April 13, 2021

In this Issue:

1. Summary of the CDC's Guidance on Quarantining Nursing Home Residents
   
2. CMS Rescinds Emergency Waivers Related to Discharge/Transfer Notice, Care Planning, and Submission of Minimum Data Set; Maintains Waivers Related to Nurse Aide Training
   
3. Proposals for Sessions at the Consumer Voice Virtual Conference Due May 1
   
4. Primer from Justice in Aging on Medicaid HCBS for Older Adults with Disabilities
   

Summary of the CDC's Guidance on Quarantining Nursing Home Residents

On March 29, 2021, the CDC issued updated guidance regarding quarantining nursing home residents. Whether a resident should be quarantined depends on factors such as vaccination status, exposure to someone with COVID-19, and length of time outside of the facility. This summary provides basic information about quarantine and indicates when quarantine is necessary.

Read the full summary.

CMS Rescinds Emergency Waivers Related to Discharge/Transfer Notice, Care Planning, and Submission of Minimum Data Set; Maintains Waivers Related to Nurse Aide Training

On April 8, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rescinded three emergency waivers of regulations in place since the beginning of the pandemic. 

The waivers that were rescinded were:

• Advance notice requirement prior to discharge or transfer for the purposes of cohorting;
• Time requirements for baseline and comprehensive care plans; and
• Timeframes for the submission of Minimum Data Set (MDS).

CMS is maintaining its waiver of training and certification requirements for nurse aide training. The waiver allows facilities to employ individuals beyond four months, even though they have not met the federal training and certification requirements.

Read more about the waivers that have been rescinded or maintained.

Proposals for Sessions at the Consumer Voice Virtual Conference Due May 1

Consumer Voice is now accepting proposals for sessions at the 2021 Consumer Voice Virtual Conference, November 3-5, 2021. This year's conference theme is Moving Forward Together.

Each year, the Consumer Voice hosts a conference to educate and empower consumers and consumer advocates.  The conference covers long-term care issues, including current trends, best practices, advocacy opportunities, and new research. Last year's virtual conference allowed more advocates than ever before to learn, network, and exchange ideas with others from all over the country.

We are looking for proposals that create an engaging, informative conference agenda that provides resources, tools, opportunities for discussion, and strategies our attendees can incorporate in their life and/or advocacy

Learn how to submit a proposal. Proposals are due May 1, 2021.

Primer from Justice in Aging on Medicaid HCBS for Older Adults with Disabilities

As older adults age and begin to need more help, most say they would rather remain at home and receive the supports and services they need there, rather than move into a nursing facility. The ability to remain at home and active in the community requires older adults with disabilities to have access to caregiving, help with chores, and other supports that allow them to manage daily activities. Many people with disabilities rely on Medicaid to afford these supports and services.  However, because state Medicaid programs are required to cover nursing facilities but not home and community-based services (HCBS), older adults with disabilities who want HCBS often have trouble accessing them.

A new Justice in Aging primer: Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services for Older Adults with Disabilities provides an overview of Medicaid HCBS, the institutional bias, and how states are doing in terms of serving older adults with disabilities in the community. It also discusses how the resulting patchwork of HCBS programs that vary significantly among and within states creates gaps and inequities in the care infrastructure for older adults with disabilities.

Read the Primer