AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department of Labor. ACTION: Interim final rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is issuing an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect healthcare …
Question: Is a physician order needed for a restorative passive range of motion (PROM) program? Answer from Kim Steele, RN, WCC, RAC-CT, RAC-CTA: No, a physician order is not required for nursing restorative programs, but …
COVID-19 Vaccination As part of CMS’ commitment to protecting nursing home residents, nursing homes are now required to report vaccinations of residents and staff. More information about these requirements and guidelines can be found here. High staff …
Incontinence is a common issue for many of our residents. In fact, almost 50% of residents in a nursing home present with some type of incontinence. This education will discuss urinary incontinence along with the …
Urinary incontinence (UI), defined as any involuntary leakage of urine, affects over half the population living in post-acute long-term care (PALTC) and costs an estimated 5.5 billion annually, according to the Society for Post-Acute and …
“Against medical advice” (AMA) is a term that nursing homes use to describe a resident unexpectedly leaving the facility in a self- or representative-initiated discharge that is inconsistent with their identified care needs. “Some providers …
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed a new PPE tracking tool along with a user’s guide to assist facilities in identifying performance patterns and to target improvement areas regarding PPE use.The …
The June issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology includes the following new guidelines: ACG Clinical Guidelines: Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Clostridioides difficile InfectionsKelly, et al. New ACG Guidelines were authored to address C. difficile infection, bacteria that often causes …
Question: What training is required for nurse aides to work with residents in a Restorative Program? I have reviewed Chapter 3, Section O0500 (page O-43) in the RAI User’s Manual but wondered, other than the …
These resources allow nursing home staff to accurately collect, record, and file all the necessary information to document COVID-19 vaccine status for nursing home staff and residents. Resident Vaccine Administration Record for COVID-19 (PDF, 270 KB)This …
Note: These tools also go with the general AHRQ tool for how to conduct observational audits at https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/nursing-home/materials/observational-audits.pdf. The Personal Protective Equipment COVID-19 Observational Audit Data Tracking Tool and User Guide help nursing homes identify performance …
Hand hygiene has always been a primary focus of infection prevention, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is under intense scrutiny. Even though the skill of hand hygiene is straightforward and easy to learn, …
Falls are common in nursing homes—they are a driver of surveyor citations under F-tag 689 (Free of Accident Hazards/Supervision/Devices), which is consistently among the top three survey citations nationwide, according to the S&C QCOR online …
List of Blanket Waivers (PDF) UPDATED (5/24/2021). Note from AAPACN staff: CMS unintentionally removed the update that made the SNF/NF section consistent with the May 10 QSO memo expirations (https://www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-21-17-nh.pdf). Please see the May 10 …
By CMS COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICFs-IID) Residents, Clients, and Staff Link to CMS release: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-expanding-efforts-grow-covid-19-vaccine-confidence-and-uptake-amongst-nations-most-vulnerable AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid …
AAPACN’s latest set of tools provides nurse leaders with guidance on how to best utilize the pharmacy’s services and expertise and assists nurse leaders to collaborate with the pharmacist and maximize his or her expertise …
By CMS The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering web-based training that provides an overview of the general and key clinical considerations important for conducting standardized cognitive and mood assessments. This four-course …
By CMS On May 5, 2021, as a part of CMS’ ongoing COVID response efforts to support the long term care community, CMS debuted its first social media videos highlighting staff, also referred to as …
New tool provides innovative solutions for states and facilities to protect our nation’s vulnerable nursing home residents during emergency CMS has released a Toolkit for States to Mitigate COVID-19 in Nursing Homes (PDF) UPDATED (5/25/21) developed to …
Question: Can a Medicare Part A resident be skilled for an unstageable pressure injury? Answer from Janine Cortesa, RN, BSN, RAC-CT: You must always look at what skill services are needed, not the name of the condition. An …
by AAPACN To meet the needs of medically complex residents, a holistic, individualized approach to care is required, including when a resident is at risk for a decline or change in condition. This guide provides …
Question: What happens to residents who started skilled services using a waiver and then the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and waivers end? Answer: CMS addressed this in the PPS COVID FAQ doc, page …
Summary of Recent Changes Updates as of March 29, 2021 Two prior guidance documents, “Responding to COVID-19 in Nursing Homes” and “Performing Facility-wide SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Nursing Homes” were merged with this guidance. The criteria …
