PAUSE for Assessment: A Multi-Level Long-Term Care Assessment Tool

Abstract

The author of this article noes that as health care improves, paradoxically, long-term care residents become “older and sicker.”In response, many facilities now offer a wide range of levels of residential care, from independent living to Hospice care—and all under the same roof. Chaplains in such facilities can play a key part in identifying changes in individual residents' needs over time. Toward this end, the author introduces PAUSE—a one-page questionnaire designed to be completed by the chaplain after a visit with a resident. The items reflect the chaplain's impressions of several key aspects of the resident's well-being from a single interaction. The questionnaire serves several purposes: it documents the fact of a visit; it allows comparison of impressions at different times and by different visitors; and it quickly highlights “red flag” areas of possible concern for interdisciplinary referral, pastoral follow-up, or possible change in level of care. It might also function as a teaching tool for student chaplains.