STATE NEWS
Kansas State Fire Marshal WebinarsThe office of the state fire marshal is providing educational content for long term care providers in January and February. If you missed the January webinar on ITM on Fire Protection systems, the slides are available here.
The next webinar is on February 16th at 1 PM and will cover the use of power strips in health care. Zoom meeting info:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/93155424830?pwd=UUVxVWF5NXRQc2w4Z2UwQlJsSXROUT09
Meeting ID: 931 5542 4830
Passcode: 0qYEU2
KDHE COVID-19 Local Partner Update for January 20, 2022
The slides and Q&A for the 1-20-22 COVID-19 Update for Local Partners webinar are available. Listen to the recording of the webinar.
The next COVID-19 Update for Local Partners will take place Thursday, January 27th at 10 AM CT. You can register for the webinar here. Password: KDHECOVID
FEDERAL NEWS
OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements Still in Place for Healthcare Providers
OSHA reiterated the recordkeeping provisions remain in place for healthcare providers. Under the recordkeeping and reporting provisions of the Healthcare ETS, health care employers with more than 10 employees must continue the following actions:
- Establish and maintain a log of COVID-19 cases among employees, regardless of if they are connected to workplace exposures
- Provide, by the end of the next business day upon request, the individual COVID-19 log entry of an employee to that employee and any person who has the written consent of the employee
- Provide, by the end of the next business day upon request, a version of the COVID-19 log with personally identifiable information of employees removed to any employees or their personal or authorized representatives
- Provide, by the end of the next business day, all COVID-19 records to OSHA
- Report to OSHA any work-related COVID-19 fatality within 8 hours of learning of the fatality
- Report to OSHA any work-related COVID-19 inpatient hospitalization within 24 hours of learning of the hospitalization.
Phone Number for Individual At-Home Test Kit Ordering
As a follow up to the federal government’s website to order at-home testing kits, there is also now a phone number for individuals to do so. People who do not have Internet access or who need additional assistance with ordering can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to place their orders. The Eldercare Locator and the Disability Information and Assistance Line (DIAL) also can assist older adults and people with disabilities with placing orders if they need additional help, connect people to accessible instructions, and help with administering the tests. Both phone lines are staffed Monday-Friday from 9 AM to 8 PM (Eastern). Older adults can call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 Monday-Friday or visit the website to chat live or browse resources. People with disabilities can contact DIAL by calling 888-677-1199 or by emailing DIAL@usaginganddisability.org. The DIAL information specialists are trained to work with people of various communications abilities, including spending as much time as needed to understand callers. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can reach DIAL using the 711/Video Relay Service (VRS). To use this free service, simply dial 711 to be connected via text with a communications assistant. (For people who do not communicate through speech, sign language or VRS, email is the best option to communicate with DIAL.)
VACCINE NEWS
How Does the Vaccine Mandate Apply to PACE?
LeadingAge National has been in touch with CMS and have been told further clarifications for PACE providers will be shared this week. Stay tuned.
LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
Make Sure You are Registered for our Weekly Webinars
Register for 2022 here if you haven’t already.
LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS
Reporting on Nursing Home Infection Control Provider Relief Funds
Join us Wednesday, February 2nd at Noon Central for a webinar highlighting what LeadingAge nursing home members need to know to comply with the PRF reporting requirement. Hear from the team at the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Bureau, to learn more about NHIC allowable expenses, how to use the PRF Reporting Portal to report on NHIC payments, and what resources are available to assist you with reporting in Reporting Period 2. Register today.
New Insights and Tools from LeadingAge
LeadingAge staff experts are developing essential advocacy, guidance, and tools, and curating the most relevant resources for aging services providers, including:
- Nursing Home Weekly Recap
- Life Plan Community Weekly Recap
- Home Health and Hospice Weekly Recap
- PACE Weekly Recap
- Senior Housing Weekly Recap
- Mandate Minute
- “The Challenge is Enormous” Says New Harvard Rental Housing Report
A complete timeline of insights, tools, and useful links is available here, so you’ll never miss an update.
RESOURCES
Good to Know – How COVID-19 Affects Nursing Homes and People with Dementia
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a study on how COVID-19 affects nursing homes and people with dementia. NIH researchers analyzed the characteristics of nursing home residents who died within 30 days of testing positive for COVID-19. The results showed that nursing home residents with moderate or severe cognitive impairment who had COVID-19 were twice as likely to die as those with no or mild cognitive impairment. Other risk factors associated with death from COVID-19 were increased age, male sex, impaired physical function, and having diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
Other Resources
- NEW RESOURCE: Healthy Aging in a Pandemic World: What Older Adults and Caregivers Need to Know Now
- Reinfections and COVID 19 | CDC— Reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 means a person was infected, recovered, and then later became infected again. After recovering from COVID-19, most individuals will have some protection from repeat infections. However, reinfections do occur after COVID-19. We are still learning more about these reinfections.
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