Nursing certification is a valuable asset to improve your career and your facility’s performance. Are you a director of nursing services (DNS) ready to take your skills and knowledge to the next level with the …
Notes from the Field: COVID-19–Associated Mortality Risk Among Long-Term Care Facility Residents and Community-Dwelling Adults Aged ≥65 Years — Illinois, December 2020 and January 2022 The COVID-19–associated mortality rate among Illinois LTCF residents aged ≥65 …
Memo # QSO-22-17-ALL Surveys for compliance with Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care StaffVaccination Requirements Posting Date 2022-06-14 Fiscal Year 2022 Summary • Survey oversight of the staff vaccination requirement for Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers …
You can read the blanket waivers for COVID-19 in the List of Blanket Waivers (PDF) UPDATED (6/16/2022). From https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/EPRO/Current-Emergencies/Current-Emergencies-page
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) releases its June 2022 Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System. Each June, as part of its mandate from the Congress, MedPAC reports on issues affecting the …
Are you considering advancing your career and looking to gain knowledge to be successful in your next role? Or are you already in the position you love but looking to improve your knowledge for additional …
2023 release of ICD-10-CM The FY2023 ICD-10-CM codes are to be used from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023. Note: This replaces the FY 2022 – April 1, release. These files listed below represent …
Complying with Outpatient Rehabilitation Therapy Documentation Requirements Fact Sheet ICN: MLN905365 Product Description: Learn how to correctly bill for outpatient Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech-Language Pathology services to avoid common billing errors when submitting claims to …
This ZIP file contains resources for surveyors conducting initial surveys under the Long-term Care Survey Process (LTCSP). It is a one-stop shop containing a multitude of reference materials that are provided to the surveyors going …
The vital role of director of nursing services (DNS) in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) comes with so many demands. DNSs are often—or always—on call for questions regarding changes in resident conditions; they often fill in …
The clinical skills that nursing home staff need to care for residents are just one piece of the care puzzle, says Joan Devine, RN, LNHA, the Weldon Springs, MO-based director of education for the Pioneer …
Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, has released a new advisory on how to address healthcare worker burnout in nursing homes. This includes assistance from providers, government, academic institutions, technology, friends and families, and the workers themselves. …
In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN and Dr. Rebecca Cahill, professor for the Research College of Nursing, discuss how lean healthcare …
Answer from Carol Maher, RN-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, RAC-CT, CPC: Nursing should complete a thorough assessment, including a 3-day diary recording the times the resident has been incontinent, the times the resident was continent, and …
CDC’s NHSN provides healthcare facilities, such as long-term care facilities (LTCFs), with a secure reporting platform for reporting outcomes and process measures in a systematic way. Reported data are immediately available for use in strengthening local …
This manual provides general background and information about the submission requirements, such as sample submission screens, submission deadlines, and definitions of job categories. Note: Changes from the previous version of this policy manual are identified …
Guidance related to Emergency Preparedness- Exercise Exemption based on A Facility’s Activation of their Emergency Plan Memo # QSO-20-41-ALL REVISED 05.26.2022 Posting Date 2022-05-26 Fiscal Year 2022 Summary • Emergency Preparedness Training and Testing Program …
Five-Star, NHQI, SNF QRP, SNF VBP, and PBJ data Provider Information General information on currently active nursing homes, including number of certified beds, quality measure scores, staffing and other information used in the Five-Star Rating …
AHRQ has released a new module to help frontline nursing home staff support their residents’ emotional health. The video module is designed to be self-paced and provides guidance on how staff can identify signs of …
When one considers financial management, thoughts usually go to managing expenses first, which part one of this series discussed. However, managing revenue, Five-Star ratings, and the budgeting process are equally important to keeping the nursing department and …
Residents or their family members sometimes demand to be sent to the emergency department (ED) for an issue that the nursing home can handle in-house. Unnecessary ED trips can disrupt the continuity of care, be …
Facility leaders can listen to a new free podcast from the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) regarding staff resiliency in long-term care. Dr. Vanessa Raabe, MD discusses areas such as how …
Question: Do 48-hour care plan meetings need to be completed for readmissions? Answer from Carol Maher, RN-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, RAC-CT, CPC [email protected]: Assuming the resident already had the Admission MDS completed on their original …
Nursing home leaders can reference this resource to ensure that the facility’s emergency preparedness plan is current and captures an all-hazards approach to meeting the health, safety, and security needs of staff and residents during …
