CMS Releases Facility Assessment Tool and FAQ’s for Appendix PP Revisions

Lisa Volk and Nancy Leveille in Clinical & Quality

On September 7th CMS released the Facility Assessment Tool and FAQ’s for appendix PP via webinar. National partners and stakeholder organizations were a part of the draft tool pilot test in July 2017. Nursing homes in seven states with a mix of rural/urban, large, medium and small for profit and not for profit facilities were a part of the feedback process for revisions of the tool.

Facility Assessment Tool Design

  • Reflect Facility Assessment requirements described in the regulation
  • Be simplified as much as possible
  • Help nursing facility teams in planning for their assessment
  • Modifiable –Allow a team to consider and add items appropriate for their own facility and to individualize their assessment to meet the intent of the regulation
  • Support translation of assessment findings into a plan
  • Use of this tool is not mandated by CMS, nor does its completion ensure regulatory compliance

Facility Assessment Tool Purpose and Intent 

  • Purpose: to determine what resources are necessary to care for residents competently

Facility Assessment Tool Overview Includes:

Introduction

  • Requirement, purpose, overview of the tool, guidelines for conducting the assessment, table to capture when the assessment was completed/updated and those involved

Three parts

  • Resident profile and factors that impact care and support needs
  • Services and care offered based on resident needs
  • Facility resources needed to provide competent care for residents

Facility Assessment Includes:

  • References to the facility assessment in the October 2016 Reform of requirements for Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities
  • Sample process for conducting the assessment (intended for internal nursing home use only)
    • Plan for the assessment
    • Complete the assessment
    • Synthesize and use the assessment findings
    • Evaluate your process and plan for future assessments

Link for Facility Assessment Tool:  http://qioprogram.org/facility-assessment-tool

Link for Presentation and includes FAQ’s SOM Appendix PP Revisions:  https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/NPC/National-Provider-Calls-and-Events-Items/2017-09-07-Dementia-Care-in-Nursing-Homes-Call.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=0&DLSortDir=descending


NYSHFA CONTACTS:

Lisa Volk, RN, B.P.S., LNHA
Director, Clinical & Quality Services
518-462-4800 x15

Nancy Leveille, RN, MS
Executive Director
518-462-4800 x20