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04/29/2020

Today's COVID-19 Report: Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Here are the latest need-to-know updates for Wednesday, April 29 regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

No All-member Call This Week

LeadingAge Ohio will not be holding an all-member call tomorrow. 

As always, LeadingAge Ohio staff are monitoring COVID-19 developments and are available by phone and email. Please send all questions related to the coronavirus pandemic to COVID19@leadingageohio.org.

ODM 1135 and Appendix K Waiver Requests

LeadingAge Ohio reached out to the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) to inquire about the status of its 1135 and Appendix K waiver requests submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval on April 14. While CMS has asked questions and received ODM’s answers, the Appendix K waiver requests have not yet been approved. ODM did receive approval of their 1135 waiver requests, which include:

  • Temporary suspension of Medicaid fee-for-service prior authorization requirements. 
  • Provider Enrollment
  • Provision of Services in Alternative Settings
  • State Plan Amendment (SPA) Flexibilities: Submission Deadline and Public Notice
  • HCBS Settings Requirements for Specified Settings

LeadingAge Ohio will keep you informed of any new developments related to the ODM Appendix K waiver requests. If you have any questions regarding the ODM waiver request, please contact Anne Shelley at ashelley@leadingageohio.org. 

CDC Offers New Resources

Last night, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent an email about new resources for frontline staff, stating that “These new webinars are intended to be a training tool/resource for frontline long-term care staff members.” These short webinars are all published on the Key Strategies to Prepare for COVID-19 in Long-term Care Facilities (LTCFs) web page at the bottom under a “Webinar Series” section.

Here are the direct links to each webinar:

Also, CDC updated three additional resources:

CMP Funding Opportunity: iN2L Tablets 

Earlier this week, LeadingAge Ohio reported that ODM had streamlined the process for Ohio nursing homes to apply to use civil monetary penalty (CMP) funds for devices that assist in communication, including tablets and adaptive accessories. In a call with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) yesterday, ODH noted that there is enough in the CMP fund for every Ohio nursing facility to apply and receive the maximum $3000/facility. LeadingAge Ohio associate firm iN2L has shared that iN2L tablets may be available through this funding

As per the CMS Memorandum distributed on April 24:  

  • There is an easy one-page application;
  • 1 tablet would be distributed per 7-10 residents;
  • Up to $3,000 worth of material can be awarded per community; and
  • A community can receive up to 8 iN2L tablets through this funding - Cost per tablet for CMS: $369 per tablet ($350 hardware & $19 shipping).

Note, however, that the community will be responsible for the monthly subscription which is $36/month per tablet.

LeadingAge is reporting that CMP application approval is happening very quickly. Take advantage of this great opportunity today. 

LeadingAge Dementia Guidance

LeadingAge has provided a new QuickCast on dementia and COVID-19, which was just released on the LeadingAge Hub. The Quickcast is titled Care and Coping with Dementia and COVID-19.

In this 18-minute QuickCast, national dementia expert Teepa Snow discusses Positive Approach to Care (PAC) strategies to support people living with dementia when sheltering in place.

NAHC Webinar on CARES Act: Accountability & Compliance

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the Home Care and Hospice Financial Managers Association (HHFMA) will present a new live webinar on Thursday, April 30 from 2:30 until 4:00 PM entitled CARES Act Emergency Fund: How to Achieve Accountability and Compliance.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorized the release of tens of billions of federal dollars to health care providers across the country. In this must-attend webinar, HHFMA experts will describe the processes and procedures to document the usage of these funds, to ensure agencies are able to account for money received and remain in compliance with the law.

CARES Act Emergency Fund: How to Achieve Accountability and Compliance.
Thursday, April 30, 2020
2:30-4:00 PM Eastern
Anyone wishing to participate must register online. 

This webinar is free to all and includes a recording of the event, also free, that will be made available to anyone.

Tomorrow: Kendal at Oberlin Offering Zoom Fellowship Meeting for Activity Professionals

Activity Professionals within the LeadingAge Ohio membership are encouraged to join Kendal at Oberlin Director of Creative Arts Therapy/Dementia Specialist Michele Tarsitano-Amato as she hosts the first of potentially several Activity Professionals Zoom Fellowship meetings.

This Zoom Fellowship Meeting is meant to provide activity professionals with emotional support, thoughts on reviewing plans of care, ideas for activities of interest, and discussion on how to share resources. Tomorrow’s meeting will focus on what participants hope to gain from this group, what topics are most important, and how activity professionals can support one another. 

Zoom Fellowship Meeting for Activity Professionals
Tomorrow, Thursday, April 30 from 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM
Host: CreativeArtsKendal@gmail.com is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. 
Join the Zoom Meeting online.
Meeting ID: 979 1175 8968

If you would like to host the next Activity Professionals Zoom Fellowship meeting, please contact Bobbi Dolan at bdolan@leadingageohio.org.

Facemasks Not Required, Highly Encouraged

Governor DeWine announced yesterday that the state of Ohio will not require that customers entering retail establishments wear face coverings. Wearing face coverings in public is still, however, strongly recommended.

Governor DeWine also noted that individual business owners could still choose to develop a business policy requiring face coverings for customers to enter their facilities. Face coverings would still be mandated for employees unless wearing a face covering is not advisable by a healthcare professional, goes against industry best practices, or is not permitted by federal or state laws and regulations.

LeadingAge Ohio encourages any older adult or healthcare worker entering a retail establishment or other public setting to wear a facemask. 

Ohio Statistics: 16,769 Cases, 799 Deaths

As of yesterday, there were 16,769 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio and 799 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 3,340 people have been hospitalized, including 1,004 admissions to intensive care units. 

In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov. 

Questions

Please send all questions to COVID19@leadingageohio.org. Additionally, members are encouraged to visit the LeadingAge Ohio COVID-19 Working Group facebook group to pose questions to peers and share best practices.

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