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CARE Assessor Information
This page is dedicated to links and information that will be especially useful for trained CARE assessors.
CARE Fax: (785) 628-2005
Newsletters and Recent Information
Additional Information
- Bipolar Disorder Fact Sheet
- Schizophrenia Fact Sheet
- Depression Fact Sheet
- Money Follows the Person Cheat Sheet
- Financial Abuse of Elderly
- Adult Protective Services - information for reporting an incident and the online reporting tool
- Alzheimer's Disease Websites - Thanks to Alzheimer's Association of Central and Western Kansas for this list.
- "Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers - A Practical Tips Guide" by University of Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles
- Kansas Advocates for Better Care Booklets - A variety of booklets relating to long term care are available at their website. There is also a brochure available for families to better understand what KABC does. You can get copies of the brochure by calling KABC at 800-525-1782
- A Guide to Kansas Laws on Guardianship and Conservatorship - This is an informative guide created by the Kansas Guardianship Project.
- SRS expands access to services for Kansans who are blind or visually impaired
- Kansas Health Ethics - Includes Kansas DPOA forms and Living Will forms (available for public use) and other advance directive information and resources.
- www.disability.gov - You can search by state to find resources available to meet a variety of needs. This is also an excellent resource for mental health provider information, Area Mental Health Centers, etc.
- Kansas Silver Alert Law - Helps to find people 65 and older or people diagnosed with dementia who are reported missing by their family or caregivers.
- This site has lots of information and a virtual house that provides information for making homes livable for all ages and abilities.
Terminal Illness Exemption --- "Hospice Letter" Information
CARE Assessments are not to be done on terminally ill people prior to entering a nursing facility. Instead, please follow this procedure:
- Obtain documentation from the physician stating the individual is terminally ill. The person does not have to be on Hospice services.
- Commonly used terms include:
- End of life prognosis due to...
- End stages of...
- Palliative care only
- Comfort measures only
- Referring to _____ Hospice
- Serious persistent coma or vegetative state
- Commonly used terms include:
- Fax the documentation to (785) 628-2005 in place of the CARE assessment. Please include the name of the nursing facility the client plans to enter. If the client is utilizing Hospice services, please include the agency's name and contact person.
- The Area Agency on Aging faxes the information to KDOA. KDOA faxes a letter to the client stating they are exempt from the CARE/PASRR process.
- Note: It may take several days for the letter to be generated. Please fax the terminal illness diagnosis to the nursing facility so they have it on file for the surveyors until the letter comes. The client can go immediately to the nursing facility once the documentation is faxed to the Area Agency on Aging.
Please call the Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging with any questions at 1-800-432-7422.
Terminal Illness / Hospice Letter Cover Sheet
Example of CARE Terminal / Severe Physical Illness Letter
Out of State Admissions
- Each state has a PASRR assessment; they may call it a PASRR assessment, nursing facility screening, or various other terms.
- Obtain a faxed copy of the PASRR that is completed, dated and signed prior to admission.
- Fax a copy to the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for review and data entry.
- Keep original accessible in the medical record.
- ALL INDIVIDUALS MUST HAVE A PASRR SCREENING PRIOR TO ADMISSION TO A MEDICAID-CERTIFIED NURSING FACILITY.
Provisional Admissions (Less than 30 day stay)
- The intention is for the individual to rehabilitate or be in respite care and leave by day 30.
- Doctor's orders must indicate it is a 30 day or less expected stay - check box is okay.
- By day 20, the nursing facility is to call the Area Agency on Aging and request for the full CARE assessment to be completed.
- IF A CARE IS NOT COMPLETED YOU CANNOT RECEIVE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT.
- Commonly used terms on the doctor's orders for a provisional stay:
- Stay is not expected to exceed 30 days.
- Less than 30 day stay.
- Stay 30 days or less.
- <30 days.
- (Check mark box) X Patient stay expected to be 30 days or less.
- Anticipate ELOS less than 30 days.
Emergency Admissions
Specific criteria must be met before an admission will be considered an "emergency."
- An Adult Protective Services case (APS)
- Lack of safety due to any threats of any type of abuse
- Exploitation - physical or financial
- Self-abuse; neglect
- THE DOCTOR NOTES IT ON ADMISSION ORDERS.
- A natural disaster
- Can be ice storm, tornado, flood, etc.
- Damage to individual's home that makes it unsafe
- THE DOCTOR INDICATES ON ADMISSION ORDERS WHAT THE SITUATION IS.
- The primary caregiver becomes unavailable due to a situation beyond the caregiver's control
- Caregiver is in emergency room or hospital
- Caregiver passed away
- Family emergency that requires sudden change
- DOCTOR'S ADMISSION ORDERS INDICATE TAHT CAREGIVERS ARE NOT CAPABLE OR AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE NEEDED CARE.
- A doctor-ordered immediate admission due to frail condition
- Seen at emergency room or doctor's office; not needing acute hospital care
- Falling and no adequate help
- Other medical reasons
- THE DOCTOR MUST INDICATE THE PERSON HAS BEEN ADMITTED AS AN EMERGENCY ADMISSION DUE TO FRAIL HEALTH CONDITION.
- An admission from out-of-state to a NF
- The individual was brought to Kansas from his/her residence in another state without PASRR due to frail health but not transferring from nursing facility or hospital.
- THE DOCTOR WRITES AN EMERGENCY ADMISSION ORDER.
Process for Emergency Admissions
- Nursing Facility assessor must fax within one working day Section A & B of CARE assessment to local Area Agency on Aging with Emergency Fax Memo noted with reason for admission. Call Area Agency on Aging to verify that the fax was received.
- The Area Agency on Aging will assign an assessor to complete the full CARE assessment within 5 working days. Call the Area Agency on Aging if it is not completed by day 5.
Training Information
Effective 4/7/09: Social Service Designees or Admission Coordinator staff or other non-college degree individuals can audit the first half of the morning or come to the update so they can better understand the admission CARE/PASRR criteria even though they would not stay to learn how to fill out the assessment. This might help admission coordinators at nursing facilities.
CEU Information
If you are an RN, you must complete the (1) Individual Offering Approval Form required by the State Board of Nursing; AND (2) Written learning objectives; AND (3) Have a Certificate of Completion from the CARE Program; AND (4) Maintain an Agenda from the training.
**Provider is Kansas Department on Aging
**Provider's Address is 503 S Kansas Ave, Topeka, KS 66603
***Rationale Statement: CARE/PASRR law and assessment training.
If you are a Social Worker, you must (1) document your attendance on your two year CEU form; AND (2) Maintain an Agenda from the Training; AND (3) Have a Certificate of Completion from the CARE Program.
For more information, contact the State Board of Nursing, or the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board, or your respective professional organization.
Forms
