KHCA/KCAL is committed to providing our members with important updates. Below is a list of the most recent COVID-19 updates. Please visit our website for a list of complete updates.
www.khca.org
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On April 24, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a
memo
(
QSO-20-28-NH
)
with updates on Nursing Home Compare (NHC), Five Star, public staffing information, and a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Inspection Domain of Five Star Quality Rating System Will NOT be Updated Due to Prioritization of Surveys
CMS will temporarily hold constant the inspection domain of Five Star to prevent an unequal impact on the rating for those facilities who receive a survey during this time. This freeze will begin with the scheduled Nursing Home Compare update on April 29, 2020.
CMS will post the results of any health inspections conducted on or after March 4, 2020, on the landing page of Nursing Home Compare, but they will not be used to calculate a center’s Five Star inspection rating.
The Quality Measure and Staffing domains of Five Star will be updated on April 29 as they are not impacted by the
CMS blanket waivers
because they rely on data from before March 1, 2020.
Release of Certain Staffing Information
CMS will use Payroll-Based Journal staffing data to publicly report the average number of staff onsite at each nursing home each day (both nursing staff and total staff) and will also post aggregated data at a state and national level. The publicly posted information will include all staff listed in section 2.3, Table 1 of the
PBJ Policy Manual
.
This information will be based on data submitted for the fourth quarter of 2019. CMS states this information can be used to help local, state, and federal agencies’ plan for how much personal protective equipment (PPE), testing and other resources providers may need. Providers can also use this information along with the
CDC PPE burn rate calculator
.
CMS FAQs
The memo includes a FAQ document that addresses CMS guidance in the areas of visitation, surveys, waivers, and more. The FAQs provide information on topics including:
- Individuals entering and leaving the nursing center, including visits by health care personnel, visitation for compassionate care situations, and residents who want to leave the facility against medical advice;
- Surveys and infection control self-assessment, including the ongoing suspension of standard surveys and the recommended use of the infection control focused survey protocol for self-assessment on infection control practices and preparedness;
- Waivers of Federal requirements including those related to in-facility and inter-facility cohorting; and,
- Additional information on resident cohorting, separation and admission.
CMS reminds providers that a negative test for COVID-19 is not a prerequisite for discharging a resident to a nursing home from the hospital; however, consistent with current guidance, admissions decisions should be made based on the resident’s clinical status and the ability of the accepting facility to meet their care needs and infection control requirements. Providers who can’t meet the needs of the residents due to PPE, staffing or other issues should not accept the person.
CMS is allowing civil money penalty (CMP) funds to be used for purchasing devices such as tablets or web-cams as well as accessories, with a maximum of $3,000 allowed per facility to help with communications between residents and their families or friends. To apply to receive CMP funds for this purpose, contact your
state agency’s CMP contact
.
Questions
For questions related to the Nursing Home Compare website and the Five Star Quality Rating System, please email
[email protected]
.
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KHCA Announces Life Safety "Life-Line" During COVID-19 Management
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Kansas Health Care Association understands that members are experiencing Life Safety Code issues during the management of COVID-19. To address this matter, we have developed a new program to help providers navigate through the challenges of compliance in the current environment of care. Issues pertaining to the execution of fire drills, scheduled inspection, testing and maintenance of critical fire and life safety systems, use and storage of ABHR solution and other code compliance issues have likely emerged in all facilities. KHCA has engaged Stan Szpytek of Fire and Life Safety, Inc. (FLS) to provide a
virtual presentation
on
May 6, 2020 from 1:30 - 3:00
to discuss "Life Safety Code Issues During COVID-19 Management." To further support our providers, all provider will have e-mail and telephone access to Stan's consultative services at no charge until July 15, 2020 to discuss facility-specific questions regarding Life Safety Code Compliance.
To learn more about Stan's virtual presentation and to register, please
click here
.
You can access "Stan on Demand" at FLS on his mobile number- (708) 707-6363 or email him at
[email protected]
.
Click here
to read McKnight's LTC News article:
Focus on Life Safety During the Management of COVID-19
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“Our staff is pushed to the limit, they don’t have the right protective equipment and the amount that they need,” said Kansas Health Care Association President and CEO Linda MowBray. “We need help and we’re reaching out to say, ‘Don’t forget about us.'”
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Kansas Health Care Association and the Kansas Center for Assisted Living
1100 SW Gage Blvd Topeka, KS 66604
PH: 785-267-6003 FAX: 785-267-0833
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