Educational Webinar on New Nursing Home Facility Assessment Requirements Scheduled for May 15th
The first impact of the federal nursing home staffing rule that is scheduled for publication on May 10th will be changes regarding facility assessments. The final rule establishes specific enhancements to the current facility assessment requirements pertaining to staffing needs. Facilities will need to come into compliance with those changes by Aug. 8, 2024.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) indicates that facility assessments help ensure that long-term care (LTC) facilities develop thoughtful, informed staffing plans to meet the needs of their specific residents based on case mix and other factors. The current requirements for the facility assessment require each LTC facility to conduct and document a facility-wide assessment to determine what resources are necessary to care for its resident population competently during both day-to-day operations and emergencies. It must be reviewed and updated annually, as necessary, and whenever the facility plans for or has any change in its facility or population that would require a substantial change to any part of the assessment. The assessment must address or include evaluation of the resident population, the facility’s resources, and a facility-based and community-based risk assessment that utilizes the all-hazards approach.
The facility assessment provisions of the rule:
- clarify that facilities must use evidence-based methods when care planning, including consideration of those residents with behavioral health needs;
- require the use of the facility assessment to assess the specific needs of each resident in the facility and to adjust as necessary based on any significant changes in the resident population;
- require facilities to develop a staffing plan to maximize recruitment and retention of staff; and
- require the active participation of the nursing home leadership and management including a member of the governing body, the medical director, an administrator, and the director of nursing as well as direct care staff including, but not limited to, registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs)/licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), nurse aides (NAs), representatives of direct care staff, and staff who provide other services. The facility must also solicit and consider input received from residents, resident representatives, and family members.
LeadingAge will host a webinar titled Federal Staffing Mandate: Preparing for the Facility Assessment Expansion on Wed., May 15th from 2-3:30 p.m. LeadingAge and Pathway Health will give a detailed overview of the new requirements, key compliance dates, and how best to prepare your staff and organization for the changes. LeadingAge is updating the current facility assessment toolkit to meet the enhanced requirements of the staffing mandate rule and will make it available to all members. Registration for the May 15th webinar, which does require a nominal fee, is available here.
A summary of the provision of the final federal staffing rule that establishes minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes is available here.
Contact: Darius Kirstein, dkirstein@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8841