Note to Users: In December 2005, CMS redesigned its Web site and changed many links to information on nursing home regulations, survey and certification and other aging services topics. We are working with CMS to locate materials on their new Web site and correct any broken links you may encounter. If you need information immediately, contact Evvie Munley.

AMDA CPG News
Posted: July 14, 2008
American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) source for the latest news and information on AMDA Clincal Practice Guidelines (CPGs). Select a Guideline and view updates; ask questions or review FAQs; share practical information.

AAHSA and LTC Organizations Release a Road Map for LTC Health Information Technology
Posted: Apr 01, 2008
AAHSA and a group of long-term care organizations released a road map for long-term care health information technology (LTC HIT). The 2008 – 2010 Road Map addresses LTC health IT issues and topics, including consumer involvement, adopting health IT in facilities, electronic prescribing, electronic health records, and research initiatives. The Road Map is an integral part of the fourth annual LTC HIT Summit, held in Baltimore, Maryland on June 9 and 10.

AMDA Draft CPG: Delirium and Acute Problematic Behavior in the LTC Setting.
Posted: Jan 25, 2008
AAHSA has received a request from the American Medical Directors Association AMDA) for final review and comment on the revised clinical practice guideline (CPG), Delirium and Acute Problematic Behavior in the Long Term Care Setting. Changes may be tracked directly on the document. Comments should forwarded directly to Jacqueline Vance by 1/29/08.

AMDA Draft CPG: Diabetes Management in the Long Term Care Setting
Posted: Jan 18, 2008
AAHSA has received a request from the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) for review and comment on the draft Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG): Diabetes Management in the Long Term Care Setting. Comment is also requested on what components of the ADA Summary of Guideline Revisions should be incorporated into the CPG. Changes may be tracked directly on the draft. Comments may be forwarded directly to Jacqueline Vance by December 1/29.

Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for Assisted Living Residences and Nursing Homes (2006)
Posted: Oct 09, 2007
Phase 1 and 2 of the Alzheimer’s Association's Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for Assisted Living Residences and Nursing Homes, developed in collaboration with 30 national associations. Phase 1 focuses on basics of good dementia care and three areas: food and fluid consumption, pain management, and social engagement. Phase 2 covers wandering, falls, and physical restraints.

Alzheimer's Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for End–of–Life Care
Posted: Oct 09, 2007
The Alzheimer’s Association's third set of Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for Assisted Living Residences and Nursing Homes, developed in collaboration with 30 national assoications. Recommendations offer concrete suggestions for addressing issues unique to people with dementia at the end of life. Recommended care practices for end–of–life cover Communication and decision–making strategies, including residents and family members; Assessment and care of behavioral and physical symptoms, including pain; Psychosocial and spiritual support of residents and family; Care provision, coordination and communication when residents choose hospice services; acknowledgment of resident death and bereavement services; staff training. Two primary sources of research evidence used to develop the Phase 3 recommendations include an Association–sponsored literature review, End–of–life Care for People with Dementia in Residential Care Settings and Quality End–of–life Care for Individuals with Dementia in Assisted Living and Nursing Homes and Public Policy Barriers to Delivering This Care.

CDC Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings 2007
Posted: July 03, 2007
This document updates and expands Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines and applies to ambulatory care, long–term care, home care and infusion services, as well as special environments such as pediatrics, ICUs, and burn units.

Nursing Home/Hospice Partnerships: A Model for Collaborative Success – Through Collaborative Solutions
Posted: Mar. 01, 2007
A Robert Wood Johnson funded project to identify best practices for successful nursing home/hospice partnerships. Also included are links to additional resources and guidelines for nursing home/hospice collaborations.

Campaign Helps Nursing Homes Target Quality Improvement
Posted: Nov. 30, 2006
The Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign is designed to improve quality of life for both nursing home residents and staff. By tracking progress on both clinical quality goals and organization improvement goals, nursing homes can contribute to quality improvement that is comprehensive, sustainable and consumer-focused.

AMDA Toolkit: "Immunizations in the Long Term Care Setting"
Posted: Nov. 17, 2006
Guidance, information, and practical approaches to initiating and implementing activities to address and prevent influenza and pneumococcal disease in nursing homes. Addresses the federal requirements, strategies to overcome barriers to immunization, employee immunization, role of the medical director, developing facility policy, and managing shortages and outbreaks. Includes a CD ROM for customizing the tools and an 18 minute DVD, “Influenza Immunization and the Health Care Worker” for staff in-service.

CDC Report: Management of Multi-Resistant Organisms in Health Care Settings, 2006
Posted: Oct. 23, 2006
This report provides discussion and recommendations to guide implementation of strategies and practices to prevent transmission of MRSA, VRE and other multi-resistant organisms (MDROs.)

Attorney Group Issues Guide to Empower the People You Serve
Posted: June 5, 2006
The National Senior Citizens Law Center published a consumer guide entitled, "20 Common Nursing Home Problems and How to Resolve Them." The booklet includes information for residents and their family members about countering discrimination against Medicaid residents, the use of restraints and feeding tubes, removal from Medicare or Medicaid-certified beds, evictions and other issues.

FDA Guidance on Hospital Bed Design
Posted: March 10, 2006
The Food and Drug Administration's guidance advises health care providers on reducing hospital bed entrapments by assessing beds for potential entrapment risks.

AMDA CPG Workshops
The American Medical Director's Association (AMDA) is offering three day-and-a-half "Train the Trainer" Workshops for implementation of the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs). These interactive workshops will include a general course in the geriatric clinical care process, its importance and impact on care as well as training on how to assess and evaluate facilities' current processes and protocols.

