Fifteen Mass Senior Care member facilities are being recognized with a 2017 Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). The award is the first of three distinctions possible through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program, which honors long term and post-acute care providers that have demonstrated their commitment to improving the quality of care for seniors and persons with disabilities. “We thank the caregivers and staff for enriching

On May 10, 2017 the Massachusetts Public Health Council approved revisions to the following State regulations: 105 CMR 155.000 Patient and Resident Abuse Prevention, Reporting, Investigation, Penalties and Registry - Changes in 105 CMR 155.000 include more consistency in the terminology and definitions for regulated parties, including “Nurse Aide” and “Registry”; a more predictable and streamlined process for reporting; inclusion of requirements for policies and procedures related to completion of training; and aligning 105 CMR 155.000 with other health care

The SFY 2018 Appropriations Conference Committee held their first meeting on Monday. The Conferees are charged with reconciling the differences between the House of Representatives and Senate's SFY 2018 budget recommendations. The Conferees meet as state revenues for SFY 2017 are down by more than $450 million, which has put added pressure on the SFY 2018 budget. Mass Senior has sent letters to the Conference Committee on the following issues that would impact long term care in the SFY 2018

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued a SNF QRP Quality Measure User’s Guide. This manual presents methods used to calculate quality measures that are included in CMS’s Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP). This manual provides detailed information for each quality measure, including quality measure definitions, inclusion and exclusion criteria and measure calculation specifications. View the manual on the SNF Quality Reporting Program Measures and Technical Information webpage in the downloads section.

A patient safety program has helped nursing homes cut rates of urinary tract infections among patients with catheters, according to new results published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality gave funding to more than 400 nursing homes and long-term care facilities to implement a comprehensive safety program developed to reduce infections among patients with catheters. The program includes training for staff on how to care for and remove catheters and how to improve communication with

The presentation for the June 15 th National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care and QAPI MLN Connects call has been changed. The call will now focus on learning about appropriate assessment and evaluation for the accurate diagnosis of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Also, find out about the work of the Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIOs) and how their efforts align with the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes and Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI)

The majority of patients in LTC settings fall each year and the costs related to medical care and human suffering are prohibitive. A team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Partners HealthCare developed the Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) program for use in acute care hospitals and demonstrated a 25% reduction in falls. The team is now looking for skilled nursing facilities to participate in a fall prevention project that aims to collaborate with skilled nursing staff and

The Massachusetts Council of Activity Professionals (MassCAP) is hosting a workshop on Wednesday, June 14th, "Activities: Not Just Fun and Games, A Look At Our Interdisciplinary Role to Resident Care." The workshop will be held at Pines Edge Health Center at North Hill in Needham and is open to all activity professionals. Discounted seminar fees are available for MassCAP members, please click here to view the registration flyer. For more information about MassCAP, please visit their website at www.themasscap.org.

The Requirements of Participation under 42 CFR 483.10 (g) (4) and (5) Information and Communication require nursing homes to inform residents of their rights including providing them with the name, address (mail and email) and telephone number of the protection and advocacy agency for the state, posting this information within the facility and providing it on the Notice of Intent to Transfer and Discharge. The Disability Law Center which is the protection and advocacy agency of individuals with disabilities in

As the legislature prepares to reconcile the differences in their SFY 2018 budget recommendations, Beacon Hill leaders are working diligently to address an immediate SFY 2017 budget shortfall due to tax revenue shortfalls. Mass Senior Care is urging Governor Baker to avoid cuts in MassHealth funding for nursing home care. The Baker Administration has identified in financial disclosure forms that it now expects tax collections for fiscal 2017, which ends June 30, to fall between $375 million and $575 million