CMS Works to Improve Safety, Quality Care for LTC Residents

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued updates to guidance on minimum health and safety standards that long-term care (LTC) facilities must meet to participate in Medicare and Medicaid to promote the safety and quality of nursing home (NH) care across the country.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted, we have a pressing moral responsibility to ensure that residents of long-term care facilities are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. 

To address issues that substantially impact residents of LTC facilities CMS also revamped and developed new guidance in the state operations manual (SOM).

CMS added new requirements for surveyors to incorporate the use of payroll-based journal staffing data for their inspections to begin helping address the staffing issue during the current rulemaking process. According to CMS, this will aid in identifying potential noncompliance with CMS’s nurse staffing requirements including a lack of licensed nursing for 24 hours a day and lack of a registered nurse for 8 hours each day.

CMS also puts an emphasis on the role of the infection preventionist (IP) in the facility’s efforts to mitigate the onset and spread of infections. CMS will provide further guidance requiring each facility to have an IP who has specialized training to effectively oversee the facility’s infection prevention and control program.

To better meet the needs of LTC facility residents with mental health and substance use challenges, the updates make improvements to CMS guidance for mental health and substance use disorder and build upon the existing Behavioral Health Strategy.

CMS shared the benefits of reducing the number of residents in each room, which will prevent infections and gives residents a right to privacy and a homelike environment.

Facilities are encouraged to explore ways to allow for more single occupancy rooms for nursing home residents and consider making changes to their settings to allow for a maximum of double occupancy in each room.

“CMS will hold nursing homes accountable and make the quality of care and facility ownership more transparent so that potential residents and their loved ones can make informed decisions about care,” wrote CMS.

Reference:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS issues significant updates to improve the safety and quality care for long-term care residents and calls for reducing room crowding. Published online June 29, 2022. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-issues-significant-updates-improve-safety-and-quality-care-long-term-care-residents-and-calls