Category: Nursing Home Administrators

MU Leadership Development Academy for Long-Term Care

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MU Leadership Development Academy for Long-Term Care

  • April 2016 – October 2016:  Kansas City and Springfield

Enrollment is now open for the next professional development certificate program offered by the University of Missouri.  Long-term care can be challenging, but the academy will help you better manage daily crises and get the most out of your employees. The academy has been proven to increase leadership skills and improve confidence, which will help to create a working environment that encourages teamwork and quality improvement.

 

Please see the brochure and registration details on the MU Leadership Development Academy’s web page here.

Conversations with Carmen

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Conversations with Carmen

  • April 14, 2017:  From Annoyances to Conflict: How Much is Miscommunication Costing Your Organization?
  • Guest Presenter:  Ray Rusin, Quality Training Associates; Certified Workplace Conflict Mediator, retired RI Survey Agency Director

Day-to-day petty annoyances are experienced by each of us and are a fact of life. Without a strategic focus on recognizing and dealing with natural annoyances early, many grow into costly conflict events negatively impacting residents’ quality of care and quality of life.  We will discuss how ordinary annoyances interrupt the smooth operation of any organization, how to best prepare team members for coping with annoyances and ways to wisely handle any resulting conflicts. Find out what conflict may be costing your organization.

 

For more information and registration, please see the event details here.

S&C Memo 17-20-NH: Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program Update

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S&C Memo 17-20-NH: Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program Update

  • Total SFF slots and candidates for each State: The number of designated slots and candidates for FY 2017 (see Appendix A) will not change from those effective since May 1, 2014.
  • Initial selection notice: The State Survey Agency (SA) must notify the provider in writing of their SFF selection and conduct a meeting (either onsite or via telephone) with the nursing home’s accountable parties, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Regional Office (RO), if the RO wants to be included.
  • Graduation from the SFF program: Once an SFF has completed two consecutive standard surveys with no deficiencies cited at a scope and severity of “F” or greater (or “G” or greater for Life Safety Code (LSC) deficiencies), and has had no complaint surveys with deficiencies at “F” or greater (or “G” or greater for Life Safety Code (LSC) deficiencies) in between those two standard surveys, the facility will graduate from the SFF program. However, if the only deficiency preventing graduation is an “F” level deficiency for food safety requirements (42 CFR §483.60(i) Tag F371), the RO has discretion to allow the facility to graduate from the SFF program. F371 deficiencies at a “G” level or greater will prevent the facility from graduating from the SFF program.
  • Authority for termination: Consistent with longstanding authority, the CMS ROs may use discretionary termination for SFFs (or any facility) if necessary to protect resident health and safety.

 

Please see the S&C memo and appendices attached for more details or visit https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-20.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=1&DLSortDir=descending.

Nursing Home Quality Improvement Spotlight On…

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Reducing Antipsychotic Medication Use – Additional Resources

Multiple resources are available to educate staff about reducing antipsychotic medication use. Click on the following links for more information:

Consumer Voice Webinar

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Consumer Voice Webinar

  • March 15, 2017:  A Deeper Dive into the Revised Federal Nursing Home Regulations-Part II
  • Presenters:  Eric Carlson, Directing Attorney, Justice in Aging
    Toby Edelman, Senior Policy Attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy
    Robyn Grant, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, Consumer Voice
    Lori Smetanka, Executive Director, Consumer Voice

The Consumer Voice, Justice in Aging, and Center for Medicare Advocacy are continuing to examine the revised federal nursing home regulations the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released on October 4, 2016. In this webinar, we will take a closer look at the following sections of the revised regulations:

  • Admission, Return, and Bedhold
  • Visitation Rights
  • Rehabilitation Services

Join this webinar to hear experts from all three organizations discuss changes in the regulations and their impact on the care delivered to consumers.

 

Space is limited.  Register here.

Licensure and Certification Unit Update

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Licensure and Certification Unit Update

Effective immediately the Licensure and Certification Unit will be conducting business primarily by email. Licensure and Certification Unit staff will be contacting facilities and/or operators to obtain email addresses. Items that will be emailed to providers include the facility license, relicensure application reminder letters, and any other correspondence when possible. Facility administrators/operators shall print the facility license and post as required in Chapter 198.015.5, RSMo., “Licenses shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the licensed premises”, as copies will not be mailed. If you have any questions about this process, please email ltcapplication@health.mo.gov.

