Various Emergency Regulations Republished with Some Notable Changes and Clarifications
LeadingAge NY has been monitoring the various emergency regulations being published by the Department of Health (DOH) as they relate to our members and has been advocating for changes to make the requirements more feasible and reasonable. Last week, the Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) was asked to consider several emergency regulations, on which LeadingAge NY again submitted comments. Our advocacy generated significant discussion with the group, with some notable impacts. Click the below links for a summary of the discussed regulations and any changes or clarifications received as a result:
- Nursing Home Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Stockpiles and Surge and Flex Health Care Coordination
- The republished regulations took effect on July 30th and will expire after 60 days, unless they are readopted. Although effective July 30th, the PPE regulation gives nursing homes until Aug. 31, 2021 to possess the required stockpile.
- Vaccinations of Nursing Home and Adult Care Facility (ACF) Residents and Personnel
- The PHHPC also discussed the personal caregiver and compassionate caregiver regulation, but we have not seen a republication as of yet. We do not anticipate any changes to that regulation. As a reminder, while much of the requirements of this regulation are not in effect unless there is a declared public health emergency, ACFs and nursing homes must have policies and procedures in place and should have documented each resident’s choice of identified personal caregivers and compassionate caregivers. This should be revisited with the resident quarterly in the nursing home and every six months in the ACF.
Please let us know what questions or concerns you have regarding the regulations, and we will continue to advocate on your behalf.
Contact: Diane Darbyshire, ddarbyshire@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8828