VACCINE NEWS
Transitioning from the Long-Term Care Pharmacy Partnership to the Retail Pharmacy Program
Last week Dr. Ruth Link-Gelles from the CDC shared information about the sunsetting of one partnership and ramping up the next. Read a summary of the interview here. Here’s the link to the CDC Retail Pharmacy Program.
STATE NEWS
Latest Visitation Guidance from KDADS
We have had several members ask about Visitation guidance from KDADS. They released an updated FAQ document recently to help providers (including nursing homes) with allowing visitation under certain circumstances. Here is a link to the FAQs and all past information regarding visitation.
Contact Your County Emergency Manager for Free Antigen Test Kits
“The Kansas Department of Health & Environment’s Environmental Laboratories (KHEL) has free Rapid Antigen Tests available to facilities with a CLIA certificate. Note: Any facility using the free test kits provided by the state cannot charge for the testing done. The results of these rapid tests need to be reported KDHE Epidemiology. Click for guidance.
Contact your County Emergency Manager to request free antigen tests. Plan to provide an estimate for a month’s worth of testing. Kansas County Emergency Managers list.
CARE Guidance Updated: Message for Anne Yeakley, Care Program Manager
The PASRR suspension ends on March 21, 2021.This means a person may enter a nursing facility or a nursing facility for mental health without a PASRR on file. BUT MUST HAVE ONE on file within the first 30 days of admission.
Nursing Facilities and Nursing Facilities for Mental Health, please assist the Area Agency on Aging Assessors and the HealthSource Integrated Assessors in getting the assessments completed and getting the proper paperwork signed for the assessments. Please note that not having the proper paperwork signed and having a Medicaid client can stop, recoup, or suspend your payment from Medicaid. If you do not have the proper paperwork signed and in your client’s file at your facility, you could possibly also receive tags from survey and certification upon survey. It is imperative to make sure this is completed. A valid PASRR must be on file for a resident to reside in your nursing facility.
If you are working at a nursing facility or nursing facility for mental health and you need PASRR training please request a link from the KDADS CARE Team @ KDADS.CARE@ks.gov.
Area Agencies on Aging and Healthsource Integrated Solution assessors may continue to use telemedicine (VIDEO ONLY) to complete assessments. Please request an extension if the assessment cannot be completed within your timeframes. Hospital Assessors you may continue to complete assessments as long as you are a certified assessor from KDADS.
If you have further questions, please reach out to Anne Yeakley or by phone 785-296-6446 or 785-506-9609.
FEDERAL NEWS
Nursing Home Round Table on Tuesday @ 1 PM Feb. 23rd
Guest: Evan Shulman, CMS Director of the Division of Nursing Homes. Join the roundtable.
AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network
The AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network is recruiting nursing homes from across the country to participate in a virtual community of practice for improving COVID-19 preparedness, safety, and infection control. The deadline has been extended to February 28, 2021. To learn more, visit the AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network. If you have any questions, contact Janine Finck-Boyle.
LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
Last Friday’s Webinar Featured the Pandemic Playbook
Jump on each week for information and updates about the coronavirus, Fridays at 10 AM. Register here.
Here is a recording of Last Week’s Webinar. Here are the Handouts and here is a link to the Pandemic Playbook which was presented by Nancy Hooks, VP of State and Affiliate Relations from LeadingAge National.
This is the Last Week of Coping with COVID
Join us to work through the trauma of the impact of the pandemic on aging services providers. Register for Thursday at 4 PM.
LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS
This Week’s Online Coronavirus Policy Updates
Register now for:
- Monday at 2:30 PM Central – Employee mental health and ideas on how we can combat mental fatigue over the pandemic – Dr. Bill Mansbach. Plus update on other federal topics.
- Wednesday, 2:30 PM Central – New COVID-19 variants and what is ahead with vaccines. – Dr. Monica Gandhi.
- Thursday, 2:30 PM Central – Impact of COVID-19 on older adults with dementia – Dr. Rebecca Edekmayer from the Alzheimer’s Association.
100 Days of Advocacy: Make Your Voice Heard
The success of LeadingAge’s grassroots advocacy efforts relies on thousands of advocates like you! And a new Congress and administration, mean your voice is more important than ever. Last week, LeadingAge announced our 2021 Policy Priorities to help identify key issues, which you’ll be hearing more about as the Congressional agenda unfolds. Learn more about how you can support LeadingAge’s advocacy efforts.
Service Line Updates (Nursing Home, PACE, Senior Housing, Hospice & Home Health)
- PACE Weekly: Recap of LeadingAge Updates
- Nursing Home Weekly: Recap of LeadingAge Updates
- Senior Housing Weekly: Recap of LeadingAge Updates
- Hospice and Home Health Weekly: Recap of LeadingAge Updates
RESOURCES
Where the Latest COVID-19 Models Think We’re Headed — And Why They Disagree
Check out the models. And if you really want to geek out, take a look at this. It includes details on what the different models are showing by county. KS counties start on page 152.
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