STATE NEWS

Just Released: KDADS Issues Visitation Guidance
KDADS has released new guidance today in response to the CMS guidance released last week. This guidance applies to all adult care homes in Kansas and replaces the former guidance published back in October. The guidance is effective immediately.

VACCINE NEWS

CMS Encourages Nursing Homes to Report Vaccinations
Last Friday evening, CMS sent a blast email to say they’d notified nursing homes that CMS “strongly encourages” that they report staff and resident vaccination rates through the CDC Vaccine Reporting Module in the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).  The short email points out that the revised visitation guidance requires a 70% resident vaccination threshold for visits for unvaccinated residents in counties with greater than 10% positivity.  Entering vaccine information into the module will “make it easy” to calculate the rate.  The CMS email also mentions the LeadingAge-AHCA goal of 75% of all nursing home staff being vaccinated by June 30th.

A number of questions have surfaced about this message. LeadingAge Kansas is seeking comment/clarification from KDHE and KDADS about how this new communique dovetails with state reporting options.

FEDERAL NEWS

American Rescue Plan (ARP) and State and Local Funding
There are many provisions in the ARP that direct funding to state and local governments. This new article from LeadingAge details each and, where relevant, discusses how states and localities can use the money to support older adults and those that serve them.

LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS

Did You Miss Our Weekly Webinar on Friday? Never Fear, here is the Recording
Visitation guidance was the hot topic for the webinar last week. Listen to the recording and download the handouts.

If you aren’t registered for our webinars, you can do so here. They are a must attend and keep you on top of everything going on regarding COVID and now the 2021 Legislative Session.

LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS

LeadingAge and AHCA Issue Joint Nursing Home Policy Recommendations
Today, LeadingAge and the American Healthcare Association (AHCA) announced a set of policy recommendations this morning, named “Care of Our Seniors”, aimed at addressing long-standing challenges affecting the quality of care provided in America’s nursing homes. LeadingAge intends to follow up throughout the year with additional recommendations that extend the ideas included here to support more improvements in nursing homes and other parts of the continuum. Here are more detailed documents:

• Overview: Care For Our Seniors Act
• One-Pager: Care For Our Seniors Act
• 24-Hour Registered Nurse
• Customer Satisfaction
• Infection Preventionists
• Minimum PPE
• Poor-Performing Nursing Homes
• Private Rooms
• Survey Improvements
• Workforce Strategies

Note: LeadingAge Kansas encourages members to read “the full scoop” within each recommendation. For instance, the “24-hour RN” requirement contains on several criteria, including availability and training of nurses, incentivizing RNs to work in LTC, reimbursement and other things.  

Register Now for 2021 LeadingAge Lobby Day

Every year, LeadingAge connects members with their lawmakers on Capitol Hill to advocate for policies that remove barriers to care, improve reimbursement, and make America a better place for older adults. This year, as aging services providers begin the process of rebuilding in a post-crisis world, it’s more critical than ever to make our voices heard. Join with LeadingAge members in Kansas and around the country on April 21st for 2021 Lobby Day. Register by Wednesday, March 24th to guarantee scheduling with your lawmakers. Participation is free and entirely virtual.

THANKS TO OUR GOLD PARTNER