Category: CMS

Targeted COVID-19 Training for Nursing Homes.

Nursing home providers can now participate in an “unprecedented” infection control training program designed to help them better manage COVID-19 in their facilities.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released details about the program Tuesday. The program was originally announced in late July as part of an additional $5 billion in coronavirus relief funding for nursing homes.

The program, which is available immediately to all Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes, is a tailored course that incorporates the most recent lessons learned by nursing homes during the ongoing pandemic. It also features best practices that frontline workers can implement to fight COVID-19 in their facilities, CMS Administrator Seema Verma explained during a press call Tuesday.

Read more at https://bit.ly/3llaby5

For more information or to register https://qsep.cms.gov/COVID-Training-Instructions.aspx

 

CMS: 6 Steps Nursing Homes Can Take to Avoid Preventable Harm.

A new federal report delves into the first steps nursing home leaders can take to avoid preventable harm to their residents. This 60-page resource from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services was released late last year and created with the Quality Innovation Network National Coordinating Center.

The report also includes a two-page appendix with six strategies SNFs can pursue to get started.

  1. Shore Up Staffing.
  2. Know the residents and their needs and plan care with them.
  3. Prevent, identify, and address gaps in care.
  4. Promote excellent multidisciplinary team work.
  5. Provide tangible leadership engagement with staff and residents.
  6. Ensure excellent, competent, available, continuous care—onsite.