CMS provides a current list of F-tags by regulatory grouping used in the Long-term Care Survey Process (LTCSP) CMS updated the tag list on June 19, 2021. List of Revised FTags [Effective 06/19/2021] (PDF) From …
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 into …
On May 11, 2021, CMS published an interim final rule with comment period that added new COVID-19 vaccination reporting requirements for nursing home staff and residents. CMS has provided a four-week grace period for facilities …
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 …
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 …
US Department of Labor’s OSHA issues emergency temporary standardto protect health care workers from the coronavirusOSHA also releases new guidance for all industries WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration …
Most recent updates: June 9, 2021 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 …
June 9, 2021 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is sharing the following alerts from the White House and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Organizations are encouraged …
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 …
Performance & Budget The CMS FY 2022 budget request has been finalized and submitted to Congress. This Congressional Justification of the budget presents the resource requests for programs, focuses on key performance measures, and summarizes …
The following data sets were updated May 1 and released May 26 at https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/search?theme=Nursing%20homes%20including%20rehab%20services: FY 2021 SNF VBP Facility-Level Dataset This dataset contains facility-specific performance information for the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Skilled Nursing Facility …
The NHSN Long-term Care Facility Component supports the nation’s COVID-19 response through the LTCF COVID-19 Module. Facilities eligible to report data to NHSN’s COVID-19 Module include nursing homes/skilled nursing, long-term care for the developmentally disabled, and assisted …
COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: Most Homes Had Multiple Outbreaks and Weeks of Sustained Transmission from May 2020 through January 2021 GAO analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that, …
Invest in Trust: A Guide for Building COVID-19 Vaccine Trust Among Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) is designed to help nursing home leaders build COVID-19 vaccine confidence among CNAs and overcome barriers to vaccination by applying insights …
Long-Term Care Community Champions Videos – Voices from the Front Lines. Nursing home staff from multiple departments share their COVID-19 vaccination experiences: Long-Term Care Community Champions – Video #1 Long-Term Care Community Champions – Video #2 …
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 …
The Five Star Preview Reports will be available on May 18, 2021. To access these reports, select the CASPER Reporting link located on the CMS QIES Systems for Providers page. Once in the CASPER Reporting …
Considerations for Long-Term Care Facilities on Acquiring COVID-19 Vaccination Resources The purpose of this document is to provide long-term care facilities (LTCFs) with information about acquiring COVID-19 vaccination resources for staff and residents. All LTCF …
Disparities & Culturally Competent Care: Fostering Cultural Competence This section includes a collection of assessment tools, educational and learning materials, research articles and resources that are curated to help medical professionals and institutions provide culturally …
Nursing homes have been at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents in these homes have been particularly affected by the disease, as they are predominantly elderly individuals who have underlying medical conditions and live …
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. Training Updates to Reporting …
CMS Quality, Safety, & Oversight memo QSO-21-19-NH includes new interpretive guidance for surveyors for F887 (COVID-19 Immunization), as well as updated investigative procedures, potential tags for additional investigation, and survey tools. In addition, the memo …
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 …
By the OIG Report OEI-07-19-00490 The Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s (CMS’s) use of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) as the sole data source to count the …
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 …
While areas of concern related to medication administration (i.e., medication pass or med pass) are specific to each facility, there are certain common issues. Directors of nursing services (DNSs) can use the following tips to …
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 …
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 …
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 …
CMS Use of Data on Nursing Home Staffing: Progress and Opportunities To Do More (OEI-04-18-00451) The OIG has made four key recommendations related to staffing that CMS concurred with. These recommendations state that CMS should: Provide …
Note: The Access to Ombudsman information is highlighted in red in the memo, but that is what was revised in July. The new updates focus on the updated Q&As under the section, Individuals Entering and …
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 …
Full text: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/133/text Sections addressing SNF VBP changes and access to services for hemophilia residents: SEC. 111. IMPROVING MEASUREMENTS UNDER THE SKILLED NURSING FACILITY VALUE-BASED PURCHASING PROGRAM UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM. …
Updates as of February 10, 2021 Updated the Implement Universal Use of Personal Protective Equipment section to expand options for source control and patient care activities in areas of moderate to substantial transmission and describe …