CDC: Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents
The CDC paper incorporates research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Veteran's Health Administration (VHA), and the University of WI. It addresses the "Challenge of Lifting Residents in Nursing Homes", the "Benefits, Cost, and Effectiveness of a Safe Resident Lifting Program", and includes frequently asked questions.

AAHSA Develops Materials to Prevent Tuberculosis in Long-term Care
AAHSA, in partnership with the Academy for Educational Development (AED), recently develop training materials for direct care workers on reducing the risk of exposure to respiratory diseases, including Tuberculosis, in LTC facilities. These free, easy to use, modules entitled, "Preventing TB in Long Term Care" are now available for our members to use.

Palliative Care Guidelines
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care have been developed for all settings by the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (NCP), a consortium of leading palliative care organizations.

Palliative Care in Nursing Homes: Steps For Success
The result of a study conducted by Schervier Nursing Care Center and a palliative care conference held at Fordham University Law School, includes key elements of a quality palliative care program; literature review; barriers and ways to overcome them; recommendations for the future.

Live Well, Live Long: Steps to Better Health
American Society on Aging (ASA) & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative offering free modules for health promotion and disease prevention strategies for frontline service providers for older adults.

Sharing Innovations in Quality (SIQ)
This CMS Repository of Clinical Standards and Guidelines provides summary information for a selection of current clinical standards and guidelines applicable to the nursing home setting. The guidelines represented are endorsed and/or developed by leading national clinical organizations or federal government agencies.

Untie the Elderly
An educational and training program dedicated to the elimination of the use of physical and chemical restraints in nursing facilities. Untie the Elderly is a member of The Kendal Corporation, a not-for-profit, Quaker related organization serving older people.

Nursing Home Care of Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis: Guidelines and Recommendations for Quality Care
A free publication from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society containing information on clinical practice, practical tips and best practices with regard to nursing and daily care, rehabilitation, psychosocial needs and cognitive issues, assisting families with the nursing home admission process, training materials, and resources for health care professionals.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) The federal agency that administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Site includes information about the agency's programs and requirements, designed primarily for for professionals including health care providers, state officials, contractors, researchers.

Forum for State Health Policy Leadership - National Conference of State Legislatures
The Forum's mission is to improve decision making and leadership among state legislators with respect to current and emerging critical health policy issues. The site offers a variety of reports on topics of interest to state legislators, including health and long-term care.

Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC)
MedPAC is an independent federal body that advises the U.S. Congress on issues affecting the Medicare program. Site includes meeting schedule and agendas, reports, and other publications.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
The Nation's lead Federal agency for research on health care quality, costs, outcomes, and patient safety. Site includes reports, data, and extensive information about a wide variety of AHRQ initiatives to improve the quality of healthcare.

Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor is charged with preparing the American workforce for new and better jobs, and ensuring the adequacy of America's workplaces. The site includes extensive information for employers.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to save lives, prevent injuries and protect the health of America's workers. Site includes links to laws and regulations, compliance assistance, safety and health topics, and other important information for employers.

National Center for Health Statistics
NCHS is the Federal Government's principal vital and health statistics agency. The agency provides a wide variety of data and reports on various aspects of the nation's health.

Healthfinder
HHS website providing consumer health information.

Association of Health Facility Survey Agencies
AHFSA is the representative organization for state licensing and certification agencies. Membership includes health care regulatory agency directors and managers in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.

CMS National Live Broadcast and Webcast Series
Register to view Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) trainings via satellite or webcast.

Nutrition Screening Initiative
Coalition effort led by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Dietetic Association to promote integration of nutrition screening and intervention into health care for older adults.

DHHS Regulatory Reform Initiative
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Regulatory Reform Web-Site. Details Secretary Thompson's initiative to reduce regulatory burdens in health care.

Hospital Beds and the Vulnerable Patient
A collaborative initiative led by the FDA to improve the safety of hospital beds for patients and/or residents most at risk for bed rail entrapment.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is a national nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals.

Do No Harm
This video, produced by AARP for the Hospital Bed Safety Workgroup (HBSW), provides evidence-based suggestions to decrease the possibility of injury or death from improper bed systems. Available through Untie the Elderly, an educational and training program for providers of long term care to the elderly. See Catalog.

FDA Public Health Notificaton: Safety Tips for Preventing Hospital Bed Fires
Posted: March 30, 2004
Updated from 12/18/03: FDA safety tips for clinical and bed maintenance staff, applicable to both electrically powered and manual healthcare beds, and to adjustable medical beds.

Smoking Policies in Facilities Serving Older Persons
A set of model smoke-free policies applicable to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day centers, and senior centers developed by the National Center for Tobacco-Free Older Persons.

FDA Guidance - Medical Gas Mix-ups
Food and Drug Administration public health advisory alerting hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities to the hazards of medical gas mix-ups.

FDA Medical Device Reporting Guidance - Needlestick Injuries
Issued November 12, 2002, this document updates Food and Drug Administration Guidance on medical device reporting related to needlestick injuries.

Brochure: A Guide to Bed Safety
Developed under the FDA initiative, Hospital Beds and the Vulnerable Patient, by the Hospital Bed Safety Workgroup (HBSW). Addresses entrapment, patient safety, and the benefits and risks of bed rail use.

Clinical Guidance for Assessment and Implementation of Bed Rails in Hospitals, LTC Facilities, and Home Care Settings
Developed under the FDA initiative, Hospital Beds and the Vulnerable Patient, by the Hospital Bed Safety Workgroup (HBSW) as a resource for discussion and education. Includes recommendations for use in hospitals, LTC facilities, and home care settings when assessing patient needs and possible use of bed rails.

CDC Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline includes a review of data and specific recommendations for handwashing and hand antisepsis in health-care settings.

CDC Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities
Published June 6, 2003, in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report reviews previous guidelines and strategies for preventing environment-associated infections in health-care facilities and offers recommendations.