Higher standards for dining, staff training in dementia care and medication management are among the changes recently proposed for skilled-nursing facilities by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) during the White House Conference on Aging, a once-a-decade meeting to discuss ways to improve the well-being of U.S. seniors.
The proposed dining changes include providing a greater variety of foods made with higher-quality ingredients—such as those purchased directly from local producers or grown in facility gardens—as well revising meal plans so that they better provide for residents’ religious and cultural preferences, allow for flexibility in resident dining times, and accommodate nutrition and allergy needs. The changes would increase residents’ choice and quality of life, officials said.
“This proposal is just one part of the administration’s overall commitment to transform our health system to deliver better quality care and spend our health care dollars in a smarter way,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in a statement. “Today’s measures set high standards for quality and safety in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.”