Long-Term Care Survey Alert
SURVEYORS PREPARE FOR NEW SOM INSTRUCTIONS
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Heads up, nursing homes: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is busy updating Chapter 7 of the State Operations Manual, and facilities - and surveyors - can expect a few changes in the upcoming year. That's according to Anne Hall, assistant regional counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services. Hall, who spoke at the American Health Lawyers Association's recent Long-Term Care and the Law conference, said that her predictions didn't reflect HHS official policy. Still, her outline provided some idea of what facilities should keep an eye out for in upcoming months. CMS' proposed revisions to Chapter 7 will contain no new policies, Hall related. But the revisions will incorporate all guidance, including Q&As, issued since its last update; additional processing details dealing with complaints; and a new section on self-reported incidents. References to the Health Care Financing Administration will be updated to reflect the agency's name change. Chapter 7 will also incorporate CMS' revisit policy, issued May 2001. The guidance, which dictates how CMS and state officials can verify a return to compliance after violations have been found, allows remedies to be stopped with an onsite revisit, Hall explained.
Long-Term Care Survey Alert
- Survey Management:
CONDUCT SURVEY DRILLS TO LESSEN FEAR FACTOR
When it comes to surveys, often the biggest thing your facility has to fear is [...] - Oral Health:
TAKE THESE 6 STEPS TO IMPROVE RESIDENTS ORAL HEALTH
Nursing facilities that neglect residents oral health leave themselves wide open to survey sanctions that [...] - Oral Health:
EXPLORE VARIOUS MODELS FOR PROVIDING DENTAL SERVICES
Nursing facilities aren't disputing that elderly nursing home residents should be getting regular dental checkups [...] - Oral Health:
WATCH OUT FOR THESE F TAGS FOR ORAL HEALTH DEFICIENCIES
Surveyors have been instructed to consider the following F tags for the statement of deficiencies [...] - Infection Control:
FOOD TEMPERATURE A NEW HOT SPOT FOR IMMEDIATE JEOPARDY
Infection control generally conjures images of nursing staff taking a patient's temperature not the temperature [...] - Infection Control:
INFECTION CONTROL CHECKLIST FOR THE KITCHEN
Raymond Otero, an infection control consultant in Richmond, KY, suggests facilities maintain an infection control [...] - Abuse Prevention:
THE INSIDE SECRETS FOR SCREENING NURSING APPLICANTS EFFECTIVELY
Selecting the right nursing staff is the most important step a facility can take toward [...] - Accreditation:
NEW JCAHO CERTIFICATION PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY FOR SPECIAL CARE PROGRAMS
Does your nursing facility have a cutting edge dementia care, pain management or other type [...] - Infection Control:
CDC DRAFT HAND HYGIENE GUIDELINES SKIP THE SOAP
If your facility staff associates clean hands with lots of water and lather, that may [...] - Federal Developments:
GAO URGES STRICTER REPORTING FOR RESIDENT ABUSE
Nursing home providers should get ready to face tougher reporting requirements for incidents involving physical [...] - Survey & Certification:
NURSING HOME COMPARE SITE COULD REPORT MORE VIOLATIONS
Many nursing home providers worry that Web sites give the public too much information about [...] - Staffing:
HHS CONCLUDES STAFFING RATIOS NOT CURRENTLY FEASIBLE
The second half of the long-awaited Department of Health & Human Services nursing home staffing [...] - Survey Enforcement:
SURVEYORS PREPARE FOR NEW SOM INSTRUCTIONS
Heads up, nursing homes: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is busy updating Chapter [...] - Clinical Developments:
STEM CELLS REVERSE STROKE EFFECTS
Researchers are getting closer to developing ways to repair the human brain, and treatments under [...] - Clinical Developments:
FOLIC ACID MAY KEEP ALZHEIMERS AT BAY
A folic acid deficiency that has been linked previously to an increased risk of Parkinsons [...] - Pharmacology:
STUDY SUGGESTS ANNUAL OSTEOPOROSIS TREATMENT EFFECTIVE
An annual intravenous osteoporosis treatment may stave off the bone-thinning disease that affects 10 million [...] - Staffing:
AHCA OFFERS CNA SCREENING TEST
Theres no crystal ball that can tell you whether or not your best staff will [...]