A Skilled Nursing News article highlights that during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verna announced changes to the rules governing nursing homes including waiving the requirement of a three-day hospital visit for Medicare to cover an SNF stay. The goal of waiving this requirement was to reserve hospital beds for …
In the United States, an estimated 21 million patients seek medical treatment for respiratory infections each year. Severe respiratory infections such as croup, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia are caused by bacterial and viral agents spread through respiratory droplets. Most viral pneumonias in the United States are caused by influenza and hospital associated infectious agents through respiratory droplets. In order to determine …
The American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing is now accepting nominations for their 2021 awards. Striving to honor today’s nurse heroes, they want to reward the work of post-acute care nurses in several categories: Integrity – Actions and behaviors displaying the highest level of leadership and ethics Innovation – Actions and behaviors that display best practices and innovative solutions Inspiration …
The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the world in such a way that many small businesses including post-acute care centers are struggling to stay afloat. Restrictions on what we can and can’t do, who comes, who goes, where they go, and for how long has challenged the most seasoned administrator/owner since early March. Add to that the CMS requirement for testing, …
Historically, public health messaging for pneumococcal disease prevention has centered around vaccination. While this remains paramount, a recent study conducted in China and other countries in East Asia highlights the key role of behavior and public health measures in reducing the transmission of S. pneumoniae. Older adults and high-risk individuals should consider adopting more meticulous infection control practices such as …
In a recent article published in Skilled Nursing News, they discussed how the COVID-19 isolation units were used to combat the virus in skilled nursing facilities and how they may now be helpful in preventing the spread of influenza. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took steps in March to make it easier to transfer residents within facilities …
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited 37 establishments for violations resulting in proposed penalties totaling $484,069. OSHA inspections have resulted in the agency citing employers for violations including failures to: Implement a written respiratory protection program; Provide a medical evaluation, respirator fit test, training on the …
As you have likely heard, an event at the White House Rose Garden is suspected of infecting multiple people with COVID-19. Many experts agree that it was likely the cause of the spread and are referring to it as a “super spreader. Putting politics aside, let’s take a look at some of the facts. The White House has reportedly relied …
On October 2, 2020, OSHA released a memorandum providing temporary enforcement guidance to Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) for enforcing initial and annual fit-testing requirements of the Respiratory Protection standard. Citation Guidance states: Provided NIOSH-approved tight-fitting PAPRs to protect personnel against SARS-CoV-2 using a high efficiency (HE) particulate cartridge or filter, when initial and/or annual fit-testing is infeasible due …
On October 30, 2020, CMS launched a new online platform to serve as a centralized hub bringing together the latest information, guidance and data on nursing homes that is important to facilities, frontline providers, residents, and their families, especially as the fight against COVID-19 continues. The Resource Center consolidates all nursing home information, guidance and resources into a user-friendly, one-stop-shop …
