Just like in other public health fields, it’s imperative to keep your assisted living administrator licensing current and updated. It’s a fundamental part of ensuring that the public receives proper care!

Plus, keeping your senior care licensing up-to-date will make sure that that you are well informed of the most current business operations, laws and regulations, ethical practices, and more, which helps residents receive the highest level of care possible.

BOULDER, CO:  Frasier, a not-for-profit Life Plan community in Boulder shared the same difficult journey that so many other life plan communities experienced by having to quickly respond to a virus that was proving to be deadly for older adults throughout the world.  And like other communities offering a continuum of care, including a 54-bed nursing care center, restrictions on visitations and other activities began in early March 2020 - almost a year ago.

Frasier was amid a plethora of “rolling” move-ins into The Prairies, which was their brand-new independent living building comprised of 98 large one and two-bedroom apartments. At the time the pandemic struck, The Prairies was nearly 100% pre-sold, with move-ins beginning in January 2020, and scheduled through the rest of the year.  So, what is uncommon?  

To ensure members get the most current information we are now emailing COVID-19 related information directly to members via the COVID-19 Weekly Update. To be added to the distribution list, please contact Sarah McVeigh. To view previously posted information please see below. Please note, this page is no longer maintained so information below may be out-of-date or no longer relevant. 

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COVID-19: Updates and Resources from May 20

Colorado Case Summary

• CliftonLarsonAllen Expense Tracking Tool to Help Economic Relief Fund Recipients Stay Compliant. The Expense Tracking Tool is available for our Members at $750.  
  
  
• Hall Render shares five actions to take now as HHS is Distributing $4.9B in COVID-19 CARES Funding Relief to Skilled Nursing Facilities.
  
  
• Interstate is providing COVID-19 Decontaminations and they are included on the governments list as essential services. View a letter from Interstate's CEO.
  
  
• KEPHART envisions that the design of senior living communities will be forever changed. Read Design for Senior Living in the Age of Pandemics white paper.
  
  
• Morrison Living's Commitment During COVID-19: Now and always, we are focused on the safety and wellbeing of our residents, associates, and community. Our commitment is to be the best part of someone’s day—especially when those days may be marked by uncertainty. We understand that we are in a rapidly changing situation; our hearts go out to all those that have been and will be impacted by COVID-19.
  
  

• NextStep has released their National COVID-Ready Caregiver Certification that uses clinically-backed, expert-developed online learning to help develop safety skills during the Coronavirus pandemic. LeadingAge Members are elgible for significant savings using the coupon code LEADINGAGE5 at check-out to access the program for just $5.

• Plante Moran has developed an on-demand webinar, Strategies for physician groups navigating the COVID-19 recovery. View this on-demand webinar in partnership with Ziegler to understand short-term and long-term strategies your physicians practice should consider to navigate your COVID-19 recovery.
  
  

• Ziegler hosted a webinar on the Paycheck Protection Program for all senior living clients (Powerpoint slide presentation attached). A playback of the presentation is available at this web link. 

Please see below of a list of curated COVID-19 state and national resources. 

To ensure members get the most current information we are now emailing COVID-19 related information directly to members via the COVID-19 Weekly Update. To be added to the distribution list, please contact Sarah McVeigh.

LeadingAge Colorado's strength is our relationship with our sponsors that believe in LeadingAge Colorado's mission and vision. These companies offer a wide range of products and services – in addition to a wealth of useful information and expertise – for LeadingAge Colorado members.

 

To make access easier for members to important COVID-19 information and policy changes, LeadingAge Colorado has put together this document listing all operational memos issued by HCPF. The memos are organized by provider with the latest at the top. (April 20)

• Nursing Homes
• Alternative Care Facilities
• Adult Day Services

COVID-19 has brought specific treatment questions into focus.  Even if advance care planning has been completed by your patients/residents in the past, now is a good time to revisit the conversation to address the current pandemic.  This guide and the following resources/tip sheets have been designed to help your patients/residents, their families, and all of us consider specific medical treatments, values and decisions in relation to COVID-19. 

