There has been much publicity surrounding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (“CMS”) new minimum staffing requirements for long-term care facilities scheduled to take effect starting in 2026 for non-rural facilities and 2027 for rural facilities. However, not as much attention has been paid to updates required to facility assessments which take effect August 9, 2024 and which will play an important role moving forward in assessing the resources (including staffing) a facility needs to care for its residents.
Facilities should avoid the temptation to think of these updates as merely a task that needs to be completed to meet regulatory requirements. The new requirements present an opportunity for facilities to maximize potential indirect benefits of the assessment process, including increasing employee morale and retention, engaging their governing bodies, and deterring potential whistleblowers by offering outlets for individuals to express concerns and opinions. All of these are also great for the effectiveness of your compliance programming.
For a detailed list of the changes to the facility assessment requirements as well as tips on how to implement the changes in a way to elevate compliance, check out the free resource below. You can also find it on our dedicated resources page.
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