Nursing Home Quality Improvement Spotlight On…

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Reducing Inappropriate Use of Antipsychotic Medications – Full Assessment

To address the ongoing challenge of reducing inappropriate antipsychotic medications, staff on all shifts should fully assess and learn as much as possible about a resident, including interviewing the resident, family and friends. These steps assist staff in understanding the different behaviors a resident may exhibit. To learn more about assessing a resident’s goals and needs, click on the following links.

New Fact Sheets on Revised Federal Nursing Home Regulations

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New Fact Sheets on Revised Federal Nursing Home Regulations

Consumer Voice, along with Justice in Aging and Center for Medicare Advocacy, have released new issue briefs in our series on the revised federal nursing facility regulations. The fact sheets can help residents, family members and advocates better understand the regulations. New fact sheets cover:

Nursing Home Quality Improvement Spotlight On…

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Reducing Inappropriate Use of Antipsychotic Medications – Communication

Understanding dementia residents who are unable to communicate on the same level as others can aid in the reduction of inappropriate antipsychotic use. However, meeting their needs can become challenging if their behaviors are not understood. Click on the following links to learn more.

Action Pact Workshop

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Action Pact Workshop

  • March 9, 2017:  The recipe for Self-Led Teams
  • Location:  The Piper Assisted Living and Memory Care, Kansas City, KS

This interactive, experiential learning session will set you on the path to cooking up self-led teams in your environment. We all talk team and face the challenges of creating, maintaining and supporting teams. Team experience, shared leadership tools, and take away resources will flavor your own successful recipes for self-led teams. Don’t expect to sit still!

 

Please see the Action Pact event page for more information and registration.

MU Advanced Practice Assessment and Skills Workshop

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MU Advanced Practice Assessment and Skills Workshop

  • March 15-17, 2017: Second Annual Advanced Practice Assessment and Skills Workshop
  • Location: Pre-Conference at Sinclair School of Nursing (March 15)
                    Main Conference at Peachtree Banquet Center (March 16-17)

The purpose of the Advanced Practice Assessment and Skills Workshop (regular conference) is to enhance the knowledge and skills of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in all settings regarding how to assess, manage and treat commonly occurring health disorders across the lifespan. Hands-on workshops will be offered for advanced chest, abdominal and skeletal X-ray interpretation as well as basic and advance suturing. Topics will focus on the entire lifespan, including opioid addiction, chronic pain, ADHD, autism, geriatric mental health issues, common cardiac conditions, infectious diseases, antibiotic stewardship, skin assessment, and wound care techniques.

 

Please see the full description on the event page for more details.

Montessori for Aging and Dementia

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Montessori for Aging and Dementia

  • May 18-19, 2017:  Montessori for Aging and Dementia
  • Location:  The Montessori Training Center of St. Louis, St. Louis

Montessori for Aging and Dementia is an innovative approach to dementia care that can be adopted for individuals or groups as a philosophy of care. The goal of the Montessori program is to support people living with dementia by creating a prepared environment, filled with cues and memory supports, that enables individuals to care for themselves, others, their community, and their choices so that they may live as independently as possible. This two-day program focuses on the Montessori for Aging and Dementia program criteria as established by the AMI. Participants will receive handouts, a copy of the book I Care: A Handbook for Care Partners of People with Dementia and a certificate of completion from AMI.

 

Please see the brochure and registraion for more information.

Nursing Home Quality Improvement Spotlight On…

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Reducing Antipsychotic Medication Use 

Engaging residents in their care and providing treatment alternatives assists in reducing the unnecessary use of antipsychotics. Click on the following links to learn more about reducing the use of antipsychotic medications.

Nursing Home Quality Improvement Spotlight On…

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Staff Stability

Creating a quality-driven environment within a nursing home requires staff stability. Establishing processes, setting expectations and supporting staff are important aspects of this concept. Click on the following links to learn more about enhancing staff stability.

