October 9, 2017

A Note from the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman:

As we continue to celebrate Residents' Rights Month this October, we are pleased to share a tool created by The Consumer Voice that any long-term care facility can adapt to empower residents to take a more active role in their care.

The "My Personal Directions for Quality Living" template helps individuals express their preferences for long-term care, which in turn helps family members and facility staff better understand the resident and meet his/her requests and wishes.

The form is three pages long and allows the individual to provide information about his/her likes and dislikes about all kinds of things, from activities to food to personal belongings. It also helps residents document things that cause anxiety, things that calm them down and things that make them laugh - each of which can play a significant role in a person's quality of life.

As we continue to focus on the 2017 Residents' Rights Month theme - "It's All About Me: My Life, My Care, My Choices" - we encourage you and your staff to discuss ways to engage residents in care planning and take advantage of the many tools The Consumer Voice and others have developed.

Cindy Pederson, JD

Interim State Long-Term Care Ombudsman 

When Disaster Strikes: Emergency Preparedness and Long-Term Care

Recent natural disasters have significantly impacted several states, including consumers of long-term care services and supports. These disasters always act as a reminder about the importance of emergency preparedness, both professionally and personally.

In September 2016, CMS published a final rule regarding emergency preparedness for Medicare and Medicaid participating providers and suppliers. The rule applies to all 17 provider and supplier types and requires long-term care providers to: 

1. Create coordinated emergency plans and policies;
2. Install and maintain emergency power systems; and
3. Create plans regarding missing residents in the wake of an emergency.  

There are four core elements that all emergency preparedness programs must have: risk assessment and planning; policies and procedures; a communication plan; and a training and testing program. Each part of the emergency preparedness program must be reviewed and updated annually and should include the following:

• Risk Assessment and Planning: Providers must develop an emergency plan using all hazards approach, plan and identify in advance essential functions and who is responsible in a crisis.
• Policies and Procedures: These must be developed and implemented based on the plan and risk assessment and address a variety of issues such as medical documentation, evacuation or shelter and place, subsistence needs, tracking residents, etc. 
• Communication Plan: A communication plan must comply with federal and state laws and include an alternate means of communication; contact information for staff, hospitals, volunteers, state and local emergency preparedness officials; and a process for sharing medical and resident information among involved care providers. 
• Training and Testing Program: Providers must develop and maintain training and conduct drills and exercises to test emergency plans train staff and test the plan through drills

CMS has more information and training materials (e.g., PowerPoint overview of rule, online training module, FAQs) on its website.