Path to ProvidersWeb
By Diane Morrow (biography)

How ProvidersWeb.com Came About

The Beginning
At the age of 14, I fell 4 stories down an elevator shaft and was in the hospital in traction, in a wheelchair, and on crutches for over a year.

Lesson 1:
I learned what is was like to be helpless and dependent on people that demonstrated unprofessional conduct, such as not bringing you a bed pan when you need it.

“Handicapped”
In High School, I was placed with the “handicapped” kids for PE. I quickly became one of the Handicapped Department’s Teacher’s Assistants and helped organize fun events for the kids.

Lesson 2:
I learned that other kids can be mean and heartless, and people thought disabled people were somehow lesser persons than others. I also learned one of the most valuable lessons of my career and life, and it was that is you CAN make the world a better place for people while they are here.

Exposure
I started college at the age of 15, and ended up working in the “Physically Disabled Department”. It was a new department with new funding to create better access to the colleges’ services for disabled persons. I was able to work with persons who were blind, physically disabled, the Vietnam Vets, Elderly Persons, and I helped the Physical Therapist with the Physically Limited PE Class. I also taught a dance class for the Developmentally Disabled at this time and took care of my elderly great grandmother.

Lesson 3:
I learned about AGAPE Love. There really are a lot of good people out there trying to make a difference.

Long Term Care is Long Term
By the time I was 17, I was an Activity Director and found myself working at a 99-bed facility in the heart of Oakland California. I was told my job was to make the residents happy, and happy I made them. I thought there was no better job in the world! We had cooking class, pottery class, yoga, candle making, sewing class, art class, history class, and even a swim class! Yes, these were ill residents, yet they loved to attend the classes. People want something to do. It was at this first facility I made a big discover. I realized some of the residents had been living there for years, but unfortunately they were not allowed to bring in their own dresser or nightstand, they were not allowed to put pictures on the wall, or make it comfy. These residents were treated as though they couldn’t make it their home because they were probably going to die any time now.

Lesson 4
Some people just don’t get it. The residents deserved to live with dignity and with personal items to comfort them. I tried to get the Administrator to listen to me, but he didn’t. So I decided to become a Nursing Home Administrator, so that I could run things my way.

The Owner is the Boss
By the time I was 21 I was a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, for which back then, the requirements included completing as many college credits as necessary for a Bachelors Degree, a 1000 hour training program, and passing the challenging state and federal exams. While working in Skilled Nursing facilities I learned all about employment laws, staff management, admissions, discharges, medical records, decub care, infection control, utilization review, medication management, budgeting, and that it is really the owner that calls the shots. Most of all I learned the importance of good policies, procedures and forms.

Lesson 5
You can only do things your way if you own the business.

Starting Somewhere
I opened my first facility at the age of 24, when my son was 6 months old. My business was successful, so I designed and built a 30 bed facility, and then shortly afterwards increased the size to 49 beds, while pregnant with my daughter.

Lesson 6
My goal was quality care, and I learned quality sells!

The Great Need
As you may have guessed by now, I do not sit still for long. In 1989, I wrote a “How To” Residential Care Administrator Manual. This manual happened to be in step with a new program required the state. In 1990, the State of California required all current licensees, and all people who wanted to get into the business, to attend a 40-hour certification class. The class consisted of a certain core of knowledge covering licensing requirements, business operations, care giving, medications, activity and dietary services, staff training, employment laws and more.

My “How To” manual already contained most of what was needed. I ended up forming American College of Community Care Education “ACCCE” with some others who wanted to improve care. I taught the very first Certified Residential Care Administrator class in California, and for 5 years I taught many, many classes and thousands of people. I finally lobbied, consulted, wrote, taught, lectured and was utilized as an expert witness in court cases. I was also in charge of ACCCE’s Network News that had a circulation of over 12,000. I was on the various public policy boards and work groups, including Govern Wilson’s Task Force for Alzheimer’s Secured Perimeters and the National Institute for Health and Aging’s State Innovations in Residential Care for the Elderly project.

Lesson 7
There was too much to do. There were thousands of calls coming into our office. The providers really wanted help. Most providers wanted to do a good job, they just didn’t know how. There was just more help needed than the staff and I could handle. A better system of helping the care providers had to be developed.

Brain Download
Since 2000, I have been working on ProvidersWeb.com. All the time we are adding and updating documents. Providersweb is the online version of 21 operating procedural manuals set up to be user friendly in various types of care facilities. This system is the system I used in my own facility to ensure good care while protecting myself from being sued. I have upgraded the current version and created policies, procedures and forms that work together to make it easy to run a facility. I have been blessed with the help of many people along the way including my staff, my facility’s residents, plus lawyers, experts and advisors.

The ProvidersWeb.com system gives Providers economical access to the information they really need to know. It is the answer to tons of questions, but most importantly, ProvidersWeb teaches Providers how to take good care of their residents and themselves.

What Now?
ProvidersWeb does help ensure quality care, reduce worker’s compensation and liability claims, and will help a business increase their profits. If you want to improve care for residents, I hope you will join us in spreading the good news about ProvidersWeb.com. It’s the only way Providers can get their arms around everything they have to do. If you want a Guest Speaker from the ProvidersWeb Team to come to your Association or Group meeting give us a call toll free at 1-866-PWCaren.