The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) published a final rule on Improving Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses. This rule, effective January 1, 2024, modifies existing requirements for reporting workplace injuries and illnesses. This rule directly impacts long term care (LTC) facilities (skilled nursing, assisted living, and intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled (ID/DD)) with more than 100 employees.
Tag: #AHCANCAL
AHCA Publishes New Behavioral Health Resource
AHCA’s Clinical Practice Committee has published a Quick Guide to Behavioral Health Resources in LTC. This guide provides a comprehensive list of free Behavioral Health resources for Long Term Care (LTC) providers. LTC providers seeking assistance and support on promoting or managing behavioral health issues among residents are encouraged to check out this guide.
These resources can be used directly by the facility and shared with residents and their families.
Preparing for Fall Vaccinations in Long Term Care
As fall approaches, long-term care (LTC) providers should be preparing to vaccinate their residents and staff against common respiratory viruses. There are three vaccines that providers should be aware of and prepared to offer to their staff and residents:
- Influenza
- COVID-19
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
Below is a summary of clinical considerations and administration of each vaccine, other regulatory considerations, and resources to help promote uptake. This reflects information available to date, but more information is expected to be released in the coming months from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), Health and Human Services (HHS), and other relevant agencies. This blog post will be continually updated as new recommendations and considerations are released.
Bullying Among Seniors: A Prevention and Surveillance Guide – Updated Resource!
Bullying isn’t limited to the playground. Assisted living communities care for millions of seniors with diverse backgrounds and unique needs and behaviors. Bullying and its adverse effects have received greater focus in recent years, creating a need to have systems and processes in place to prevent bullying among seniors living in long term care.
For this reason, NCAL has updated the Bullying Among Seniors: A Prevention and Surveillance Guide. This guide will help organizations understand:
- What bullying is
- How to identify bullying
- Why bullying might occur
- Victim risk factors
- How to create a positive environment
- How to respond to incidents of bullying
Skin and Wound Care Program Essentials
Making sure that your skin and wound care program is comprehensive and updated is essential to increasing positive outcomes, reducing risk, and saving on costs. Hear more from Melissa Morgan, clinical resource manager at Medline Industries.
CMS Creates a SNF 5-Claim Probe and Educate Review Webpage
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the start of the SNF (skilled nursing facility) 5-Claim Probe & Educate Review program. As part of the effort to lower the SNF improper payment rate, Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) will be reviewing a small number of claims from every Medicare-billing SNF in the country. The SNF will then be offered education to address any errors identified, helping them to avoid future claim denials and adjustments.
Find out more by going to https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Blog/Pages/CMS-Creates-a-SNF-5-Claim-Probe-and-Educate-Review-Webpage-.aspx
Get Ready for National Assisted Living Week 2023!
National Assisted Living Week® (NALW) 2023 is quickly approaching, so make plans now to celebrate! Gerald Hamilton, Chair at the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), has a few words of encouragement in this short video message to help you get started.
CMS Final Rule Removes COVID-19 Testing and Staff Vaccination Requirements
This rule will be effective 60 days after it is published in the federal register, which is scheduled to happen on June 5, 2023.
Read more at https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Blog/Pages/CMS-Final-Rule-Removes-COVID-19-Testing-and-Staff-Vaccination-Requirements.aspx
Collaboration Is Key to Effective Pain Management
Recent estimates indicate more than half of residents in nursing homes suffer from chronic pain. Yet multiple studies over the years show it remains largely undertreated.
That’s not suprising, given the challenges of pain management across the population generally. There’s simply no clear way to measure pain. And identifying the source can be just as tricky.
In senior communities, particularly in nursing homes, there are additional complexities—from residents living with cognitive impairments and communication limitations to access to diagnostic and specialty services.
Making sure pain is being properly evaluated and treated requires a coordinated and personalized approach involving the residents’ doctors, specialists, therapists, nursing center staff, and families.
Read more at https://www.providermagazine.com/Articles/Pages/Collaboration-Is-Key-to-Effective-Pain-Management.aspx
The Spring Gero Nurse Prep Sale is Almost Over!
The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living’s Gero Nurse Prep course significantly increases RNs’ gerontological nursing competency test scores. Registrant’s can save $200 on Gero Nurse Prep through June 1, 2023 with promo code GNP4QUALITY (all caps).
Specifically designed for registered nurses working in long term care, this curriculum provides comprehensive online training that leads to board certification in gerontological nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for RNs.
Repeated research conducted by AHCA/NCAL since 2016 finds compelling reasons to consider the Gero Nurse Prep course and ANCC Board certification for RNs. Nursing facilities with at least one ANCC Board certified RN experienced:
- Fewer deficiencies on average
- Fewer Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) citations
- More stars — nearly twice as likely to be a CMS 5-Star facility
- Lower re-hospitalization rates
Gero Nurse Prep makes a big difference even for those RNs who are not interested in pursuing ANCC Board certification. Nurses who complete Gero Nurse Prep show an average 24 percent increase between their pre- and post-course test scores. Quite simply, Gero Nurse Prep delivers smarter RNs who are better prepared to deliver quality geriatric nursing care in skilled nursing and assisted living settings. Both two-year RNs and BSNs can take the Gero Nurse Prep course and sit for the ANCC exam.
RNs have one year to complete Gero Nurse Prep and earn 30 quality nursing contact hours – enough to meet the criteria for taking the ANCC certification exam. Gero Nurse Prep grads who choose to sit for the ANCC gerontological nursing certification exam ($395 separate fee paid to ANCC) have a pass rate of 95% on their first try. RNs who pass the ANCC exam can then use the GERO-BC™ credential after their RN credential.
Watch this video or visit the website at geronurseprep.com to learn more about this online program designed to help RNs increase their geriatric nursing skills and to pass the ANCC exam. And don’t forget to use the GNP4QUALITY promo code when registering by June 1 to save $200 off the regular $790 Gero Nurse Prep registration fee.