Blissfield Place Assisted Living During our search for HealthCap Heroes, we recently received a note from Maureen Smith from Blissfield Place Assisted Living, wanting to recognize her amazing leader, Amy Hoffman. She shared how much her work, attitude, and effort has affected both residents and staff, and explained the effect such a positive attitude has had. Aside from initiating fun …
FDA warns of risk of methanol contamination in certain hand santitizers: A sharp increase in methanol contamination in hand sanitizers has led the FDA to issue a warning to consumers and health care providers about the toxic substance. Whether absorbed through the skin or ingested, methanol can cause a host of problems with varied severity, from mild effects such as …
As the nation begins the journey to a “new normal” we are celebrating and grieving at the same time. Many people are struggling with the loss of loved ones, loss of employment, restrictions in activities and the freedom to move about. During this challenging page in history, we need to be mindful that people respond differently to stressful situations and …
The question of “should we be using video cameras?” is one we hear frequently, should we have them, should we not, can we use them in common areas, can residents have them in their rooms, etc.? In a few venues, the law requires a provider to allow video cameras in resident rooms, but in most states, the law is silent …
This is a challenging time for our Activities and Life Enrichment teams as well as our caregivers/frontline healthcare workers. In an effort to assist with preventing isolation, maintaining activity pursuits and preventing boredom, here are a few ideas to get some fun and energy back in our days! Hallway Bingo – set residents up in their doorways in chairs/wheelchairs with …
What steps should nursing homes take before reopening to visitors? Nursing homes should continue to follow CMS and CDC guidance for preventing the transmission of COVID-19, and follow state and local direction. Because nursing home residents are especially vulnerable, CMS does not recommend reopening facilities to visitors (except for compassionate care situations) until phase three when: There have been no …
During this time of fear, anxiety and pain, we are also faced with making decisions that could impact the future of assisted living. We continue to actively focus on caring for our residents who are at high risk for infection while also protecting our staff and providing a safe work environment for them. Most assisted living centers are not prepared …
COVID-19 Guidance It is imperative for facilities to be able to demonstrate the actions they have taken (and continue to take) to protect residents in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The best way to do this is via documentation. Having a “COVID-19 Response” file to record and store copies of documents will keep a timeline of the preventative actions they …
On Friday, March 13, 2020, the President declared a national emergency which triggered the Secretary’s ability to authorize waivers or modifications of certain requirements pursuant to section 1135 of the Social Security Act (the Act). Under section 1135(b)(5) of the Act, CMS is prioritizing surveys, including infection control surveys for nursing homes. This toolkit includes the survey preparation checklist, entrance …
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has instructed Medicare Administrative Contactors and notified Medicare Advantage plans to cover coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) laboratory tests for nursing home residents and patients. This instruction follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent update of COVID-19 testing guidelines for nursing homes that provides recommendations for testing of nursing …
