E-News Update Articles

Massachusetts Senior Care Association is excited to participate in the upcoming observance of National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW), which will be held May 9-15, 2021.

At today’s virtual Spring Conference, Mass Senior Care President Tara Gregorio and Board Chair Tom Lavallee shared the Association’s successes and challenges as we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. “For the past 14 months, our members have courageously battled to protect their residents against this insidious virus with great skill, compassion and fortitude,” said Gregorio. “Thanks to your extraordinary work, encouraging data show significant declines in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among Massachusetts nursing home residents and staff and this is something we can all be proud of.” As the long term care provider community moves forward with its rebuilding and recovery plans, Gregorio noted that addressing the extreme workforce challenges facing members is one of the Association’s top priorities and outlined strategies currently being implemented to help members attract and retain qualified workers.

Meet Dianne Ferraro who is one of the 45,000 dedicated caregivers working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect and care for the Commonwealth’s nursing home residents. Dianne is a Nurse Unit Manager at Alliance Health at Rosewood in Peabody.

Members are notified that DPH has updated the guidance on Long-Term Care Surveillance Testing, MassHealth has scheduled a webinar on Monday, May 10th, 2021, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST in regard to providing guidance to providers on how to make adjustments to the PPA for period of April 2020 through November 2020, as per MassHealth Bulletin 155 on HPPD staffing reporting, CHIA is required to send to individual nursing facilities a summary of the HPPD information submitted by the facility for the previous quarter, and in coordination with partner organizations including Mass Senior Care, the MHA Post-Acute Transitions of Care & Emergency Preparedness (PATCEP) Workgroup has developed guidance and recommendations to hospitals regarding COVID-19 testing prior to discharging patients to post-acute care settings.

It is Mass Senior Care’s understanding that state regulators are receiving an increased number of complaints from families who are expressing concerns about visitation policies. Mass Senior Care would like to remind members of the need to continue to comply with the DPH Visitation Guidance.

MassHealth has scheduled a webinar on Monday, May 10, 2021, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST in regard to providing guidance to providers on how to make adjustments to the PPA for period of April 2020 through November 2020.

Mass Senior Care is offering several webinars on important COVID-19 related topics, including life safety code, employment leaves and rebuilding census. Please click on the links below to register or email lnguyen@maseniorcare.org if you have any questions.

Massachusetts Senior Care Association is excited to participate in the upcoming observance of National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW), which will be held May 9-15, 2021. This year's theme, "Together Through the Seasons," will honor the collaborative commitment of skilled nursing care facilities and their staff in providing compassionate care to their residents during this unprecedented time.

In accordance with MassHealth Nursing Facility Bulletin 163, CHIA will be deploying an updated CHIA Submissions portal used to submit staffing hours data on Monday, May 3rd. Also, county positivity rates released by DPH on April 28, 2021 indicates Barnstable County has remained 5% at 6.61%.

MassHealth requires that nursing facilities and chronic disease and rehabilitation inpatient hospitals account for the balances of personal needs allowance (PNA) account funds. MassHealth has issued its annual LTC Bulletin for the accounting of balances of personal needs allowances (PNA) for residents in LTC facilities.

Please join us for Mass Senior Care Association’s 2021 virtual Spring Conference on Thursday, May 6, 2021. As we begin to slowly emerge from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that we begin to take steps to move forward. Our dynamic conference speakers, Steven Littlehale, MS, CGNS-BC, Chief Innovation Officer at Zimmet Healthcare Service Group and Martha Hayward, founding member of the Conversation Project and Lead Faculty for Patient Centered Care with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) will offer their respective perspectives on how the CMS Five Star System and our approaches to End of Life Conversations have been impacted by COVID-19 and will offer strategies we can implement to help our staff and our organizations adjust to the new operating environment.

Meet Dianne Ferraro who is one of the 45,000 dedicated caregivers working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect and care for the Commonwealth’s nursing home residents. Dianne is a Nurse Unit Manager at Alliance Health at Rosewood in Peabody.

Join Mass Senior Care in advocating for quality nursing facility care in the state FY2022 budget. The budget is now being considered by the Massachusetts Senate. Please ask your State Senator to make nursing facility funding a priority in the state budget!

DPH lifts Determination of Need (DoN) moratorium on LTC Beds for projects that meet certain criteria and the recently revised DPH Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities (105 CMR 150) requires nursing homes to convert resident bedrooms with three and four beds per room to two bedded bedrooms by April 30, 2022.

Members are notified MassHealth issued nursing facilities notice on Patient Paid Adjustments (PPA), EOHHS issued a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit feedback from a broad spectrum of interested parties and individuals regarding the use of enhanced home and community-based services (HCBS) funding available to states through Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and AHRQ would like to learn more about participating nursing homes’ experience in the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Safety Program led by Mass Senior Care and Hebrew SeniorLife’s Long-Term Care Command Center (MSCA/HSL) through Project ECHO.

