The Department of Public Health presented the proposed revisions to 105 CMR 150.000 Licensure of Long Term Care Facilities to the Public Health Council on November 9, 2016. Mass Senior Care provided the DPH with recommendations for revision and/or deletion of specific regulatory requirements for these regulations last year. Mass Senior Care will convene a meeting on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Mass Senior Care office to review the proposed revisions and prepare

On November 22, 2016, a federal district court in Texas granted an emergency motion for a preliminary injunction barring the Department of Labor (DoL) from enforcing its revised overtime rule, scheduled to take effect December 1, 2016. The federal rule would require employers to start paying overtime to eligible workers earning salaries of less than $47,476 a year (an increase from $23,600 the last time it was set in 2004), making millions more workers eligible for time-and-a-half pay. The final

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) today issued its Compliance Form Worksheet and Compliance Form Instructions in regard to the $35.5M Direct Care Add On program included in the SFY 2017 budget act. • SFY2017 Nursing Facility Direct Care Add-on Compliance Form Instructions [NF-DCACF-I] Please note that EOHHS previously issued an Administrative Bulletin setting forth the compliance criteria and reporting procedures for the Direct Care Add On program. EOHHS has scheduled three Nursing Facility Direct Care Add-On

Joyann (Joy) Morin’s passion for the elderly was sparked as a child, when she and her sister loved spending time visiting and making cards for residents at the nursing home where her mother worked as a CNA. An integral member of the staff at Mount Carmel Care Center for 27 years, she began her career in long term care as a housekeeper, working her way up to become a Certified Activity Director and Certified Dementia Practitioner.

The HHS Office of Civil Rights published a final rule May 18, 2016, broadening the nondiscrimination requirements applicable to all health programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance from HHS, those administered by HHS, and Health Insurance Marketplaces. This final rule has largely flown under the radar since its publication, begging the question: are you prepared to comply with the new requirements? Join AHCA for a webinar on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET to

The Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction November 2016 Patient Safety Report highlighted the issue of health care worker flu vaccination. The Lehman article notes that the 2015 - 2016 influenza season show a slight rise in the vaccination rate of Massachusetts health care workers but a substantial number of health care facilities failed to reach the 90% vaccination level recommended by state and federal health authorities. Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Regulation requires long

An audio recording and transcript are now available for the October 27th call on Long-Term Care Facilities: Reform of Requirements. Learn about the changes included in the final rule; implementation and survey process; and provider training and resources. Source: CMS

AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program is pleased to announce that the 2017 application packets are now available online. In addition, the 2017 program calendar and submission checklist have been posted to each award level page. Please visit the Bronze, Silver or Gold application pages to download application materials specific to your respective award level to see how your center should begin preparing. Important Dates to Remember November 17 - Intent to Apply Deadline December 1 - Applications are accepted online

Representatives from the Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Developmental Services (DDS), Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA), and the MassHealth Office of Long Term Services and Supports (OLTSS) will be providing a general PASRR overview training in December – December 5 at Lawrence Public Library, December 12 at Shrewsbury Commonwealth Medicine Amphitheater, and December 19, 2016 in Springfield at the Central Library Community Room. This training will cover the Level 1 PASRR form and the Level 2 process

The Department of Public Health presented the proposed revisions to 105 CMR 150.000 Licensure of Long Term Care Facilities to the Public Health Council on November 9, 2016. Mass Senior Care provided the DPH with recommendations for revision and/or deletion of specific regulatory requirements for these regulations last year. Mass Senior Care will convene a meeting on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Mass Senior Care office to review the proposed revisions and prepare