DOH Redistributes DAL Clarifying Requirements Related to Nursing Home Resident Transfers or Discharges

The Department of Health (DOH) has redistributed a Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) clarifying a number of different requirements related to the transfer and discharge of residents from the nursing home. Specifically, the DAL "[clarifies] the requirement to permit residents to return to the nursing home after transfer to an acute care setting, the documentation required for a facility-initiated transfer or discharge, the difference between a facility-initiated and resident-initiated transfer/discharges, and the requirement for a facility to send a copy of the discharge notice to a representative of the Office of the State Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman for facility-initiated discharges."

The DAL, with accompanying Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to discharge notices to the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) and facility-initiated discharges, can be accessed here.

LeadingAge NY encourages all nursing home members to review their policies and procedures related to facility and resident-initiated transfers and discharges to ensure compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Requirements of Participation (RoPs).

If you have any questions regarding the DAL, please feel free to reach out to any member of the Policy team.

Contact: Amy Nelson, anelson@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8383 ext. 146