The DPH released guidance on Organizational Policies and Procedures for Mitigating Respiratory Illness after the expiration of the PHE. Health care facilities must continue to identify and monitor respiratory illness metrics to indicate when there are increased levels which may necessitate implementing additional infection control measures. One possible metric is the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) Wastewater COVID-19 Tracking which measures the SARS-CoV2 levels.
On June 18, 2024 CMS released the revised guidance for the Long-term Care Facility Assessment regulation (QSO-24-13-NH), as part of the federal staffing mandate. The revision to the facility assessment regulation at F838 takes effect and must be implemented by August 8, 2024.
These additional on-site dialysis centers will have a positive impact on residents who require this life-saving care and who will no longer have to travel offsite multiple days per week.
The Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2024 awards! Please encourage your employees to take advantage of this opportunity and post the program flyer in your facility. The due date for applications is Friday, August 2, 2024.
Member Update: Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting; COVID-19 Reporting Requirements; IRS Will Extend Moratorium on Processing Employee Retention Credit Claims Filed After September 14, 2023
Mass Senior Care will once again be offering AHCA/NCAL Quality Award workshops to help members better understand how to complete the application from beginning to end with coaching support along the way from expert trainers.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Nurse Aide Registry Services (NARS), through its testing vendor, D&S Diversified Technologies – HEADMASTER (“D&S”), will begin offering the nurse aide certification exam in Spanish and Chinese, in addition to English, starting July 1, 2024.
Antipsychotic medications remain an area of high focus for CMS as well as the state with MassHealth audits being performed by Optum beginning this month.