LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
Vaccine Mandate Toolkit
We are collecting tools and resources to help you comply with the new healthcare mandate. We will continue to add to the resources as we receive them. View the toolkit. You will need to have your LeadingAge Kansas website login credentials to view it.
Here is the Recording of Our Weekly Webinar from Today
Today’s webinar was all about the vaccine mandate. Listen to the webinar. Download the handouts.
If you haven’t already done so, register here for upcoming calls through the end of the year.
STATE NEWS
Legislative Developments Related to Vaccination MandatesIt was announced last night that the Senate/House were able to get the 2/3rds signatures to petition the Special Session. The special session will start on Nov. 22. Stay tuned for more information.
The Special Committee on Government Overreach and Impact of COVID-19 Mandates continues to meet. There work and products will figure significantly into the activities during the upcoming Special Legislative Session. As of today, these are 2 draft bills that the Committee is likely to submit for consideration. See draft bill 1. See draft bill 2.
LeadingAge Kansas testified on the draft bills today. Here is our testimony.
Essential Care Givers
As we face significant worker shortages, Essential Care Givers are an option that providers can exercise to supplement staffing. Here is the guidance from KDADS on the use of Essential Care Givers (ECs). This is an option at the disposal of all adult care homes. An EC is an individual, including clergy members, who has been given consent by the resident, or their guardian or legal representative, to provide health care services or assistance with activities of daily living to help maintain or improve the quality of care or quality of life of a facility resident as well as positively influencing the behavior of the resident. Care or services provided by the EC must be included in the plan of care or service plan for the resident and may include assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, and/or emotional support.
IF a provider decides to have an Essential Caregiver Program, the Guidance says:
- Facilities must establish policies and procedures for designating a resident’s essential care giver and how EC’s can be included in a resident’s activities.
- Residents, guardians or legal representatives should consult designated facility staff to help determine who meets the criteria of an EC.
- Residents may want to designate more than one EC. In these unique situations, facility staff should work cooperatively with the resident and family to create a schedule to accommodate the ECs.
- Only one (1) Essential Caregiver should be present at any given time.
- EC’s should complete facility-designated infection prevention and control training, including proper PPE and mask use, hand hygiene, and social distancing.
- Facilities should have EC’s sign a consent form acknowledging completion of the facility-designated infection prevention and control training, an understanding of the facility’s visitation and infection prevention and control policies, and the risk created by frequency and duration of close contact.
- Consider having EC’s complete the temporary aide training program. Consider hanging posters that demonstrate key instructions to reinforce safe practices for infection control and proper PPE usage.
- EC’s should be screened upon arrival and only be allowed entry if the screening criteria are met. The EC must wear all necessary PPE while in the building and must wash or sanitize their hands regularly.
- The facility should ensure hand sanitizing stations and alcohol-based hand rubs are accessible.
- EC’s should inform the facility if they develop a fever or symptoms consistent with COVID-19 within fourteen (14) days of a visit to the resident.
- The facility should maintain EC logs noting the names of EC’s, who they visited, staff that assisted the during the visit, dates of visit, and contact information in the event of a subsequent COVID-19 outbreak among staff or residents.
- The facility should work with the EC to establish a mutually agreeable schedule that addresses the facility obligations, including the numbers of EC’s in the building at the same time, and is person-centered. This includes working with an EC by including scheduling during evening and weekends, to accommodate work or childcare barriers.
- After attempts to mitigate concerns, the facility should restrict or revoke visitation if the EC fails to follow infection prevention and control requirements or other COVID-19-related rules of the facility.
- A facility may stop Essential Caregiver visits if the facility has a resident test positive for COVID-19, or has a staff person that tests positive for COVID-19 if the staff person was in the facility in the ten (10) days prior to the positive test, until it has been fourteen (14) days since the last facility acquired COVID-19 positive case. Facility acquired cases include staff who test positive (if staff person was in the facility in the ten (10) days prior to the positive test) and residents who test positive while residing in the facility. Facility acquired does not include residents admitted to the facility with a known positive diagnosis or residents who test positive within fourteen (14) days of admission, as long as these residents have resided in a designated COVID-19 unit or have been quarantined since admission.
- ECs should maintain a social distance of at least six (6) feet with staff and other residents and limit movement in the facility.
- The facility must allow evening and weekend visits that accommodate the EC, who may be limited by work or childcare barriers.
- Facilities should direct the EC to provide care in the resident’s room, or in facility-designated areas to limit movement in the facility.
- The EC may take the resident outside for a walk during their time with the resident. Pushing the resident in a wheelchair is acceptable as long as the EC is wearing appropriate PPE and the resident is wearing a facemask, as tolerated.
- While an EC visit is considered compassionate care, KDADS recommends that the EC not provide high-contact care activities during a resident’s quarantine or isolation period.
- Facilities should not restrict visitation without a reasonable clinical or safety cause. Prior to any restriction, the facility, EC, and resident should discuss any concerns.
If you are considering implementing an EC program, the guidance points above might be incorporated into your policies and procedures.
FEDERAL NEWS
CMS Updating Survey Activity Guidance and Visitation Guidance
We just learned that CMS is increasing oversight of the nursing home survey process. See QSO 22-02-ALL: Changes to COVID-19 Survey Activities and Increased Oversight in Nursing Homes here.
Also, CMS’s Nursing home visitation guidance has also been revised. Read here. A quick peek looks like visitation is now open for all residents at all times, regardless of outbreak and regardless of transmission-based precautions. Other precautions remain in place, like masking at certain times, not visiting in the resident’s room under certain circumstances. But no more scheduling visits, no more limiting visits.
We will be discussing both new guidances with KDADS at our routine meeting with them next week.
LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS
- LeadingAge Coronavirus Update Calls Next Week
Mon., Nov. 15th, 2:30 CT – In addition to a staff update, Presbyterian Villages Michigan will discuss how they are working with their local congressional office to help move the aging services agenda. - Weds., Nov. 17, 2:30 CT – In addition to regular staff updates, Dr. David Fairchild, Associate Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health will talk about the latest updates on COVID-19 boosters and answer questions related to vaccinations for residents, staff and children.
If you haven’t registered for LeadingAge Update Calls, you can do so here.
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