AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

2006 NH "Dear Administrator" Letters

June 7, 2006

ADSA: NH #2006-016
IMPLEMENTATION OF PSYCHOSOCIAL SEVERITY GUIDE

Dear Nursing Facility/Home Administrator:

This is an update to NH #2006-014, dated May 25, 2006.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has just notified the department that the CMS Psychosocial Severity Guide for surveyors of long-term care facilities will be implemented on June 8, 2006. The implementation of this guide was originally scheduled to take place June 1, 2006.

The purpose of this Psychosocial Severity Guide is to provide an analytical guide to surveyors in determining the severity of identified noncompliance that has resulted in psychosocial outcomes. An advance copy of this guide was released by CMS on March 10, 2006 asmemorandum S&C-06-10. This memorandum can be accessed on the CMS website at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/.

If you have any questions regarding implementation, please contact your RCS Field Manager.

Sincerely,

Joyce Pashley Stockwell, Director
Residential Care Services