A memo that the CDC has issued a study showing vaccination of nursing facility residents and staff are essential to reduce the risk for symptomatic COVID-19, as is continued focus on infection prevention and control practices, and there is an ongoing effort to ensure full compliance with the state’s surveillance testing program, CHIA has asked Mass Senior Care to work with members to help clarify two questions on the reporting survey.

On Friday, April 16, 2021, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Board of Registration of Nursing Home Administrators voted unanimously to reduce the required CEUS from 40 to 20 for the period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022.

Please join us for Mass Senior Care Association’s 2021 virtual Spring Conference on Thursday, May 6, 2021. As we begin to slowly emerge from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that we begin to take steps to move forward. Our dynamic conference speakers, Steven Littlehale, MS, CGNS-BC, Chief Innovation Officer at Zimmet Healthcare Service Group and Martha Hayward, founding member of the Conversation Project and Lead Faculty for Patient Centered Care with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) will offer their respective perspectives on how the CMS Five Star System and our approaches to End of Life Conversations have been impacted by COVID-19 and will offer strategies we can implement to help our staff and our organizations adjust to the new operating environment.

Join Mass Senior Care in advocating for quality nursing facility care in the state FY2022 budget. The budget is now being considered by the Massachusetts Senate. Please ask your State Senator to make nursing facility funding a priority in the state budget! Send an email in less than two minutes in our Action Alert Center: https://p2a.co/8v1ouoy

The demand for professionals with expertise in long term care is growing rapidly. The U.S. will need between 5.7 million and 6.5 million nurses, nurse aides, home health, and personal care workers to care for the 27 million Americans who will require long term care by 2050.​ Careers in Aging Week is dedicated to bringing greater awareness and visibility to the wide-ranging career opportunities in long term care and aging services, and to celebrate current employees in the profession.

Please join us for Mass Senior Care Association’s 2021 virtual Spring Conference on Thursday, May 6, 2021. As we begin to slowly emerge from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that we begin to take steps to move forward. Our dynamic conference speakers, Steven Littlehale, MS, CGNS-BC, Chief Innovation Officer at Zimmet Healthcare Service Group and Martha Hayward, founding member of the Conversation Project and Lead Faculty for Patient Centered Care with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) will offer their respective perspectives on how the CMS Five Star System and our approaches to End of Life Conversations have been impacted by COVID-19 and will offer strategies we can implement to help our staff and our organizations adjust to the new operating environment.

Information is presented on the public health emergency extention and the most recent county positivity rates released by DPH on April 21, 2021.

Mass Senior Care is offering several webinars on important COVID-19 related topics, including life safety code, employment leaves and rebuilding census. Please click on the links below to register or email lnguyen@maseniorcare.org if you have any questions.

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee released its FY 2022 budget recommendation. Nursing Home SUD Amendment #604, filed by State Representative James O’Day (D-West Boylston) would establish a Medicaid rate add-on for nursing facilities who provide specialized care for residents with substance use disorder.

Members are informed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act suspended the sequestration payment adjustment percentage of 2% applied to all Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) claims from May 1 through December 31, 2020, DPH provided LTCF the Vaccination Options for Residents and Staff & Visitation FAQs to share with residents’ families regarding how the COVID-19 vaccination impacts families’ visitation with loved ones and interactions with staff, CEU requirements for nursing home administrators and the DPH weekly call.

This week, the DPH released updated guidance on Vaccination Options for Long Term Care Residents and Staff following the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Program. The updated guidance now permits long-term care staff to receive a first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the long-term care facility.

Memo discusses DPH updated weekly report to remove any long term care deaths attributed to residents who had recovered from COVID, in alignment with the CDC’s NHSN requirements for long term care facilities; the most recent County Positivity Rates released by DPH on April 14, 2021 indicates Barnstable County remains above 5% at 5.14% and Dukes and Nantucket Counties above 5% at 8.31%; CMS and the CDC will hold a National Nursing Home Stakeholder Call on Wednesday April 21, 2021; Governor Baker Delays First-Quarter 2021 Unemployment Insurance Payments.

The House Ways and Means (HWM) Committee yesterday released its FY 2022 budget recommendation and Mass Senior Care is pleased to report that the Committee has recommended appropriating funding to set Medicaid nursing facility rates using calendar year 2019 costs. Moving the base year forward to calendar year 2019 will better recognize current costs of care delivery. The base year update would provide at least a $4 per day increase in the base rate. This action builds on the current Medicaid rate modernization initiative which created an integrated base rate that begins to better recognize current resident care costs more accurately.

Join us for a live webinar on May 12, 2021 that will focus on addressing the challenges of returning to pre-pandemic operations. During this webinar we will discuss different approaches to sunsetting 1135 waivers for alarm and fire suppression system testing, emergency storage, emergency preparedness education for staff, and other changes that will expire after the national emergency declaration ends. In addition, learn about trends in survey citations and hot-button issues that may arise when regular life safety surveys resume.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome new members to our Association. Our Associate Members have demonstrated their commitment to the senior care provider community by joining Mass Senior Care and participating as exhibitors and sponsors for events and educational conferences. Mass Senior Care members are encouraged to contact Associate Members when they are in need of long term care products and services. You can find all of our Associate Members listed on our website, www.maseniorcare.org/preferred-vendors.

