AHCA/NCAL – AHCA/NCAL Gero Nurse Prep

Extraordinary Care for Special Populations

With the right training, process, and resources, long term caregivers can confidently treat residents with opioid use disorder, chronic mental health challenges, and traumatic brain injuries.

https://www.providermagazine.com/Issues/2024/Winter/Pages/Extraordinary-Care-for-Special-Populations.aspx

OIG Releases Nursing Facility Compliance Program Guidance

The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) published its General Compliance Program Guidelines document (GCPG) in November of 2023, with updates to industry specific guidelines to follow in 2024. This week, the OIG published the updated Nursing Facility Industry Segment Specific Compliance Guidelines (Nursing Facility ICPG). This is the first update to the Nursing Facility ICPG since 2008.

With this update, the OIG has sought to modernize its approach to the compliance program guidelines by using a more user-friendly and accessible format, providing general program guidelines alongside industry specific guidelines, and making the guidance available on its website with interactive links to resources.

The purpose of the compliance guidelines is to help nursing facilities identify their own risks and implement an effective compliance and quality program to reduce those risks. The guidelines are voluntary and non-binding, meaning they do not represent a regulatory requirement. The OIG also notes that the guidelines are not one-size fits all and must be tailored to the unique nature of each facility.

The OIG develops compliance program guidance as “voluntary, nonbinding guidance documents to support health care industry stakeholders in their efforts to self-monitor compliance with applicable laws and program requirements.” These include CPGs directed at 11 different sectors of the health care industry, one of which is nursing facilities.

In the Nursing Facility ICPG, OIG has paid special attention to four risk areas. Within each risk area, the OIG explains the relevance of the topic, cites the requirements of participation (RoP) or other applicable laws that relate to that topic area, and provides recommendations for mitigating those risks. The four risk areas are as follows:

Quality of Care and Quality of Life

Medicare and Medicaid Billing Requirements

Federal Anti-Kickback Statute

Other Risk Areas

AHCA recommends members review the Nursing Facility ICPG with special attention on risk areas that are relevant to their operations. AHCA is also working on additional educational training to support members’ understanding and application of these guidelines.

New #GetVaccinated Promotional Graphics and Posters Now Available

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) has released new promotional materials to support its #GetVaccinated campaign for the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season.

These resources, including downloadable posters and graphics, are designed to encourage residents, staff, and caregivers to stay up to date with their immunizations for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. Posters can be displayed throughout your facility or printed as flyers to share with residents and families. The graphics, located under the Communication and Promotion section of GetVaccinated.us, are also perfect for newsletters, websites, or social media.

The #GetVaccinated campaign, supported by Moderna, equips long term care providers with tools to protect their communities year-round. AHCA/NCAL also collaborates with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Risk Less. Do More. campaign to promote the latest vaccine recommendations.

The campaign also features the public service announcement (PSA) video, “Stronger Together,” which highlights how vaccination helps us safely enjoy life’s special moments. Available in 30-second and 15-second formats, the PSA can be used on closed-circuit television or shared on social media.

Visit GetVaccinated.us to explore these resources and enhance your vaccination efforts today.

Sale Ends November 15!

The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living’s Gero Nurse Prep course significantly increases RNs’ gerontological nursing competency test scores. Registrants can save $200 on Gero Nurse Prep through November 15, 2024 with promo code GEROBC24 (all caps).

Research conducted by AHCA/NCAL in 2023 found 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:

Lower rehospitalization rates for short stay and long stay residents

Fewer deficiencies on average

Fewer Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) citations

More stars — twice as likely to be a CMS 5-Star facility (44% versus 19%)

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.

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 competent 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 94% 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. And don’t forget to use the GEROBC24 promo code when registering by November 15 to save $200 off the regular $790 Gero Nurse Prep registration fee.

The Big Fall Sale on Gero Nurse Prep Ends November 15!

Lower rehospitalization rates for short stay and long stay residents

Fewer deficiencies on average

Fewer Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) citations

More stars — twice as likely to be a CMS 5-Star facility (44% versus 19%)

CDC Updates Guidance for COVID and Pneumonia Vaccines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Mandy Cohen has endorsed two new recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the COVID and pneumonia vaccines.

NEW COVID Recommendations:

People 65 years and older, as well as those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, should receive a second dose of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first dose.

The updated guidance provides flexibility, allowing additional doses (e.g., three or more) for individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, in consultation with their health care provider (a strategy known as shared clinical decision-making).

The CDC states that data continue to confirm the importance of vaccination in protecting those most at risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Receiving the recommended 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine can restore and enhance protection against the virus variants currently causing the majority of infections and hospitalizations in the United States. COVID-19 vaccination also reduces the chance of developing Long COVID, a condition that can occur during or after acute infection and persist for an extended period.

NEW Pneumonia Recommendation:

Lowering the age for pneumococcal vaccination from 65 to 50 years.

The CDC explains that lowering the age for pneumococcal vaccination allows more adults to protect themselves from pneumococcal disease at the age when the risk of infection significantly increases. Pneumococcal bacteria can cause serious illnesses, including pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. Older adults are at a heightened risk for pneumococcal disease.

Visit the CDC website for more information. Additional vaccine resources and news can also be found at AHCA/NCAL’s GetVaccinated.us.

Need to Demonstrate Gerontological Nursing Competency?

Lower rehospitalization rates for short stay and long stay residents
Fewer deficiencies on average
Fewer Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) citations
More stars — twice as likely to be a CMS 5-Star facility (44% versus 19%)

How AI Can Help Differentiate Between a UTI or Dementia

Staff, administrators, and medical professionals in senior care communities are acutely aware of the increased frequency of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among older adults and how often they are misdiagnosed as signs of dementia.

While these two diagnoses are separate, they are inextricably linked based on overlapping symptoms. One of the most significant and obvious overlapping symptoms is a sudden increase in confusion. This often presents as delirium and explains why many jump to a diagnosis of dementia before testing for a UTI. Other overlapping symptoms include increased agitation, withdrawal, and difficulty concentrating. Yet diagnosis can be further challenging because the typical physical symptoms of a UTI, such as a burning sensation during urination, may not be present in older adults.

Read the full article at https://www.providermagazine.com/Articles/Pages/How-AI-Can-Help-Differentiate-Between-a-UTI-or-Dementia.aspx

Gero Nurse Prep is now on sale!

Lower rehospitalization rates for short stay and long stay residents
Fewer deficiencies on average
Fewer Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) citations
More stars — twice as likely to be a CMS 5-Star facility (44% versus 19%)

Visit the AHCA/NCAL Gero Nurse Prep booth at Delivering Solutions 24.

We are exhibiting at the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo, October 6-9, 2024, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando FL. Come visit us at booth #623 and find out how Gero Nurse Prep can help you demonstrate gerontological nursing competency. Want to know more now? Visit our website at https://www.geronurseprep.com/