The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Quality Innovation Network National Coordinating Center have produced a Change Package to prevent all cause harm in nursing homes.
In response to a 2014 Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on adverse events in skilled nursing facilities (SNF), and as part of CMS’s focus on raising awareness of nursing home safety and to support safer nursing home care across the nation, CMS asked the Quality Innovation Network National Coordinating Center to identify high performing nursing homes in the area of all cause harm prevention, and to gather information on their practices in order to share with all nursing homes across the country. The Change Package describes their successful practices – how they prevent harm while honoring each resident’s rights and preferences. It includes overarching themes and detailed strategies to prevent specific adverse events and abuse. The strategies and actions range from evidence-based practices to promising practices determined to be worthy of testing by clinical and other long-term care experts in the nursing homes visited.