Using Quality in Focus as the foundation, Polaris Group highlights best practices to help mitigate penalties and citations.
CMS has developed a Quality in Focus Program as a resource for all long-term care facilities nationwide. Using Quality in Focus as the foundation, Polaris Group highlights best practices to reduce civil money penalties and decrease the frequency and severity of citations associated with FTag deficiencies.
F699- Trauma Informed Care is a regulation expanded upon in October 2022 and requires specific training to be included in employee orientation and ongoing training modules.
While care and services must always be person-centered and honor residents’ choices and preferences, what is different about providing care and services to a trauma survivor is that these residents may have lost the ability to trust caregivers, and to feel safe in their environment. As a result, the principles of trauma-informed care must be addressed and applied purposefully. The instances and principles listed below are examples State Surveyors are known to explore regarding trauma informed care training and awareness.
Does your annual in-service include all six areas?
- Safety – Ensuring residents have a sense of emotional and physical safety. Example: Does your Admission Director realize that double-occupancy rooms need ample space for residents who may be re-traumatized by sharing close contact with strangers?
- Trustworthiness and Transparency – Efforts must be made to establish a relationship based on trust and open communication between staff and the resident. Example: Do your nurses educate each resident, including the risks and benefits of medications and treatments ordered by the resident physician?
- Peer Support – Assisting residents in locating and arranging support groups organized by qualified professionals. Example: Does your facility have written and current contracts with outside agencies that can provide specialized geriatric services such as mental health counseling, addiction recovery, and grief support? Have you made it possible for these groups to meet in your facility?
- Collaboration – There is an emphasis on partnering between residents and/or his/her representative, and all the staff and disciplines involved in developing an updated and meaningful care plan. Example: How do your nursing assistants learn of the individualized needs of each resident? What type of communication is provided to them?
- Empowerment - Trauma-informed care promotes a healthcare system that helps communities, residents, and employees heal and grow from trauma. Example: Who is designated to be the first point of contact who seeks out resident stories and communicates potential situations that may cause a resident to re-experience past traumatic events? How is that information communicated to all employees timely and in total confidence?
- Cultural Issues - To establish effective trauma-informed care, nurses, physicians, and staff members need to recognize and eliminate any potential cultural, racial, gender or other biases. Example: Do you know which residents prefer a caregiver of the same sex or same nationality and is this preference included in their care plan?
Polaris Group offers specialized training related to the requirements of FTag 699. For further information, reach out to us here.
