LeadingAge Texas provides crucial, proactive oversight, and key contacts to help your organization stay compliant, informed, and connected. This weekly update summarizes state and federal guidelines and regulatory updates related to COVID-19.

Questions? Ask LeadingAge Texas, your national association, or one another.

There are many ways to get help during this crisis. Contact LeadingAge Texas' team directly or submit questions here. If you have questions about national issues, contact LeadingAge national's team directly or by email at covid@leadingage.org. Join the LeadingAge Member Community COVID-19 group to ask questions, access resources, and share best practices for dealing with the coronavirus.

Stay up-to-date by visiting the LeadingAge Texas COVID-19 Resources page and the LeadingAge national COVID-19 Resources page.

COVID-19 Discussion Call Tomorrow

Join us tomorrow at 1 pm CT for the member COVID-19 Discussion Call. We’ll have a roundtable discussion about reopening - please come prepared to share!

Past session recordings, PowerPoints, and additional materials are available here.

NOTICE:
COVID-19 Calls Schedule Update

COVID-19 Discussion Calls: Beginning in April, COVID-19 Discussion Calls will be held twice a month on the first and third Tuesdays from 1-2 pm CT. Add these calls to your calendar for the months of April - June.

C-Suite Roundtables: Beginning in April, C-Suite Roundtables will be held on the third Thursday of the month from 3-4 pm CT.

This Week's LeadingAge Coronavirus Policy Updates

Join LeadingAge today at 2:30 pm CT to hear from their town hall partner, Reed Tuckson, a founder of the Black Coalition Against COVIC. He will talk about vaccine confidence, what can be done to influence it, and whether staff acceptance, particularly staff of color, is changing.  On Wednesday, we'll talk with Dave Wilkinson head of Yale’s Tobin Center for Economic Policy and former WH appointee, who will bring a new tool for understanding a nursing home’s risk level based on staff movement across multiple providers. And on Thursday, Ashvin Gandhi, lead author of “High Nursing Staff Turnover in Nursing Homes Offers Important Quality Information,” in Health Affairs this month.

Learn more and register >>

LeadingAge Housing Advisory Group Call
April 5 • 11:30 am CT

Join LeadingAge for regular LeadingAge Housing Advisory Group calls on Mondays at 11:30 am CT. On April 5, a special guest will join to discuss approaches for managing rising insurance premiums in housing communities. Any LeadingAge member can join the Housing Advisory Group by emailing Linda or Juliana with LeadingAge National.

Legal Aspects of Documentation
April 6 • 1 - 2 pm CT • Webinar

This session will review regulatory requirements and best practices for completing legally sound documentation that supports the facility met the standard of care. Through lecture and mock deposition analysis we will identify critical legal and AHIMA documentation principles to apply in your daily practical operations to promote resident well-being and minimize potential risks.

Learn more and register >>
Register for the full series to save >>

- IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER -
2021 Finance & Strategy Symposium
April 7 + 8 • Virtual Event

Don't wait! Register now to join LeadingAge Texas & Ziegler for this two-day symposium focused on strategic trends in the aging services sector. This symposium was built to provide industry insight to senior living community leadership (CEOs, CFOs, board members, etc.) about how to not only navigate current trends, but to offer strategies on how to thrive in the current economy and the state of the capital lending environment.

Learn more and register >>

HHSC CNA Strong Virtual Symposium
April 8 • 8:30 am - 6 pm CT • Virtual Event

Register for this free, full-day symposium for CNAs. There are separate sessions for nurses, administrators and other long-term care leaders.

Learn more and register* >>
*Click the session titles to register

Selling During a Pandemic (And We are ALWAYS in a Pandemic!)
April 21 • 12 - 4 pm CT • Virtual Event

Make plans to join us for a deep-dive session into the critical role of selling in the senior living industry. Not marketing, but SELLING. Specifically, we will seek to change our behavior to adopt a “Selling to the Individual” model versus “Marketing to the Collective” model. The participant will learn to develop relationships of trust with both internal and external customers. In addition, effective communication skills will be discussed which again lead to trust-based relationships.

Learn more and register >>

LATEST UPDATES & RESOURCES

CMS & HHSC Revised Rules

CMS recently revised nursing facility visitation guidelines providing additional flexibilities in light of COVID-19 vaccination availability.

HHSC has also recently revised nursing facility visitation rules providing additional flexibilities, which are in alignment with CMS guidelines.

Click here to view the CMS and HHSC Side-by-Side Comparison Chart for NFs.

HHSC has published revised ALF Expansion of Reopening Visitation Emergency Rules (PDF) for assisted living facilities. The revised rules are effective 03/24/2021.

