Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
Sign In
855-734-7687 (855-REGROUP)
  • Solutions
    • Emergency Notifications
    • Day-to-Day Notifications
    • Mobile Apps
    • Emergency Notification Hardware
    • Security & Risk Mitigation
  • Industries
    • Education
    • Healthcare
    • Business
    • Hospitality
    • Government & Public Services
    • Nonprofits
    • Enterprise
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Downloads
    • Success Stories
    • Webinars
  • About Us
    • Integrations
    • Partners
    • Awards and Accolades
    • News
    • Our Team
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • Schedule a Demo

Nursing Homes, Communication, and COVID-19

June 22, 2020Jared Alfonso

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wisely revise their reporting rules every so often based on current healthcare needs and new information. It’s no surprise to those who must follow those rules that this year’s pending revisions regard COVID-19. 

Nursing homes were the most well-known early and tragic hotspots during the pandemic, suffering high rates of infection but also a higher rate of death than other healthcare facilities. 

As a leading mass notification platform, Regroup is helping our clients learn about the pending regulations and how best to use communication tools in order to comply. Care facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding were already required to have emergency preparedness plans in place, including ways to communicate internally and with residents’ representatives about emergencies. With an easy-to-use and scalable solution, nursing homes and assisted care facilities can very easily contact care providers, staff, patients and their family members or other representatives about any outbreaks, suspected cases, or data surrounding the virus. 

The impending CMS rule will impose new requirements for COVID-19 reporting to residents and their representatives: Nursing homes will have to keep their residents and residents’ representatives (including designated family or caretakers) informed in a timely manner of the facilities’ status and mitigation efforts surrounding COVID-19. In fact, they may have only 12 hours to inform residents and their representatives not only of confirmed cases, but the onset of known symptoms. Which means preparation in advance to share timely information is key. 

Outside of the regulatory mandates, notifying loved ones and other caregivers that homes are closing to visitors, or informing them specifically about those homes’ mitigation efforts is critical, compassionate, and a way to avoid needless confusion or strife. A messaging platform can make that much easier than traditional approaches like email or phone trees. Mass notification systems can send SMS/text messages, push notifications, emails, and voice messages to any device. 

Other changes the pending rule brings: It will require nursing homes to report their data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Nursing homes that fail to report confirmed cases of COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 cases among either residents or staff could face repercussions. 

While the rule has not been published yet, the CMS has strongly recommended that nursing homes start using the guidelines now. 

For more detailed information about the regulations surrounding CMS and COVID-19, explore the CMS COVID-19 toolkit. 

Additional resources: 

CMS Rules and Emergency Preparedness

Regroup For Healthcare

 

 

Related articles:

Walking the Talk of Gender Equality at Regroup
Why Business Continuity Plans Fail
When Seconds Count, Mass Notifications Save Lives
Emergencies and Threats in US Houses of Worship

Search

The Latest

  • Tips for Work-From-Home Employee Communications During Quarantines
  • When Seconds Count, Mass Notifications Save Lives
  • Serving Tribes with Mass Notifications
  • Leadership and Communications During Trying Times
  • Government Partnerships and Mass Notification: A Strong Combination
  • Hundreds of Millions of Messages: A Year in Review
  • What California Employers Need to Know About California AB 685
  • Ways Organizations Can Prepare for Winter Communications
  • Communications During Cybersecurity Threats
  • Wildfires Now: What You Need To Know
  • Using Mass Notifications to Return to the New Normal
  • Mass Notifications for the Hospitality Industry as they Reopen
  • Farm-To-Table: How Communication Tools Can Help the Food Industry Recover from COVID-19
  • Healthcare During Crisis: Top Five Ways Mass Notifications Can Help
  • Schools Cannot Reopen Without Mass Notifications
  • Time’s Running Out to Prepare for the 2020 Hurricane Season
  • How Mass Notifications Can Support the Return of Travel During COVID-19
  • Top Tips for Active Shooter Preparation for 2020
  • Nursing Homes, Communication, and COVID-19
  • How to Prepare for Hurricane Season with COVID-19 in Mind

About Regroup

Founded in the heart of Silicon Valley, Regroup Mass Notification® is an industry leader in emergency and day-to-day mass communication technology headquartered in Texas. [READ MORE]


Privacy Policy
Website Terms of Use
Cookie Policy
Data Security, Retention and Communication Policy

Latest News

  • Earthquake Awareness Month: Resources that Help Communities
  • Regroup Mass Notification Announces Winner of Second Annual Regroup Ready Award
  • Regroup Mass Notification Wins 2020 Unified Communications Product of the Year Award
  • Regroup Named ‘Best Mass Notification System’ in the 2020 AST ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards
  • Regroup Mass Notification Relocates Headquarters to Texas

From the Blog

  • Tips for Work-From-Home Employee Communications During Quarantines
  • When Seconds Count, Mass Notifications Save Lives
  • Serving Tribes with Mass Notifications
  • Leadership and Communications During Trying Times
  • Government Partnerships and Mass Notification: A Strong Combination

Popular Resources

Active Shooter Infographic
Pensacola Case Study
Top Questions to Ask When Evaluating MNS Providers

© Copyright 2021 Regroup Mass Notification

X
COVID-19 Solutions: Communicate effectively during every stage of the coronavirus recovery. Learn More.