The CASPER Reporting User’s Guide for MDS Providers provides information and instructions pertaining to the CASPER Reporting application. This system enables users to connect electronically to the National Reporting Database. This guide is intended for …
These brief videos offer self-paced learning for those on the front lines of nursing home care. This includes nursing assistants, housekeeping, dietary, and maintenance staff, and others. Emotional and Organizational Support for Staff series This …
Nurse leaders are essential to any long-term and post-acute care facility. These nurses fearlessly take responsibility for the success of their team and for quality resident care delivery. They spearhead the nursing department, overcoming obstacles …
“When does Mom get the black pill?” Families sometimes ask hospice providers this type of question—mistakenly thinking that hospice is a form of assisted suicide—even though hospice services were introduced in the United States more …
When I was in my first DNS role, I remember looking at the budget that the administrator put in front of me and thinking it looked like a foreign language. I told the administrator, “I …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Fiscal Year 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) Proposed Rule earlier this month. CMS notes that this proposed rule would update “Payment …
Government entities require mandatory staff trainings to be completed at least annually. AAPACN’s Mandatory Training Checklist is intended to assist the facility leader in ensuring staff have completed mandated trainings per facility policy. For permission …
Question: What does the end of the physician visit waiver mean for SNFs? Answer from Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT : With the recent QSO memo, QSO-22-15-NH & NLTC & LSC, released April 7, …
Dr. Natalie Manley, assistant professor in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, joins NETEC’s Dr. Vanessa Raabe to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on …
Toolkit for States to Mitigate COVID-19 in Nursing Homes (PDF) UPDATED (5/6/22) From https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/EPRO/Current-Emergencies/Current-Emergencies-page
This printable flyer infographic describes the Chain of Infection and How to Use it to Prevent the Spread of Infection in Long-Term Care (LTC) https://repository.netecweb.org/items/show/1666 Files for Download COI in LTC 4.29.2022 Final Compressed.pdf
Weekly health care personnel (HCP) & Resident COVID-19 Vaccination Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Data Reporting Long-term care facilities can track weekly COVID-19 vaccination data for residents and healthcare personnel (HCP) through NHSN. May 2022 updates Training …
National Nurses Week begins next Friday, May 6. Throughout the week, the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN) will celebrate nurses and other healthcare professionals working in long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC). In today’s …
Updated Information on Availability and Use of Treatments for Outpatients with Mild to Moderate COVID-19 Who are at Increased Risk for Severe Outcomes of COVID-19 SummaryThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing …
Resident harm is every nurse’s nightmare. Four years ago, a nurse administered the wrong medication to a patient, which resulted in the patient’s death. RaDonda Vaught was recently criminally convicted of negligent homicide and neglect …
In the survey process, two F-tags primarily govern interactions between skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and home health agencies (HHAs): F660 (Discharge Planning Process) addresses the requirement for nursing homes to assist residents and their families …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is terminating more waivers per QSO-22-15-NH & NLTC & LSC. The lifting of these waivers will be staggered and end in two different time periods including a …
Question: Does NHSN have new forms, and if so, what are they? Answer from Denise Winzeler BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT: The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) has released new optional forms for tracking and …
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is taking actions to promote competition and transparency in our nation’s health care system that can improve the safety and quality of nursing homes and hospitals. The Centers for …
With the release of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has signaled a significant commitment to pay-for-performance via …
While the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) put the brakes on many nursing home initiatives over the past two years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is ready to get back to business …
Thousands of dedicated women and men working in post-acute and long-term care dream of the chance to learn more, do more, be more. By funding nursing scholarships, the AAPACN Education Foundation helps to make those …
Proposed Specifications for the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program: Total Nursing Hours per Resident Day Measure (PDF) From https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Value-Based-Programs/SNF-VBP/Measure
An updated version of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Threshold Report (PTR) is now available. The PTR is a user-requested, on demand report which enables users to obtain the status of their data submission …
Medicare Program: Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Quality Reporting Program and Value-Based Purchasing Program; Long-Term Care Facilities to Establish Mandatory Minimum Staffing Levels https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2022-07906/medicare-program-prospective-payment-system-and-consolidated-billing-for-skilled-nursing-facilities Press release:HHS Takes Actions to Promote …
