice and general litigation. His experience gives him a unique ability to help clients sort through the challenging and ever-changing world of labor and employment rules and regulations. Clients come to Terence and The Kitch Law Firm’s labor and employment practice group for guidance because they understand the priorities and risks involved with managing a diverse workforce, creating contracts, and implementing the best policies and procedures.
Terence received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois and his Juris Doctorate from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School where he was Article Editor of the Journal of Practical and Clinical Law.