The new facility assessments for nursing homes, which went into effect on Thursday, are prompting mixed reviews from nursing home operators regarding their utility.
The feedback ranges from assessments being a surprisingly useful tool for enhancing transparency in communication and fine-tuning staffing needs for ever-changing patient acuity, to concerns that they are costly and redundant.
These updated facility assessments required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are first in the series of requirements of the broader federal staffing mandate, and aim to ensure that facilities are better equipped to meet the evolving needs of their residents.
Skilled Nursing News spoke with Steve Nee, CEO of Diversicare Healthcare Services, Roxy Stennett, COO at Avamere Living, and DeeAndra Sandgren, chief nursing officer at The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, to explore how these assessments have impacted their operations.