Ca Care Association

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Stake Holder Meeting Updates

Membership Representative

Division Updates - Kevin Gaines, Deputy Director

  • Pin. 23-01-CCRC - announces a change in the Continuing Care Contracts Bureau.

  • Pin 23-26-ASC - announces a reference guide related to training requirements for administrators, staff, and volunteers in Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly.

  • Pin 23-02-CCRC - provides a summary of and implementation information for legislation chaptered in 2023 affecting Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) providers.

  • Pin 23-15 CCLD - notice of upcoming webinars to support licensed provider improvement efforts.

Community Expansion Program

  • The department has awarded 353 million in community care expansion capital grants with 48 projects throughout all seven regions.  Proposed to create 1984 units

  • Priority are individuals who are experiencing a risk of homelessness. 

  • The new website for the CCE program is www.ccegrant.com

  • Horn general inbox email support@cceprogram.com

Regulation Package/Interim Licensing Standards (ILS) Updates

Dementia Care Updates

  • The dementia care regulation package was published for public comment, the comment period is September 8 to October 24, 45 days

Background Checks Updates

  • Regulations are being updated to reflect changes mandated by AB 1720 and SB 1093

  • PIN 22-14 - CCLD  provides updated guidance to applicants, providers, and agencies regarding the Criminal Record Statement and the addition of a simplified criminal record exemption criteria to the Health and Safety Code

Medical Foster Homes for Veterans

  • The department is in the process of developing the interim licensing standards at the ILS for medical foster homes for veterans

Legislation Updates

  • AB 1417 - establishes a simplified process for recording abuse that occurs in care facilities as follows:

    a. For abuse allegedly caused by residents with dementia and no bodily injury the ER needs a written report within 24 hours to a long-term care ombudsman and local law enforcement. 

    b. For all other incidents of abuse, it requires a verbal report within two hours to local law enforcement and a written report within 24 hours to the long-term of local law enforcement and corresponding licensing agency. 

  • AB839 - will extend the applicability of existing healthcare facility finance statutes, such as the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Act, by adding RCFEs to definitions of health facility

  • AB 979 - repeals and readopt family council statute and Health and Safety Code section 15 69.158. It clarifies and requires that family counsel is allowed to meet virtually or at an off-site location. Notice of information on the Family Council is to be provided to the resident and those designated by the resident prior to or within five business days after the resident's admission or the resident's representative, family member, or other individual is designated or identified. Finally, the facility provides the family council with contact information for each residence representative, family member, or other individual. If they have provided written consent, specifying the contact information that may be shared

  • Senate Bill 525 - increase the minimum minimum wage for covered health care employees. It will be increased here starting with $21 per hour, June 1 2024 to May 31, 2026. And then it bumped up to $23 per hour from June 1 2026 to May 31, 2028. And then finally it will be moved up to $25 per hour from June 1, 2028.

Administrator Certification Section (ACS), Applications, Processing Times, and ACS Portal Updates

  • Processing times for new and renewal certifications are slightly faster, around seven and a half months versus eight months.

  • Efforts are in place to fix the lengthy processing times.

  • Overtime is being used, and additional staffing positions are approved to address the workload.

  • The online system's phase one is in the final stages of internal developer beta testing.

  • Phase one aims to increase efficiency and is designed for waiting lists, not initial applications.

  • A stakeholder survey is anticipated in early 2024

Background Checks

The average time for auto-clear clearance is six days, partly due to the error batch. AARS checks are conducted, with a manual review for accuracy, involving potential matches and record requests. The average of six days applies to all programs, with extra checks for cases involving children or out-of-state residents. These additional checks can extend the processing time. Various factors play a role in the six-day average.

Transparency Website

  • A workgroup has been formed to address the overcounts on the transparency website.

  • The matter is currently with developers for a solution.

  • Testing and solution phases are ongoing.

  • A forthcoming report will detail the approach to address inaccuracies and ensure accurate counts.

  • The focus is on accurately adding and removing counts in the report.

CPR and First Aid

  • PIN 23-16 ASC does not state that all staff need to be trained in first aid CPR training. The Health and Safety Code section 1569.18 C32 requires that the facility shall employ, and the administrator staff shall schedule a sufficient number of staff members to ensure that at least one staff member who has CPR training and first aid training is on duty and on the premises at all times. 

Masking the Flu Season

  • CDPH emphasized the importance of getting the flue vaccine to protect yourself and the community from the flu

  • September 5, 2023 - CCLD released an e-blast on CDPH flu vaccination recommendations covering influenza and RSV 

  • Pin 23-13 ASC - includes COVID-19 masking recommendations

Appeals Processing

  • January 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023 = The department received 454 appeals as of Sept 30. Pending appeals are 164, and that is a 47 decrease since January 2023. 

  • Number of license revocations filed by region = six beds, and fewer and more in 2023

Action Items

  • items under appeal are clearly marked with a notation that states it is under appeal.

  • Once the appeal is filed and entered into the system the complaint and or the report under appeal is removed from view until the appeal process is complete, which may vary case by case. 


Other resources that you can check out:

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7274007/Q3-ASCP-Quarterly-Updates-Newsletter-Feedback

https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CCLD/OHC-ResourceGuide-ARF.pdf