04/04/2024
CMS Updates Survey Resources
On April 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the Long-Term Care Survey Process resource documents to align with the QSO-24-08-NH memo on Enhanced Barrier Precautions (EBP). The Revision History for LTC Survey Process Document outlines the specific survey pathways that have been updated which include:
- CMS-20054 Infection Prevention Control and Immunization
- CMS-20068 Urinary Catheter or UTI
- CMS-20070 Dental
- CMS-20071 Dialysis
- CMS-20078 Pressure Ulcer
- CMS-20081 Respiratory Care
- CMS-20093 Tube Feeding
Of note, the infection control pathway now includes the EBP guidance and instructs surveyors to interview staff to determine if they are aware of which residents require the use of EBP prior to providing high-contact care activities and identify if PPE is readily available to staff? The other pathways listed had already had reference to infection control practices such as hand hygiene and PPE during that specific care item, but the pathway has been updated to include the language of and other high-contact care activities to each of those pathways. EBP is required when providing hygiene to the resident and therefore the dental pathway has been updated for the surveyor to observe if the staff use appropriate infection control practices such as hand hygiene and PPE when performing oral care.
LeadingAge Ohio urges facilities to ensure that all individuals utilizing the pathways have updated their files according to these revised pathways. The survey pathway can be found in the Survey Resources zip file on the CMS Nursing Home webpage and under the downloads section on this CMS webpage.
