Why nursing homes can exhale — but not get complacent
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 07, 2017
The announced delay of full enforcement of new survey requirements is indeed good news for nursing home operators and all of their compliance officers. Their blood pressure should now lower a few millimeters....
CMS reminds providers about new survey appeals process
By
John Hall
Apr 28, 2015
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently reminded state survey agency directors that it no longer will accept appeals through the U.S. mail from providers that disagree with actions imposed...
Why the survey system may never be fixed
By
John O'Connor
Sep 05, 2014
Given certain realities about skilled-nursing facility inspections, we should not be wondering why cheating has occurred. Rather, we should be amazed it hasn’t been more rampant.
Surveyor ‘help’ leads to chaos
By
Elizabeth Newman
Sep 01, 2014
An Ohio nursing home says residents became defiant after speaking with a state inspector, leading the provider to file a lawsuit.
Survey: Nurses are ‘dangerously’ stressed due to lack of authority, poor management
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 09, 2014
A lack of necessary authority and struggles with management are among multiple factors contributing to nurses’ high levels of stress, according to recently released survey results.
Ecolab releases cleanliness, resident care survey
Jun 03, 2014
Ecolab recently released a new survey that discusses impressions of a facility’s cleanliness.
Senators urge tougher LTC survey process
By
James M. Berklan
May 01, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it plans to focus more on quality improvement initiatives rather than stricter surveys, but that didn’t stop a pair of veteran U.S. senators from...
Penalty process explained
By
Tim Mullaney
May 01, 2014
A long-term care facility that has been slapped with a civil monetary penalty has 10 days to file for an independent informal dispute resolution process, according to a recent manual update from the Centers...
Special surveys on dementia care, Minimum Data Set coding will launch by mid-year, CMS announces
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 22, 2014
Surveyors will scrutinize dementia care and Minimum Data Set coding in an upcoming pilot program to test more expansive oversight of these areas, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced.
CMS requests survey buildup
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 01, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is asking for $49 million more in its next budget, largely to expand long-term care inspection programs.