Two new resources from AHRQ are part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect nursing home residents and staff from COVID-19. Both are intended to support the use of observational audits, which help facilities understand …
Memo # QSO-21-15-ALL Posting Date 2021-03-26 Fiscal Year 2021 Summary Burden Reduction Final Rule Interpretive Guidelines: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is releasing interpretive guidelines and updates to Appendix Z of the …
ASPR TRACIE (part of the US Department of Health and Human Services) received a request for information on clinical presentation, disease progression, and related information from clinicians in the field treating COVID-19 patients after the …
It’s hard to believe that it has been a year since the first nursing home resident contracted the novel coronavirus. Our way of living changed drastically, especially in long-term care. In-person visitation ended, and residents …
While data on hospital readmissions of skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents who have had COVID-19 following SNF discharge currently remains scarce, at least one study indicates the need for careful management of the discharge planning …
Date 2021-03-23 Event Long-Term Care: Dementia-related Psychosis Call Topic Dementia Care in Nursing Homes When: Tuesday, March 23, 2021, from 1:30 to 3 pm ET Event Materials: Presentation (PDF) Audio recording (ZIP) Transcript (PDF) Description: National …
Guidance released March 10, 2021 regarding Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC affects only select elements of the current Nursing Home ICAR tool until an updated version of the …
Enforcement Memoranda Interim Enforcement Response Plan https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus/standards#temp_enforcement_guidance OSHA’s interim enforcement response plan memoranda provide instructions and guidance to Area Offices and compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) for handling COVID-19-related complaints, referrals, and severe illness …
On March 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued updated guidance for nursing homes to safely expand visitation options. According to the updated guidance, issued in collaboration with the Centers for Disease …
Summary · What is already known about this topic? Skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents, generally older and with more underlying medical conditions than community-dwelling adults, were not included in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Little is …
On March 10, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued updated guidance for nursing homes to safely expand visitation options during …
OSHA launches program to protect high-risk workers from coronavirus, focuses on employers that retaliate against workers with safety concerns WASHINGTON, DC – In response to President Biden’s executive order on protecting worker health and safety, the …
Updated Mar. 10, 2021 Find the most recent update here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-after-vaccination.html CDC guidance for SARS-CoV-2 infection may be adapted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances. On this page Visitation …
Mar 10, 2021 Nursing homes have been severely impacted by COVID-19, with outbreaks causing high rates of infection, morbidity, and mortality.[1] The vulnerable nature of the nursing home population, combined with the inherent risks of congregate …
“Heroes work here.” It was a common theme in the early days of the pandemic. Signs were placed in front of the facility, and people would cheer and line the streets as healthcare personnel went …
Long-term care is in a difficult state right now, acknowledges Jessie McGill, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, curriculum development specialist at AAPACN. “It has been a full year of battling COVID-19. The pandemic heavily impacted residents, staff, and …
Question: If all that my facility reports to NHSN is COVID data, are we required to complete the annual NHSN survey? Answer: The survey is not required for facilities submitting only COVID-19 data. However, the 2020 …
Question: Per the CDC guidelines, how many Pneumococcal vaccines do our residents need to be considered up to date? We have some with only one vaccine and some with two. If they only have one …
The Center for Medicare Advocacy released a new report – Geography Is Not Destiny: Protecting Nursing Home Residents from the Next Pandemic – which explores facilities’ responses to the coronavirus crisis and examines how residents’ deaths were …
ASPR TRACIE Emergency Preparedness Report: Identifying and Overcoming Healthcare Communications Vulnerabilities: Nashville, TN While the Christmas morning recreational vehicle blast outside the AT&T transmission facility in Nashville did not cause a mass fatality incident, it …
As part of our nation’s critical infrastructure, healthcare facilities large and small must be proactive and move quickly to protect themselves from cyberattacks that could directly impact the health and safety of patients and the …
The Improving Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act) requires the Secretary to specify resource use measures, on which post-acute care (PAC) providers, including skilled nursing facilities, are required to submit necessary data specified …
AHRQ has released the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report: Chartbook on Patient Safety 2021, which offers an overview of nonidentifiable, aggregated patient safety event and near-miss information that has been voluntarily reported by AHRQ-listed Patient Safety Organizations. …
From AHRQ News Now: Skilled nursing facilities that tested AHRQ’s Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) toolkit found that training during weekly staff meetings was more effective than a single full-day course, according to a study published in Clinical Nursing Research. …