CMS Visitation Checklist for Nursing Home Providers

Click here for a checklist nursing home members can use to prepare for visitation. This checklist is drafted in accordance with CMS guidelines.

Actions to Mitigate COVID-19 Prevalence in Nursing Homes

CMS updated their toolkit on state actions to mitigate COIVD-19 prevalence in nursing homes. This toolkit catalogs the many innovative solutions designed at the state level to protect our nation’s vulnerable nursing home residents during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Resources

LeadingAge is on top of the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccine approval and distribution. Visit the LeadingAge Vaccine Resources page for the latest updates, analysis and education, and resources, and check out our Vaccination Tips and Tools page for valuable educational resources. 

Texas/HHSC:

Update to COVID-19 Guidance for FFS Service Coordinators and Case Managers

Recording of NF COVID-19 March 24 Webinar with LTCR Available

Free BinaxNOW COVID-19 POC Tests Available for LTC Providers

HHSC Revises Guidance Allowing LTC Providers to Use Free COVID-19 POC Antigen Tests on Anyone (PL 2020-49)

HHSC Publishes COVID-19 Response – Program Provider Response to COVID-19 and Visitation Expansion for HCS (PL 2021-09)

COVID-19 Update to Telehealth Guidance on CLASS Professional and Specialized Therapies - March 25

HHSC Publishes Electronic Visit Verification Notification Requirement (IL 2021-15)

Update: Nursing Facility MDS Authorization Extensions Guidance to Nursing Facility Providers

Survey for Directors of Nursing Open Until April 30

ALF Expansion of Reopening Visitation Emergency Rules

NFSS Form Available for People on Medicare Coinsurance

Survey: ALFs Input Needed on COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

HHSC COVID-19 Provider Updates | HHSC Gov Email & Text Updates

Federal/CMS:

Home Health and Hospice Weekly: Recap of LeadingAge Updates

Nursing Home Weekly: Recap of LeadingAge Updates

FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Announces Historic $10 Billion Investment to Expand Access to COVID-19 Vaccines and Build Vaccine Confidence in Hardest-Hit and Highest-Risk Communities

Drive for 75: Resources from Week 4

Spring Reopening: LPC Member Post-Vaccine Solutions

Accelerated and Advance Payment Program Repayment Begins April 2021

Vaccine Insights: Interview with Dr. Sara Oliver

IRS Hosts Public Hearing on Average Income Set-Aside

FCC Broadband Benefit Program; Spotlight on Bulk Internet Contracts

HUD:

Senior Housing Weekly: Recap of LeadingAge Updates

LeadingAge to Hill: Housing is Infrastructure

Draft Bill Circulated on Housing COVID-19 Relief

New HUD Guides on Rights & Responsibilities, Tenant Finances

Join us May 25+26 at the 2021 Virtual Annual Conference & Solutions EXPO!

In educational sessions, during networking events and in the EXPO, you'll have many opportunities to exchange insights with others who share your interests and face similar challenges.

Learn more and register thru May 4 to Save >>

COVID-19 TESTING, PPE, & RE-OPENING SOLUTIONS

COVID-19 TESTING SOLUTIONS

McKesson – PPE & Rapid Test Cards
McKesson does continue to see additional improvement in the supply of certain high demand PPE items.  Also Abbott BinaxNOW test cards will become available for purchase in March. 

• McKesson PPE
• CareStart Antigen Test Card
• Value First Flu Pre-Book Form
• Level II Gowns are available for a Bulk Purchase at $1.00 per gown for orders 20,000 and above. ( Non-Bulk orders are available as well).

Please reach out to your McKesson representative to receive updated availability. You may also reach out to Ann Castro, (817) 680-5471 should you have any further questions. Thank you!

Direct Supply – PPE & Re-Opening Solutions
Direct Supply has a robust portfolio of reopening solutions in addition to their PPE offerings:

• Shop Direct Supply March Discounts
• Direct Supply PPE
• Emergency Preparedness List
• Electrostatic Disinfecting Sprayers
• Covid-19 Equipment Solutions

For more information, please reach out to your Direct Supply Capital Consultants for North (Matt Christensen) and South (Mike Hankte) Texas.

Gulf Coast Paper - Network Distribution Free Electrostatic Sprayer Promotion
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on public health and Long Term Care facilities have been hit hard disproportionately. In order to help lessen the burden of infection by maintaining a healthier and safer facility, we, in partnership with Network, created the Clorox® Total 360® COVID Response Program. Purchase 2 cases of our disinfectant and sanitizer per month per device for 2 years and we will give you our Clorox® Total 360® Electrostatic Sprayer (est. value $4,995) for free.

• Clorox Total 360 Program Information
• Clorox Total 360 LOP

For more information please reach out to: Don Dempski, Director of National Accounts, Gulf Coast Paper Company.