The LTCSP Procedure Guide provides instruction on the procedural and software steps necessary for completing the LTCSP. Use the Procedure Guide for all standard surveys of SNFs and NFs, whether freestanding, distinct parts, or dually …
Antipsychotic Medication Prescribing in Long Term Care Facilities Increased in the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic Issue Brief Prescriptions dispensed for antipsychotics in nursing homes and assisted living facilities increased since the beginning of …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking steps to continue to protect nursing home residents’ health and safety by announcing guidance that restores certain minimum standards for compliance with CMS requirements. Restoring …
The Q4FY21 release of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) with statistics through September 2021 is now available for download through the PEPPER Resources Portal. To obtain your SNF PEPPER, the Chief Executive Officer, President, Administrator, …
From AHRQ Medication discrepancy rates and sources upon nursing home intake: a prospective study Patterson ME, Bollinger S, Coleman C, et al. Res Social Adm Pharm. Epub 2021 Medication errors are common among older adults discharged …
Nursing homes play a unique dual role in the long-term care continuum, serving as a place where people receive needed health care and a place they call home. Ineffective responses to the complex challenges of …
Revised Guidance for the Interim Final Rule -Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination — The guidance in this memorandum does not apply to the following states at this time: Alabama, Alaska, …
CMS created the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily. The Nursing Home Compare Web site features a quality rating system that gives each nursing home …
Since the start of the pandemic, the healthcare system has experienced significant job losses, but in recent months, all sectors have slowly begun to recover—except for nursing homes and assisted living communities (AHCA, 2021). Despite …
Directors of nursing services (DNSs) and other nurse managers in nursing homes may at times feel powerless in the face of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the ongoing staffing crisis, and years of changing …
On March 29, 2022, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the following statement: Today, CDC expanded eligibility for an additional booster dose for certain individuals …
A stay interview is a conversation between the manager and employee to learn why the employee continues to choose the company as their place of employment—what keeps them coming back every day. Moreover, it’s an …
In this LTC DON Chat podcast, Amy Stewart, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Janet Feldkamp, a partner with Benesch Healthcare, discuss updates on survey and regulatory issues that skilled nursing facilities …
Question: What is the regulation for how often we should be obtaining vital signs for long-term care residents? Answer from Alexis Roam, MSN, RN-BC, DNS-CT, QCP: There is not a federal regulation that states a …
Excerpt of press release describing the attack: NHS Management, LLC Provides Notice of Data Privacy Incident TUSCALOOSA, Ala., April 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — NHS Management, LLC (“NHS”) is providing notice of an event that may affect the security …
AHRQ has created a guide for nursing home leaders as they implement COVID-19 vaccination programs among staff members. The resource identifies important factors to consider from planning to implementation, including guidance on updating policies and …
Agency releases 2021 injury, illness data WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is initiating an enforcement program that identifies employers who failed to submit Form 300A data through the agency’s …
CMS has released the following document addressing the SNF VBP and SNF QRP programs: 2022 MUC List Program-Specific Measure Needs and Priorities (PDF) SNF VBP “For the FY 2023 SNF PPS proposed rule, the SNF VBP will …
An updated Quick Reference Guide is now available. The Quick Reference Guide provides high-level information on the SNF Quality Reporting Program, including frequently asked questions and helpful links. V2.0 was posted in early March. It …
JAMA Network Open Study excerpt: Key Points Question Are scores on a delirium severity measure that was developed using advanced psychometric approaches associated with in-hospital and posthospital clinical outcomes? Findings In this cohort study of older patients …
2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines Free access: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001063 Abstract Aim: The “2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for …
Three new online resources from AHRQ are available to help nursing homes adopt best practices aimed at controlling and preventing infection and improving the emotional well-being of staff and residents: Best Practices Guide for COVID-19 Infection Control …
Data continue to show the importance of vaccination and booster doses to protect individuals both from infection and severe outcomes of COVID-19. For adults and adolescents eligible for a first booster dose, these shots are …
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing amendments to its occupational injury and illness recordkeeping regulation, 29 CFR 1904.41. The current regulation requires certain employers to electronically submit injury and …
MDS 3.0 v.1.17.2 has been in place since Oct. 1, 2020, and CMS wants it to run to Oct. 1, 2023, which presumably means for all of FY 2024. That could put the implementation of …