A resource guide, written by and for directors of nursing, administrators, and other nursing home leaders, outlines steps to reduce or eliminate urgent staff shortages, particularly shortages of direct care workers. This guide is from the …
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 …
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. …
The Five Star Preview Reports were available on February 15, 2021. To access these reports, select the CASPER Reporting link located on the CMS QIES Systems for Providers page. Once in the CASPER Reporting system, …
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 …
DATE: June 1, 2020 REVISED 01/04/2021 TO: State Survey Agency Directors FROM: Director Quality, Safety & Oversight Group SUBJECT: Revised COVID-19 Survey Activities, CARES Act Funding, Enhanced Enforcement for Infection Control deficiencies, and Quality Improvement …
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 …
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 …
For more recent information about CMS survey priorities, also see QSO memo QSO-20-31-ALL-REVISED. ————————————————————– Background CMS is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s health care facilities and clinical laboratories are prepared to respond …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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) …
Surveyors use critical element pathways (CEPs) to work through the steps of their investigation and to determine compliance with several federal regulations. In addition to CEPs, other tools including observational guides are also used to …
Onsite Surveys of Nursing Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic: March 23-May 30, 2020 (OEI-01-20-00430) States conducted onsite surveys at 31 percent of nursing homes during March 23-May 30, 2020; however, States varied significantly. During the …
The phone rings early one Saturday morning; it’s the night shift nurse calling to tell you that Mrs. Jones has a large bruise on her chest and staff does not know how it occurred. What …
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 …
Note that there will be a related update to the Five Star Technical User’s Guide by Jan. 15, 2021. Memo # QSO-21-06-NH Posting Date 2020-12-04 Fiscal Year 2021 Summary The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid …
This includes four documents, one each for: record review, resident interview, resident observations, and resident representative interview. They walk through what the surveyors investigate/ask related to each care area during the initial pool to help …
Provider Matrix used in the Long-term Care Survey Process Effective Date: 11/21/20 Document/File Name Description of Change CMS-802 Includes suspected or confirmed COVID-19 under infections CMS-802 – Updated 11/25/2020 (PDF)
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, …
Writing a plan of correction that will be accepted by the state survey agency is the first half of the battle to deal with any citations that the survey team hands out on the statement …
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 …
CMS will retire the original Compare Tools on December 1st. Use Medicare.gov’s Care Compare to find and compare health care providers. In early September, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released Care Compare on Medicare.gov, …
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: …
A surveyor approaches the DNS and shares that the team is investigating an acquired pressure injury and preliminary findings suggest the facility has not met the requirements for F684, Quality Care. Unless the director of …
Question: What is the required temperature of refrigerators in resident rooms? Answer: This requirement may differ from state to state, so I recommend you check with your local or state health department for your state’s …
NHSN Long-Term Care COVID-19 Module — CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) added a Point of Care Laboratory Reporting Pathway within the NHSN Long-Term Care COVID-19 Module. This added capability enables CMS-certified long-term care facilities to meet …
Memo # QSO-21-02-NH Posting Date 2020-10-05 Fiscal Year 2021 CMS QSO Memo: Compliance with Residents’ Rights Requirement Related to Nursing Home Residents’ Right to Vote Summary • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) …
Question: What are the new emergency preparedness testing exercise requirements? Answer: CMS regulations for Emergency Preparedness require specific testing exercises be conducted to validate the facility’s emergency program. During or after an actual emergency, the …
Memo # 20-08-ALL REVISED Posting Date 2020-10-16 Fiscal Year 2021 Summary • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be transitioning certain certification enrollment functions performed by the CMS locations (formerly CMS …
Memo # QSO-20-40-LSC Posting Date 2020-09-24 Fiscal Year 2020 Summary • CMS regulation requires compliance with the 2012 edition of the NFPA Health Care Facilities Code (NFPA 99) for Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Critical Access Hospitals, …
The rate of nursing home complaints per 1,000 nursing home residents increased from 45 in 2015 to 52 in 2018. Twenty-one States failed to meet CMS’s timeliness threshold for the second-most serious level of complaints …
Surveyors arrive onsite for the annual survey and tour the facility. They overhear a nurse aide refer to a resident as “honey.” In the next room, they see a nurse completing a dressing change with …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires that all nursing homes have an emergency preparedness program. With disasters ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to wildfires and hurricanes seemingly around every corner, taking the …
