AAHSA Quality First Creates Partnership Opportunities for Provider and Business Firm Members

Updated: May 8, 2006

AAHSA Quality First - the aging services field's bold and achievable quality improvement initiative - is being implemented by forward-thinking, quality-focused AAHSA provider members. This initiative creates many opportunities for AAHSA's Business Firm Members to build and improve relationships with these aging services organizations.

AAHSA Quality First is a philosophy of quality and a framework for earning public trust in aging services. It is a commitment by not-for-profit aging services providers to achieve excellence. Quality First is a four-year-old sustained and on-going initiative.

Quality improvement is based on the belief that improvement is always possible. It ensures that policies and practices at every level of an organization are geared to the provision of quality care and services for older adults and their families. This is consistent with the policies and practices of AAHSA's Business Firm Members.

How AAHSA Members are Implementing AAHSA Quality First

AAHSA Quality First - a voluntary quality improvement program - outlines for provider members across the continuum of aging services this five-step A.A.H.S.A. plan:

A   Adopt Quality First - Sign the AAHSA Quality First Covenant and make a public commitment to provide the care and services the public deserves.

A   Assess quality in your organization - Complete the Quality First Providers' Checklist or Self-Study to celebrate your organization's strengths, identify opportunities for improvement and plan for the future.

H   Head up a team - Develop and implement a quality plan for your organization.

S   Share your quality findings with everyone - Let the public know about your good work on behalf of older adults.

A   Act again - Review, revise and re-distribute your plan.

What AAHSA Quality First Means to Business Firm Members?

By helping provider organizations to implement Quality First, business firms strengthen their commitment to quality improvement in aging services. AAHSA Quality First creates tangible value for business firms by reinforcing their partnerships with their clients.

Quality First Strategies for Business Firm Members and Provider Members

There are many ways that AAHSA's Business Firm Members can help providers implement Quality First. These strategies will vary depending on each business firm's products and services, type of contact with providers, etc. Following are some suggestions; each business firm may have other ideas:

• Presenting strategies and case studies about how to achieve excellence in aging services during education sessions at AAHSA's Annual Meeting and Future of Aging Services Conference and state association conferences.
  
  
• Examining products/services and identifying how they can help providers to implement the AAHSA Quality First 10 Elements of Quality.*
  
  
• Developing and enhancing products/services that will help providers on their journeys to achieve excellence.
  
  
• Educating providers with "how-to" newsletters, white papers, videos, training and fact sheets on topics that relate to achieving excellence in aging services.
  
  
• Supporting providers one-on-one to implement the AAHSA Quality First 10 Elements of Quality.*
  
  
• Informing sales and other staff members about Quality First and how it can improve clients' operations and improve clients' care and services for older adults.
  
  
• Featuring AAHSA members' Quality First success stories in company newsletters, on Web sites and in other communications.
  
  
• Nominating individuals and provider organizations to AAHSA's annual awards program, which honors those who make a commitment to AAHSA Quality First and embody excellence in the aging services field.
  
  

For more information and to discuss how you business firm can increase its visibility by supporting AAHSA Quality First, please contact Melissa Sharp, AAHSA's Managing Director of Sponsorship/Development at (202) 508-9456 or msharp@aahsa.org.

---

* The AAHSA Quality First 10 Elements of Quality include Governance and Accountability, Leading-Edge Care and Services, Community Involvement, Continuous Quality Improvement, Human Resources Development, Community Involvement, Consumer-Friendly Information and Consumer Participation.