 

MC5 2017 Annual Conference

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SAVE THE DATE :  MC5 2017 Annual Conference

  • May 2-4, 2017:  Branching Out with Culture Change

Save the Date for the upcoming MC5 conference. Learn how to implement person-centered care while following the new regulations with Carmen Bowman, assess your risks and learn management strategies from Ray Miller, and understand the personal part of person-centered care with Karen Stobbe…along with a variety of other intensive speakers from around the adult-care continuum. This is one conference you don’t want to miss!! We will send out more information as it becomes available.

Nursing Home Quality Improvement Webinar

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Nursing Home Quality Improvement Webinar

  • February 2, 2017:  It Takes a Team: Reducing Antipsychotic Use
  • Presenter:  Elizabeth McManamy, RPh, CADDCT, CDP

Please join this webinar to learn strategies, including documentation and communication, for a team-based approach toward reducing antipsychotic medications.

 

Please see the event page here for registration.

The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care Webinar

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The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care Webinar

  • February 15, 2017:  A Deeper Dive into the Revised Federal Nursing Home Regulations – Part 1
  • Presenters:  Eric Carlson, Directing Attorney, Justice in Aging
    Toby Edelman, Senior Policy Attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy
    Robyn Grant, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, Consumer Voice
    Lori Smetanka, Executive Director, Consumer Voice

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its revised nursing home regulations. In this webinar, we will take a closer look at the following sections of the revised regulations:

  • Assessment, Care Planning & Discharge Planning
  • Transfer-Discharge
  • Nursing Services
  • Unnecessary and Antipsychotic Drugs

Join this webinar to hear Justice in Aging, Center for Medicare Advocacy and Consumer Voice discuss changes in the regulations and their impact on the care delivered to consumers.

 

Space is limited. Register now.

CMS Direction Regarding IDR’s

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CMS Direction Regarding IDR’s

The Section for Long Term Care had a conversation with CMS in 2016 regarding the IDR/IIDR Review Release Process. CMS Regions V and VII recently provided guidance on this topic. The Missouri IDR process for certified homes has been to send the Primaris decision letter along with our own letter upon review and completion of the IDR process. We have been instructed by CMS that the third party (Primaris) decision and rationale can no longer be shared with the providers. Following is an excerpt of this guidance. The S&C referenced below is attached for your review.

 

S&C Memo 12-08-NH provided Interim Advance Guidance for IIDRs and provided some information that is one of the bases for our decision to take this approach: “[T]he documents and written report created by the Independent IDR entity, the State and CMS, other than the final decision of the Independent IDR process, are pre-decisional and deliberative, and therefore are protected from disclosure under the deliberative process privilege. See EPA v. Mink, 410 U.S. 73, 88 (1973); see also 5 U.S.C. § 522(b)(5) (inter-agency and intra-agency memoranda and letters generated before adoption of final agency policy or decision are protected from disclosure under Exemption 5 of the Freedom of Information Act).” (Please note the correct U.S. Code citation is actually 5 U.S.C § 552(b)(5).) Therefore, CMS asserts this privilege to not disclose documents used in our deliberative processes. Although the quoted language from the S&C Memo is not in SOM Chapter 7, the rationale remains sound.

 

We have communicated with the IDR Contractor about this change. Primaris will no longer prepare a letter to the provider and will simply provide their decision and rationale through memo format. Our office will continue to review the Primaris information and prepare a letter to the providers with the final decision.  The Section will then forward the SLCR Decision letter to the provider. At no time can we disclose the Primaris decision and rationale. This change applies only to certified facilities. The process will not change for those facilities that are state-licensed only.

S&C: 17-17-ALL: Recommendations to Providers Regarding Cyber Security

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S&C: 17-17-ALL: Recommendations to Providers Regarding Cyber Security

Recommendations for Providers and Suppliers for Cyber Security: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is reminding providers and suppliers to keep current with best practices regarding mitigation of cyber security attacks. We have outlined resources to assist facilities in their reviews of their cyber security and IT programs.

 

Please see the attached for more information.  The S&C can also be found at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-17.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=1&DLSortDir=descending.