An AHRQ funded study on pressure ulcer prevention and treatment has been used to help frail older adults in Virginia remain at home instead of entering a nursing facility. VHQC, Medicare's Quality Innovation Network Quality Improvement Organization for both Virginia and Maryland, used the study results to train health care providers who deliver care through the Program of All Inclusive …
Fall Prevention – Avoiding F323 Citations
Don’t be a victim! Avoid citations related to F323! The interpretive guidelines clarify areas such as resident supervision, hazard identification and resident risk, falls, unsafe wandering/elopement, environmental assessment of hazards, and resident-to-resident altercations. The investigative protocol explains objectives and procedures surveyors will need for their investigation. Deficiency categorization provides severity guidance for the determination of the correct level of severity …
Infection Control Pilot Project
Memo # 16-05-ALL Posting Date 2015-12-23 Fiscal Year 2016 Memorandum Summary ” Project Overview: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun a three year pilot project to improve assessment of infection control and prevention regulations in nursing homes, hospitals, and during transitions of care. ” Survey details: All surveys during the pilot will be educational surveys (no …
AHCA/NCAL Applauds Supreme Court Decision Not to Review Skilled Nursing Care Center Arbitration Case
Washington, D.C. — The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) applauds the U.S. Supreme Court for reaffirming the principals, tenets and protections afforded to individuals under arbitration. The Association commented on the high court’s refusal to review a Texas Supreme Court case decision that holds that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) preempts the arbitration enforcement …
Rising Obesity Rates Put Strain on Nursing Homes
RED BAY, Ala. — At 72, her gray hair closely shorn, her days occupied by sewing and television, Wanda Chism seems every bit a typical nursing home patient — but for her size. Ms. Chism is severely obese, unable to leave her bed without a mechanical lift and a team of nurses. She has not walked in years. Her life …
AHRQ – Free Continuing Education for Providers
AHRQ offers continuing education (CE) and continuing medical education (CME) videos and articles on a range of health care topics including patient safety and patient-centered outcomes research findings. The CE/CME activities summarize reviews of evidence on the effectiveness and safety of treatments and strategies for improving patient care. Some of the available topics include: · Preventing falls in facilities · …
Expanded AGS Beers Criteria Offer New Guidance, Tools for Safer Medication Use Among Older Adults
Reflecting expert review of 6,700 studies, updates to the AGS Beers Criteria-one of the American Geriatrics Society's most frequently cited references-will enhance care quality as a platform for considering the risks and benefits of certain medications New York, N.Y. (Oct. 8, 2015)-The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today released its second updated and expanded Beers Criteria-lists of potentially inappropriate …
Free from Harm: Accelerating Patient Safety Improvement Fifteen Years After To Err Is Human
Report of an Expert Panel Convened by the National Patient Safety Foundation Fifteen years after the Institute of Medicine brought public attention to the issue of medical errors and adverse events, patient safety concerns remain a serious public health issue that must be tackled with a more pervasive response. With a grant from AIG, the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) …
CMS Should Continue to Improve Data and Oversight
What GAO Found In recent years, trends in four key sets of data that give insight into nursing home quality show mixed results, and data issues complicate the ability to assess quality trends. Nationally, one of the four data sets—consumer complaints—suggests that consumers’ concerns over quality have increased, while the other three data sets—deficiencies, staffing levels, and clinical quality measures—indicate …
Focused Dementia Care Survey Tools
Memorandum Summary Focused Dementia Care Survey Pilot: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) completed a pilot project in 2014 to examine the process for prescribing antipsychotic medications and assess compliance with other federal requirements related to dementia care practices in nursing homes. Additionally, it was initiated to gain new insights about surveyor knowledge and skills and ways …