Members are informed about DPH updated guidance related to monoclonal antibody therapies.

Members are informed that today the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement regarding the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine recommending a pause in its use out of an abundance of caution and the next DPH weekly call with providers is scheduled for Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

Updated information on vaccination options for long term care residents and staff, tomorrow’s CHIA reporting webinar, the CMS 1135 waiver for CNA training remains in effect and the American Rescue Plan – new and expanded health insurance.

Announcements on the CHIA webinar scheduled for Tuesday, April 13th at 10:00am to review changes to the surveillance testing survey and how compliance is calculated, CMS memo announcing it is ending four of the 1135 waivers issued in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), CMS proposed federal fiscal year 2022 (FFY 2022) Medicare SNF PPS rule and the Barnstable County positivity rate.

The Region 1 Regional Disaster Health Response System (R1 RDHRS) hosted a free webinar on Healthcare Worker Wellbeing and Resiliency on the Frontlines of COVID-19. An audio recording and PDF of the slides that were presented are now available.

Mass Senior Care will be combining the May 12, 2021 Clinical Quality and Regulatory & Survey Committee meetings. Both committees will meet on May 12, 2021 from 10:00 am – 11:00 pm.

Join Mass Senior Care in advocating for quality nursing facility care in the state FY2022 budget. State investments are critical to ensuring nursing facilities have the resources needed to pay frontline staff a deserving hero wage and maintain ongoing infection prevention efforts that have resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of COVID related infections and deaths in nursing facilities.

Meet Jessyca Goetze who is one of the 45,000 dedicated caregivers working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect and care for the Commonwealth’s nursing home residents. Jessyca is the Social Worker at Williamstown Commons Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. Williamstown Commons was the first nursing facility in Berkshire County to experience an outbreak of COVID-19.

HealthCap® and the American Health Care Association are hosting a webinar on Tuesday, April 20 from 2 p.m. EDT highlighting the most significant regulatory and enforcement changes implemented by the federal authorities throughout the pandemic that impact skilled nursing facility providers. The one-hour session is titled As the World Recovers, Regulatory & Enforcement Environment.

The next CMS Skilled Nursing Facilities/Long Term Care Open Door Forum is scheduled for Thursday, April 15, 2021 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM. The agenda will include: Opening Remarks, FY 2022 SNF PPS Proposed Rule - FY 2022 Annual Rate Updates, SNF Quality Reporting Program, SNF Value Base Purchasing.

This memo discusses Provider Relief Fund Use – A Refresher and Preparing for Reporting, the AHCA Follow-up Webinar on OSHA COVID-19 National Emphasis Program and Revised Long-Term Care Survey Tools.

In recognition of the extraordinary efforts of long term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, South Cove Manor at Quincy Point represented the sector as part of the Boston Red Sox Opening Day pre-game ceremonies.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is releasing a video tutorial that depicts a scenario that demonstrates the interview of a resident and subsequent coding of D0200. Resident Mood Interview (PHQ-9©) and D0300. Total Severity Score

Members are informed about the MassHealth Nursing Facility Bulletin 163 to update the requirements for submitting staff hours and staffing preparedness information, changing the reporting requirements from a bi-weekly basis to a monthly basis and the DPH weekly call.

Information on CDC interim infection prevention and control recommendations, MassHealth survey on nursing facility care specialization & medical transportation, CMS guidance for emergency preparedness regulations, and repayment of COVID-19 accelerated and advance payments began on March 30, 2021.

Stories of our long term care heroes are more important than ever to share. Mass Senior Care is requesting caregiver stories of our long term care heroes which will be featured in the Mass Senior Care E-News Update and highlighted in weekly communication with lawmakers. We are interested in interviewing long term care staff of all positions that have a story to share about working in nursing facilities or long term care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) has issued a 2020 nursing facility cost report deployment update indicating that the 2020 HCF-1 (nursing facility), the REA-CR (the realty company) and the MGT-CR (management company/central office) cost reports and associated instructions and user manuals are now available for submission on the Center for Health Information and Analysis' (CHIA's) website at Information for Data Submitters: Nursing Facility Cost Reports.

Two new resources from AHRQ are part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect nursing home residents and staff from COVID-19. Both are intended to support the use of observational audits, which help facilities understand if staff members are fully complying with infection prevention practices.

Mass Senior Care reminds nursing facilities that the DPH has resumed annual recertification surveys. Nursing facilities should review their survey readiness protocols and procedures. Mass Senior Care would appreciate nursing facilities providing immediate feedback to Helen Magliozzi, Director of Regulatory Affairs upon the completion of an annual survey.

The Connected Foundation​​, comprising more than 50 students across Harvard, MIT, Wellesley, BU, and Northeastern, connects young students with seniors to form intergenerational connections and combat social isolation. The Foundation has been working with a set of nursing homes and assisted living communities in the Boston area.