This letter from CMS outlines the requirements for nursing homes and other healthcare facilities to accommodate the needs and preferences of their residents. It emphasizes the importance of creating a home-like environment, and suggests that reasonable accommodations should be made to individualize the physical environment of the resident’s bedroom and bathroom, as well as common living areas. In addition, it states that the environment should reflect the unique needs and preferences of each resident to the extent reasonable, and should not endanger the health or safety of individuals or other residents. Nursing homes and healthcare facilities need to observe residents in their rooms and common areas, and interview them if possible, to determine if their environment accommodates their needs and preferences. They must also observe staff/resident interactions to ensure that staff interact in a manner that a resident with limited sight or hearing can see and hear them, and provide necessary assistance to help maintain the resident’s independence. New actions that need to be taken include providing a riser on a toilet to maintain independence, and making areas of worship accessible to residents with mobility limitations.

Summaries are generataed using AI. Check important information.