Nursing homes have to prepare emergency operations plans to be compliant with the emergency preparedness regulations that are detailed in Appendix Z of the State Operations Manual, points out Amanda Thorson, MSN, BSN, RN, CMSRN, …
Editor’s note: In this two-part series, this article covers management techniques that can help directors of nursing services (DNSs) and other members of the administrative team improve long-term certified nursing assistant (CNA) retention. The first …
Question: Can a weighted blanket be considered a restraint? Answer from Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT: Although the use of a weighted blanket can be a great intervention, if the resident can not …
In this LTC DON Chat podcast, Amy Stewart, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Rob Leffler, the vice president for PCA Pharmacy, talk about the impact of medications on falls for …
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Project Firstline, released a new suite of educational resources to help healthcare workers recognize the risks for germs to spread throughout the workday and take action to …
Residents of long-term care facilities (nursing homes) have been severely impacted by COVID-19 and are disproportionately represented in the number of COVID-19-related deaths in the United States. Data reported by nursing homes to the Centers …
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has released its March 2022 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy. The report includes MedPAC’s analyses of payment adequacy in traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare and reviews the status of Medicare …
By Faith Carini-Graves, Director of Skill Development, MDS Consultants The problem: What does an MDS coordinator, DON, CNA, therapist, nursing home administrator, RN, LPN, activities professional, social worker, and dietitian all have in common? They …
JAMA Network Open Study Key Points excerpt: Findings This quality improvement study of 13 339 nursing homes found that daily variation of staffing was significantly associated with the 5-Star Survey and Quality Measures rankings. There was little …
Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 State Performance Standards System (SPSS) Guidance Memo # Admin Info: 22-06-ALL Posting Date 2022-03-10 Fiscal Year 2022 Summary CMS is releasing revisions to the process used to oversee State Survey Agency …
Interim Final Rule (IFC), CMS-3401-IFC, Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency related to Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Testing Requirements Memo # QSO-20-38-NH REVISED Posting Date 2021-09-10 / REVISED …
Nursing Home Visitation – COVID-19 (REVISED) Memo # QSO-20-39-NH REVISED Posting Date 2021-11-12 REVISED MARCH 10, 2022 Fiscal Year 2021 Memorandum Summary • CMS is committed to continuing to take critical steps to ensure America’s …
CMS is providing clarification to recent guidance for visitation (see CMS memorandum QSO-20-39- NH REVISED 11/12/2021). While CMS cannot address every aspect of visitation that may occur, we provide additional details about certain scenarios below. …
In the third and final part of this podcast series, Kim Hicks, vice president of business development for AAPACN, and Brandon Tappan, executive vice president for ShiftKey, an AAPACN Diamond Partner, and Faygee Morgenshtern, CEO of …
In the second part of this podcast series, Kim Hicks, vice president of business development for AAPACN, and Brandon Tappan, executive vice president for ShiftKey, an AAPACN Diamond Partner, and Faygee Morgenshtern, CEO of People …
In the first part of this podcast series, Kim Hicks, vice president of business development for AAPACN, and Brandon Tappan, executive vice president for ShiftKey, an AAPACN Diamond Partner, and Faygee Morgenshtern, CEO of People …
The loss nursing home staff members have experienced over the last two years has been unprecedented. Many have lost well-loved friends, family members, and residents—and nearly all have had their sense of normalcy upended. Healthcare …
Editor’s note: In this two-part series, this article addresses operational steps that can boost long-term retention of certified nursing assistants (CNAs). The next article will cover management techniques that can help directors of nursing services …
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new COVID-19 guidance on Feb. 25, 2022. This guidance comes with new community levels, which now include local hospital admissions and capacity rates to determine risk …
Question: Where can I find resources to help me with tracking and trending vaccination data? Answer from AAPACN: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has new vaccination tracking and reporting tools to assist …
Registration and data submission resources. PBJ QTSO Registration and Training 02-24-2022 (PDF) From https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/Staffing-Data-Submission-PBJ
Participants will learn to identify factors that give rise to ethical dilemmas in nursing, identify measures that assist in making ethical decisions, and apply the core principles in ethical decision making. Download now.
US Department of Labor announces enforcement, effort for focused inspections in hospitals, nursing care facilities treating COVID-19 patients WASHINGTON – For two years, millions of the nation’s healthcare workers have been battling the coronavirus. Many have endangered themselves …
New Report published by APIC outlines actions needed to successfully battle future pandemics while fighting the rise of healthcare-associated infections ARLINGTON, Va., March 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — As the world enters the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, …