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers strategies for optimizing the supply of: N95 respirators Face masks Isolation gowns Eye Protection Gloves Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) Elastomeric respirators Ventilators https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/index.html Also see: Summary …
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. 2021 AHRQ has released the Network of Patient Safety Databases (NPSD) Chartbook 2021, which offers an overview of nonidentifiable, aggregated patient safety event and near-miss information that has been voluntarily reported by …
CMS will be transitioning to a new data source for a provider’s demographic data for all five Post-Acute Care (PAC) provider types (Skilled Nursing Facilities / Nursing Facilities (SNF/NFs), Home Health Agencies (HHAs), Inpatient Rehabilitation …
On Jan. 7, 2021, the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) was renewed, effective Jan. 31, 2021, for an additional 90 days. However, in a letter to the governors, the acting Secretary of Health and Human …
Federal regulations require nursing homes to provide safe, individualized medication administration to residents. However, even before the COVID-19 public health emergency, many consultant pharmacists only went to nursing homes once a month for medication regimen …
Question: Do the Focused Infection Control (FIC) surveys affect my facility’s Five-Star rating? Answer: Yes, the Focused Infection Control (FIC) surveys do affect a facility’s Five-Star rating. Deficiencies cited on FIC surveys are treated slightly …
Question: How should we be coding B0200, Hearing? The reason I am asking is because of face shields and masks. When I wear an N95 mask, I have to speak very loudly so the resident …
Main Points Opioids are probably less effective than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for surgical dental pain and kidney stone pain and might be similarly effective to NSAIDs for low back pain. Opioids might be and …
For some regions of the country, recent months have brought the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities since the start of the pandemic, a new KFF analysis of state-reported cases and death shows, underscoring …
March 27, 2021 update: Also see CDC Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Spread in Nursing Homes. This document provides a summary of considerations for use of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) …
By Shahin Sanjar, PhD., Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. Inhalation treatment of respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD is the predominant mode of therapy for the simple and logical reason that applying pharmacological agents to the target …
Nursing home staff members, like everyone in the United States and across the globe, want to go back to “normal.” However, directors of nursing services (DNSs) need to ensure that infection prevention and control remains …
Infection prevention and control guidance for long-term care facilities (including NFs and SNFs) in the context of COVID-19 Interim guidance 8 January 2021 This document is an update of the guidance published on 21 March …
Long-Term Care Facility Toolkit: Preparing for COVID-19 Vaccination at Your Facility Answering Common Questions About COVID-19 Vaccines This toolkit provides long-term care facility (LTCF) administrators and clinical leadership with information and resources to help build …
CDC provides information on COVID-19 vaccinations for residents and staff: Importance of COVID-19 Vaccination for Residents of Long-term Care Facilities The Importance of COVID-19 Vaccination for Healthcare Personnel
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, December 2020 Early Release / December 13, 2020 / 69 Sara E. Oliver, MD1; Julia W. Gargano, PhD1; Mona …
Transforming the medication regimen review process using telemedicine to prevent adverse events AHRQ News Now: Kane‐Gill SL, Wong A, Culley CM, et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020;Epub Nov 25. Medication reconciliation and medication regimen reviews can reduce adverse drug …
Question: How do I change an email address in SAMS/NHSN? Answer: Follow the steps on the following PDF to edit an email address. https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/gen-support/edit-email-sams-facility-508.pdf Interested in reading more FAQs? Visit the AADNS Network where …
Question: Our facility has a “COVID-19 unit” that is one large room divided by curtains. There are five sections in the room and each section has two beds. Can we code for isolation when a …
Infection prevention and control considerations for residents of long-term care facilities with systemic signs and symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination Note: Strategies are needed by long-term care facilities to appropriately evaluate and manage post-vaccination signs and …
Infection prevention and control considerations for healthcare personnel with systemic signs and symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination Note: Strategies are needed for healthcare facilities to appropriately evaluate and manage post-vaccination signs and symptoms among healthcare personnel (HCP). …
Casey, Wyden Release New Report Showing Nursing Home Rates of Death and Infection are Rising Rapidly Full report: Read the report here. Press release TO DATE, MORE THAN 104,000 RESIDENTS AND WORKERS IN LTC FACILITIES HAVE DIED …
Participants will learn to understand how to select appropriate PPE to wear, uses for each PPE, and how to apply knowledge to don and doff PPE correctly. Download now.
