Member Resources

Registration is now open for the DPH webinar on Health Care Personnel Influenza Vaccinations on Tuesday, October 31st from 12 noon to 1 pm. Please click here to register for the webinar. This one-hour webinar will provide up-to-date information and practices for the 2017-2018 flu season.

AHCA has developed resources to assist nursing homes with the implementation of the Requirements of Participation (RoPs). These resources include Action Briefs, Tools, recorded Webinars and Presentations, and links to CMS Resources. To access these resources click here ( https://educate.ahcancal.org/required). These resources are free but you must be an AHCA member to access.

Learn to control the growth and spread of Legionella and other waterborne pathogens; review information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the new surveyor Legionella training webinar. Act now to protect your patients and be in compliance with new CMS requirements. Please click here to access the water management fact sheet; legionella fact sheet; Frequently Asked Questions; From Plumbing to Patients webpage; Surveyor training video.

Learn how the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program will affect Medicare’s payments to your SNF beginning October 1, 2018, as well as details on how CMS will translate SNF performance scores into value-based incentive payments. CMS will also discuss policies finalized in the FY 2018 final rule. This session is scheduled for Thursday, November 16, 2017 from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm ET. A question and answer session follows the presentation; however attendees may email questions in

On Monday, the Joint Committee on Public Health and Joint Committee on Elder Affairs held a five-hour long informational hearing on Alzheimer’s and other dementia diseases. Ten panels were invited to present testimony to the Committees including officials from the Dept. of Public Health, Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Alzheimer’s Association, researchers, individuals and their families living with dementia, and health care providers. Mass Senior Care Association was invited to testify on the impact Alzheimer's disease has on the elder care community. The Association's remarks focused on the sector's efforts to increasingly...

CareOne recently hosted a successful fundraiser for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico on October 19 in New York City, raising $4 million. The star-studded event, “Starry Night Masquerade”, was spearheaded by CareOne President and CEO Daniel E. Straus and Executive Vice President Elizabeth Straus, and was in partnership with CareOne’s sister company InnovaCare.

In response to a request by Mass Senior Care, MassHealth issued a letter to Senior Care Organizations (SCOs) clarifying that the recently enacted October 1, 2017 Medicaid nursing home rates paid under 101 CMR 206.00/Standard Payments to Nursing Homes specifically include the ‘Direct Care Staff Payment’ as part of the overall reimbursement to facilities.

Last Chance to Register! Join colleagues from across the state at our 2017 Annual Meeting & Trade Show on Thursday, November 9th at the DCU Center in Worcester. This year's theme, "Embracing End of Life Care: New Opportunities to Honor Residents' Choices" will feature a keynote address by Maureen Bisognano, President Emerita and Senior Fellow Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Co-Chair, Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care.

Medford Rehabilitation & Nursing Center recently held its Annual Community Blood Drive, sponsored by the American Red Cross. There was an overwhelming response from the community with a total of more than 40 units of blood donated. The Staff and the community worked cohesively to make this event a huge success.

A Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Quick Reference Guide is available, including frequently asked questions, information on help desks, and links to additional resources. Visit the SNF QRP Data Submission Deadlines webpage for more information.

A new tool is now available to help hospitals, long-term care facilities, and certain outpatient facilities evaluate their best practices related to high-alert medications, identify opportunities for improvement, and track their experiences over time. Developed by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), the ISMP Medication Safety Self Assessment ® for High-Alert Medications focuses on general high-alert medications and 11 specific medication categories--including opioids, insulin, neuromuscular blocking agents, chemotherapy, and moderate and minimal sedation. Participants who submit assessment findings to

“My career goal is to be that person who helps better the quality of a person’s life.” Alicia Leo’s interest in pursuing a career as an Occupational Therapist, stemmed from her experience of caring for her grandmother, who faced serious health issues after suffering a fall and developing early onset dementia. Over time she was able to help her beloved “Noni” develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living to optimize the quality of her life. Over the

Mass Senior Care will be convening a member meeting for nursing facilities in Greater Springfield/Hampden County on October 24 th at 10:30 a.m. at Wingate at East Longmeadow. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and develop a plan regarding the impact the MGM Springfield casino project will have on staff recruitment and retention. Mass Senior Care is extremely concerned that the casino could have a devastating impact on a nursing facility’s ability to compete for staff. Western Massachusetts

On October 2, 2017, the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care announced that it met its national goal of reducing the national prevalence of antipsychotic use in long-stay nursing home residents by 30 percent by the end of 2016. It also announced a new goal of a 15 percent reduction by the end of 2019 for long-stay residents in those homes with currently limited reduction rates. Between the end of 2011 (baseline) and the end of quarter one of 2017

CMS's new emergency preparedness requirements become effective November 16th. To help prepare skilled nursing facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid to meet these new requirements, AHCA is pleased to offer a new Emergency & Disaster Preparedness Kit prepared by IlluminAge Communication Partners. The new kit includes three main components: Online Emergency Document Storage and Portal. This service makes it easy and fast to organize, store, and have online/offline emergency access to "must have" documents, such as emergency contact lists, evacuation

Mass Senior Care will be convening a member meeting for nursing facilities in Greater Springfield/Hampden County on October 24 th at 10:30 a.m. at Wingate at East Longmeadow. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and develop a plan regarding the impact the MGM Springfield casino project will have on staff recruitment and retention. Mass Senior Care is extremely concerned that the casino could have a devastating impact on a nursing facility’s ability to compete for staff. Western Massachusetts

Join colleagues from across the state at our 2017 Annual Meeting & Trade Show on Thursday, November 9th at the DCU Center in Worcester. This year's theme, "Embracing End of Life Care: New Opportunities to Honor Residents' Choices" will feature a keynote address by Maureen Bisognano, President Emerita and Senior Fellow Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Co-Chair, Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care. The afternoon session will include an expert panel presentation on the importance and value of having end of