STATE NEWS
Updated Visitation Guidance
KDADS has posted updated Visitation Guidance in the KDADS COVID-19 Guidance Documents page of the KDADS website. Changes are noted in red font and deletions are noted are indicated by strikethrough.
FEDERAL NEWS
JUST RELEASED – Nursing Home Rule Requiring Reporting of COVID-19 Vaccination
CMS released an interim final rule with comment period today that requires nursing homes to do the following:
- Educate residents, representatives, and staff on the benefits and potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccination. The nursing home must document that education has been provided and whether the vaccine was accepted or declined.
- Offer COVID-19 vaccination to all residents and staff who are not previously vaccinated and for whom there are no contraindications to COVID-19 vaccination. If the nursing home cannot immediately offer vaccination, the nursing home must provide information for alternatives to accessing vaccination.
- Report rates of vaccination for both residents and staff through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Data should be submitted on a weekly basis and the first data submission must be received by 11:59pm on Sunday, June 13, 2021.
- Report resident use of therapeutics through NHSN.
Remember that “staff” means individuals working in the nursing home at least once per week and includes employees, volunteers, and individuals providing services under arrangement or contract. Nursing homes that fail to report vaccine rates or therapeutics will be cited under existing F884. Recall that failure to report under F884 also carries associated Civil Monetary Penalties. Nursing homes that fail to provide education and offer vaccination to residents/representatives and staff will be cited under new F887. This rule is an interim final rule with comment, which means that the requirements go into effect immediately. Comments on the rule are due July 11. The rule is available for review here. CMS released memo QSO-21-19-NH to provide interpretive guidance. The CMS press release is available here.
CMS National Nursing Home Stakeholder Call
Scheduled for this Thursday, May 13th at 3 PM Central Time. The agenda has not yet been announced. Register here.
Grants Available to Assist Family Caregivers
Yesterday the HHS Administration on Community Living (ACL) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Community Care Corps grants to organizations with innovative models in which local volunteers assist family caregivers, older adults, or people with disabilities with non-medical care in their own homes in order to maintain independence. Details are here. LeadingAge Kansas members are among the eligible entities that can apply. This could present an opportunity to collaborate within your community on a grant proposal. Successful applicants will receive grants between $30,000 and $150,000. Applications may be submitted from June 14th through July 9th.
American Rescue Plan State and Local Funding Guidance Released
The US Treasury rolled out guidance for how states and local governments can use the American Rescue Plan relief money allocated to those entities. In short, the recipients of these funds have considerable flexibility with respect to how to spend them down, and the guidance sets the stage for all levels of government affected to support aging services. Here are links to more information:
- LeadingAge article
- Treasury landing page
- PDFs contain the amounts that will be sent to states ,counties, cities, and other municipal governments.
LeadingAge Kansas is in conversation about how funds will be spent in Kansas. More detail forthcoming. If you have thoughts on how state and local governments should spend this funding, please email Rachel rachel@leadingagekanasas.org and Brendan Bflinn@leadingage.org
CDC Call on Adult Day Services and COVID Vaccination
Tomorrow, May 13th at 11 AM, CDT, the CDC is hosting a call for adult day services centers focused on COVID vaccination and sharing information about the public health aspects of managing adult day service programs, as COVID vaccination rates are increasing. Time will be dedicated to open discussion and Q+A. To participate, you must register in advance on Zoom.
Senate HELP Hearing Focuses on Federal COVID Activities
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing yesterday focused on vaccinating the unvaccinated, how to make sure protection from COVID lasts, and whether federal guidance is adapting to our growing immunity fast enough. Witnesses acknowledged there are challenges in the next phase of vaccinations; access is only half the battle. They talked about the development of the COVID vaccines and the approval process and added that supply is outpacing demand in the US. The Committee is expected to conduct future hearings on the lessons of COVID. Members are currently developing legislation to prepare for the next pandemic. Both Kansas Senators, Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran, are members of the HELP Committee.
VACCINATION NEWS
Lakeview Village Becomes a Vaccination Clinic Site – Learn About Their Process
LeadingAge Kansas member Lakeview Village recently completed the necessary steps to become a vaccination clinic site. They have already completed 4 clinics. Learn about the process they went through, the education and equipment needed, vaccine reporting and ordering requirements and more. Feel free to reach out to Pam Hermon if you have questions or are interested in having Lakeview involved in vaccination for your residents, families and/or staff.
If your organization has become an approved Vaccination Clinic Site, too, we would love to know. Email debra@leadingagekansas.org
Vaccination as a Condition of Employment?
The discussion on this topic continues to circulate in the membership. Here is a recent interview with one LeadingAge member that decided to make COVID vaccination a condition of employment.
If you have made vaccination a condition of employment, we would love to know. Email debra@leadingagekansas.org
LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
Join Us for Our Friday Webinars
Miss last week’s webinar? Here is the recording and here are the handouts.
Join us this week for information and updates about the coronavirus, Fridays at 10 AM. Register here.
LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS
Photo Request: Show Us YOUR Strong Communities
We are looking for photos from members that we can share throughout May. Help us showcase themes such as building endurance, overcoming challenges, and celebrating the joy in little things. Photo ideas include staff working with residents on using technology, residents participating in community programming, and reunion photos. Please send your photos to communications@leadingage.org.
RESOURCES
THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER PARTNER