HHS Proposes Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule to Empower Patients, Improve Coordinated Care, and Reduce Regulatory Burdens The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces …
These FAQs cover the following topics: 1. Q: CMS posts county positivity rates for staff testing. What if my state or county also posts rates of COVID-19 positivity for each county? 2. Q: Should nursing …
A vaccination for COVID-19 has been at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts since the pandemic started, and one is anticipated to come to fruition in the coming weeks. At the time of this publication, both …
In October 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) removed two pain Quality Measures (QMs) from both Nursing Home Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System: Percentage of short-stay residents who report moderate …
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, escalating case numbers, changing visitation requirements, and isolation continue to challenge nursing facilities, staff members, and residents alike. In a recent study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) …
Adverse events in Italian nursing homes during the COVID-19 epidemic: a national survey Lombardo FL, Salvi E, Lacorte E, et al. Front Psychiatry. 2020 Long-term care and skilled nursing facilities are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 infection; this …
Preliminary antibiotic prescribing data from nursing homes suggest a modest decrease in prescribing from January to June 2020 compared to 2019. However, similar to inpatient settings, an increase in prescribing of antibiotics used to treat …
Jiménez-Pericás F, Gea Velázquez de Castro MT, Pastor-Valero M, et al. BMJ Open. 2020;10(10):e035238. Isolation for infection prevention and control, albeit necessary, may result in unintended consequences for patients (e.g., less attention, suboptimal documentation and communication, higher risk of preventable adverse …
This document contains practices that should be considered when SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza viruses are found to be co-circulating based upon local public health surveillance data and testing at local healthcare facilities. Testing and Management Considerations …
The FDA has published Face Masks, Including Surgical Masks, and Respirators for COVID-19, a comprehensive new page on FDA.gov with answers to frequently asked questions about face masks, surgical masks, and respirators. The topics covered in …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is releasing the first episode in a series of short podcasts for frontline nursing home staff “CMS Beyond the Policy”. This edition is titled “Nursing Home Series for Front …
The following CDC infection control training courses are part of the new States Targeting Reduction in Infections via Engagement (STRIVE) curriculum intended for the infection prevention team, hospital leaders, clinical educators, nurse and physician managers, environmental services …
This report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is available in PDF only (Evidence Summary [371.3 KB]; Report [5.9 MB]). People using assistive technology may not be able to fully access information in these files. For additional assistance, …
Once again, the holiday season is upon us. However, due to the pandemic, the way people celebrate will be different this year. Holiday traditions that normally call for large gatherings of people—such as family dinners, …
Question: How can I improve influenza vaccinations among my staff? Answer: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created a toolkit to help SNFs improve vaccination coverage among healthcare workers (HCP). This toolkit …
Constructing person-centered care plans takes time, effort, and person-specific focus on including the resident’s voice and choice. This is especially important when developing care plans from information gathered under section F, Preferences for Customary Routines …
Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) MDS assessments rightfully get a lot of attention during the COVID-19 public health emergency as nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) continue to try to obtain accurate Medicare Part …
In advance of the approaching holiday season, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is urging nursing home staff, residents and visitors to follow established guidelines for visitation and adherence to the core principles …
Agency thanks nursing homes whose staff have completed free CMS training, but urges remaining homes to take advantage of this resource The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is publicly recognizing the 1,092 nursing …
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published two final rules that aim to reduce regulatory barriers to care coordination and accelerate the transformation of the healthcare system into one that pays for value …
Post-acute and Long-term Care Facility Toolkit: Influenza Vaccination among Healthcare Personnel Increasing Influenza Vaccination among Health Care Personnel in Long-term Care Settings Within this comprehensive toolkit are a number of resources intended to help long-term …
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cites lessons learned from its COVID-19 inspections and citations, as well as noting nursing homes and other companies that have been fined since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Lessons Learned: …
In 1995, an artist named William Utermohlen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He chronicled his experience living with dementia in self-portraits to express what was happening to him. As the disease progressed, his portraits became …
Respiratory Protection Guidance for the Employers of Those Working in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, and Other Long-Term Care Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic This guidance is designed specifically for nursing homes, assisted living, and other …
“Knock, knock?” “Who’s there?” When the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) walks into the room, the resident rolls his eyes and unenthusiastically says, “Oh, it’s you. Blue. Sock. Bed.” The scripted resident interviews can be redundant …
The TAKE Care kit is an evidence-based system of “first-line, non-pharmacological interventions” designed to help elderly patients with cognitive decline in multiple settings, including long-term care, who are having or are at risk of having …
SARS-CoV-2 Exposure and Infection Among Health Care Personnel — Minnesota, March 6–July 11, 2020 Weekly / October 30, 2020 / 69(43);1605–1610 Summary What is already known about this topic? Health care personnel (HCP) are at increased …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking steps to ensure all Americans, including the nation’s seniors, have access to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine at no cost when it becomes available. …
