The Stoughton Journal interviewed Steven Tyer, Administrator at Copley at Stoughton, and Mass Senior Care Board Member about how the nursing facility is emerging and moving on from the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had heroes,” Tyer said. “You know who you could count on. Some of the aides worked 60-hour weeks during the darkest days of the pandemic.”

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) announced updated guidance for fully vaccinated individuals yesterday, AHCA/NCAL will host a webinar on August 11 at 3 PM Eastern focused on the recent report, Invest in Trust: A Guide for Building COVID-19 Vaccine Trust Among Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), Mass Senior Care wanted to make you are aware of a virtual job fair that the MassHire system is hosting on August 16-20, 10AM-2PM each day, and director of nursing Input needed for a palliative care study.

This memo addresses preparing for wave 4, the 7/23/2021 DPH Weekly COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Bulletin, and a virtual job fair that the MassHire system is hosting on August 16-20, 10AM-2PM each day.

With the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in MA and across the country, Mass Senior Care wants to remind members to stay vigilant in your precautions to keep your residents and staff safe and protected. Facilities should follow the most up-to-date CDC, CMS and DPH guidelines and ensure continued use of infection control protocols, including proper use of personal protective equipment (including source control masks), social distancing, screening staff and visitors and testing.

MassHealth has updated the application packet for health benefits for seniors and people needing long-term-care services (SACA-2), effective July 2021. The following changes were made in the July 2021 version of the SACA-2:

Massachusetts has begun the important work of transitioning the current paper-based MOLST Program to the much improved POLST electronic form and statewide electronic registry.

The Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) has issued to Massachusetts employers a COVID-19 Recovery Assessment Rate letter. This letter implements the legislative fix last May 28th that addressed the issue of higher than anticipated solvency assessments in the first quarter of calendar year 2021. Solvency assessments unexpectedly increased from .58 percent in 2020 to 9.23 percent in 2021.

The DPH has released guidance for a dialysis facility to provide home dialysis services to nursing home residents. The dialysis facility must do so under a written agreement with the nursing home. The dialysis facility must maintain direct responsibility for the dialysis related care and services provided to the nursing home residents.

On Tuesday, July 20, 2021, the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing heard public testimony on Mass Senior Care supported Nursing Home Stabilization and Nursing Home Quality Job Initiative bills Lawn. These bills would modernize the state’s nursing facility funding formula to better reflect the current cost of quality resident care, allow facilities to hire more staff and would establish a “quality job” for nursing facility staff by providing a living wage and career growth opportunity.