Feel overwhelmed by all of the reports available on CASPER? AADNS’s new Guide to Primary CASPER Reports for the Director of Nursing Services tool highlights the primary reports of interest to the director of nursing services …
Question: What factors does nursing leadership in your facility review upon receiving an admission referral? Answer: There are a number of things that a DON must look at when reviewing a referral. Understanding what your …
Medicare and Medicaid Programs, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid …
National Training Program to Strengthen Nursing Home Infection Control Practices New training provides education on critical safety measures to keep residents safe The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing an unprecedented voluntary national …
By Jessica Kunkler, MA Having a loved one in a nursing home often inspires intense emotions. For many, regular visits and calls to their loved ones helps alleviate some of those feelings and puts their minds …
Live Q&A Sessions Advance Registration Required: Register here. Starting on August 20, using a pre-recorded, self-paced format, the new CMS-CDC Fundamentals of COVID-19 Prevention for Nursing Home Management training series will include 13 topics that nursing homes must know to manage …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will resume routine inspections of all Medicare and Medicaid certified providers and suppliers to improve the safety and quality of life of patients and residents. …
The Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131, is issued by providers (including independent laboratories, home health agencies, and hospices), physicians, practitioners, and suppliers to Original Medicare (fee for service) beneficiaries in situations where …
Assessing Trends Related to the Use of Psychotropic Drugs Previous OIG work found that elderly nursing home residents who were prescribed antipsychotic drugs—a type of psychotropic drug—were at risk for harm. CMS concurred with some …
Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are collecting a tremendous amount of data in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. When this data is translated into information, it becomes a powerful tool to evaluate performance, identify potential gaps …
Daily clinical rounds allow the nurse leader opportunities to connect with staff and residents, gain valuable information, reinforce consistency of standards, and model clinical leadership behaviors. The AADNS Daily Clinical Rounds tool assists the nurse …
Question: Is there an update for when annual surveys will be restarted? Answer: There was a recent QSOG posting: June 1, 2020 Ref: QSO-20-31-All COVID-19 Survey Activities, CARES Act Funding, Enhanced Enforcement for Infection Control deficiencies, …
Pink Book Series From https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/webinar-epv/index.html CDC is offering a series of weekly one-hour web-on-demand videos that will provide an overview of vaccination principles, general best practices, immunization strategies, and specific information about vaccine-preventable diseases and …
3-day inpatient qualifying hospital stay waiver Benefit period ending/renewal waiver New MLN Matters article reviews in detail which residents each waiver applies to, including some useful examples for the benefit period waiver. Also provides extensive …
Changes to Staffing Information and Quality Measures Posted on the Nursing Home Compare Website and Five Star Quality Rating System due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Memo #QSO 20-34-NH Posting Date 2020-06-25 Fiscal Year …
CMS approved additional state Medicaid waiver requests under Section 1135 of the Social Security Act (Act). The waivers were approved within days of states’ submitting them, and offer states new flexibilities to focus their resources …
The first wave of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is diminishing in many of the states that were hit first (e.g., New York) but growing in other states that initially escaped the worst of …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is aware of allegations that some nursing homes are seizing residents economic impact payments (or “Stimulus Checks”) authorized under the CARES Act. This practice is prohibited, and …
AANAC’s new interactive Physician Certification Tracker adjusts the certification signature due dates when the data entered indicates that a resident had an interrupted stay. This tool will help ensure your team remains in compliance with …
Even before COVID-19, infection prevention and control was a standard component of the long-term care survey process—and a frequent source of F-tag citations—because of residents’ significant vulnerability to infection. Note: For details, see the May …
Question: What staff members should be included in baseline COVID-19 testing? Answer: We are testing all who come in the facility at least once a week, including contract employees, consultants, etc. Interested in reading …
On June 4, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the first set of underlying coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) nursing home data. This data shows that as of May 31, 2020, about 13,600 …
On June 4, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the release of the results from the targeted inspections announced on March 4, 2020, to allow inspectors to focus on the most …
SUBJECT: Update to Chapter 1 of Publication (Pub.) 100-15 I. SUMMARY OF CHANGES: The purpose of this Change Request (CR) is to update section 1.19 within Chapter 1 in Pub. 100-15. EFFECTIVE DATE: July 21, …
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has tried to make it easier for dialysis providers to offer home dialysis to long-term care residents to reduce the risks of COVID-19 transmission. Note: For more …