• COVID-19 The Conversation Project Presentation to learn advance care planning basics.  Link to Video
• Link to The Conversation Project's Being Prepared in the Time of COVID-19 Guide.
• Medical Durable Power of Attorney Document MDPOA (unless already completed, accurate and available). Link to Colorado MDPOA Form
• Colorado Care Planning Website - (content in English & Spanish/large text option)
• Link to the COVID-19 Treatment Decision Guide.  If you go to the hospital and become seriously ill, these are the questions you will likely be asked.
• Remember to take care of yourself: Link to Remembering the Heart in Turbulent times
• Link to Caregiver Support/Info Resources

LeadingAge Colorado, the Colorado Hospital Association, the Colorado Health Care Association, and the Colorado Medical Directors Association jointly released the a letter, transfer form for use when discharging hospital inpatients to long-term care facilities and guidance from the American Health Care Association related to nursing homes accepting hospital transfers during the pandemic. 

Argentum and the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) have announced a new resource, Senior Living FastMatch, to help workers who have been displaced due to the fallout from COVID-19 find a new employment opportunity in senior living. More than a traditional job board, however, the Senior Living FastMatch resource, hosted at the Senior Living Works website, uses artificial intelligence to evaluate the best fit for candidates and identifies the top jobs for them in their geographic region. The recruitment tool is powered by Arena, a leading software company that applies big data and predictive analytics to help companies make more successful hiring decisions. In addition, OnShift, a human capital management software company for the senior living industry and Argentum’s partner for workforce development, created an expanded resource toolkit to help senior living organizations recruit and hire employees during this emergency. Read more.

Meet the 40-hour training requirement to become an assisted living residence administrator as set forth in the revised Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) licensing regulations governing assisted living residences, which became effective in mid-2018.  This course is also recommended for owners, administrator designees, CEO’s, COO’s, resident services directors, nurses, social workers, and marketing/admissions staff.  Read more.

Read more.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, employers that serve at-risk adults, including assisted living residences (ALRs), PACE programs, nursing facilities and adult day services programs, must request a CAPS check prior to hiring employees who will be providing direct care. The database contains the names of individuals who have been found by APS to have mistreated at-risk adults. After Jan. 1, CDPHE will check employee files as part of their regular survey processes to determine if the database was checked on new employees. Employers who are mandated to request a check of the Adult Protective Services data system (CAPS) must register with the CAPS Check Unit (CCU) before those requests can be made are strongly encouraged to register before Jan. 1.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) announced a three-year grant obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fund a full-time Environmental Protection Specialist to conduct food safety inspections in ALRs with 20 or more beds. The inspections will be conducted yearly for the next three years and the ALR survey team will no longer be inspecting the kitchens, nor will any of the county health departments.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, employers that serve at-risk adults, including assisted living residences (ALRs), PACE programs, nursing facilities and adult day services programs, must request a CAPS check prior to hiring employees who will be providing direct care. The database contains the names of individuals who have been found by APS to have mistreated at-risk adults. Employers must register prior to asking for a check and CDHS must respond as soon as possible but no later than five days from the day of the request. The rules set a maximum fee for the check at $16.50. CDHS has a dedicated website for more information.

In May, Gov. Hickenlooper signed into law a bill containing extensive requirements for public and private entities that maintain the personal information of Colorado’s residents. The new law covers what steps must be taken by all providers of senior living and aging services to protect data, what to do in the event of a breach and how to dispose of certain types of personal information. The law’s requirements take effect Sept. 1.

On July 13, the Medical Services Board gave initial approval to the draft alternative care facility rules updating the rules and including requirements mandated by the federal home and community-based services (HCBS) settings rule. LeadingAge Colorado submitted comments to the board ahead of the meeting and provided comments during the hearing. LeadingAge Colorado was the only association present and focused their comments on changes to the staffing requirements.

Reminder: Members are encouraged to check the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s (CDPHE) new ALR resource page designed to help keep ALRs informed about the implementation of the new licensure regulations. The page contains continuously updated information on important dates, training, FAQs and the Assisted Living Advisory Committee (ALAC).

In a recent memo to providers, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) announced that the 25 percent increase for ACFs included in the state budget signed by the governor on Monday is anticipated to take effect Oct. 1. The increase must be approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Today LeadingAge launched a petition to expand and protect affordable senior housing. This petition is part of our effort to engage and grow the Seniors Action Network. Members are encouraged to sign the petition that tells Congress we must invest more in affordable senior housing and reject the President’s proposed 22 percent cut to next year’s U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) budget. Sign the Seniors Action Network Petition for Affordable Senior Housing and tell Congress to make older adults a priority.