You Asked:
What are the requirements for reconciling medications before a resident is discharged from the nursing home?
We Answered:
Under §483.21(c)(2)(iii), nursing homes are required to perform a medication reconciliation prior to a resident’s discharge to ensure safe transitions of care. Facility staff must compare the medications listed in the discharge summary with the medications the resident was receiving while in the facility. Any discrepancies or differences must be:
- Assessed
- Resolved
- Documented in the discharge summary, along with the rationale for any changes
For example, a resident recovering from surgery may have required a short course of antibiotics while in the facility. If the antibiotic is no longer needed at home, the discontinuation should be noted and explained in the discharge summary.
Additionally, the discharge instructions and any prescriptions provided to the resident and/or their representative must match the reconciled list in the discharge summary. Ensuring this alignment helps avoid medication errors and supports continuity of care after discharge. Top The countdown is on for the 2025 LeadingAge Ohio Annual Conference & Trade Show—the premier gathering for aging services professionals from across the state. Whether you're a provider, vendor, sponsor, or advocate, this three-day experience is your chance to connect with peers, recharge your passion, and explore new strategies to elevate care for older Ohioans.
Why Attend?
- Robust Education: Dive into expert-led sessions covering today’s most pressing topics—from regulatory updates and clinical best practices to leadership growth and workforce innovation. With targeted content for all service lines—skilled nursing, home health, hospice, senior housing, and more—you’ll gain real tools to bring back to your team.
- Vibrant Trade Show: Meet face-to-face with solution partners who understand the challenges you face and are ready to support your success.
- Can’t-Miss Events: The Annual Awards Luncheon, Ice Cream Social, and fan-favorite Game Night offer time to unwind, connect, and celebrate the shared mission that unites us all.
This is your moment to help shape the future of aging services in Ohio. Visit www.LAOConference.org to secure your spot and be part of something bigger.
The LeadingAge Ohio room block at the hotel event venue is full. Visit the conference website for nearby alternative hotels. The LeadingAge Ohio Political Action Committee (PAC) invites members, partners, and guests to join the annual PAC Golf Outing fundraiser on Monday, September 29, 2025, at The Golf Club of Dublin in Dublin, Ohio. Whether you're a seasoned golfer or just out to enjoy a day on the course, the outing promises friendly competition, great company, and a chance to support LeadingAge Ohio’s advocacy efforts.
The event will begin with a shotgun start at 10:00AM, with registration opening at 9:00AM. Foursomes and individual golfers are welcome, and registration will remain open through Friday, September 26. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for those interested in further supporting the PAC’s mission.
View full event details or register. For questions, contact Corey Markham, Director of Education and Business Development, at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org.
Please note that contributions to Political Action Committees must be made by individuals, partnerships, or LLCs, not corporations, and are not tax-deductible. All contributions are voluntary and will not influence membership standing or benefits. A new resource is now available to support LeadingAge Ohio members in implementing the Never Alone Act (ORC 3792.05 & 3792.06) and Compassionate Caregiver Act (ORC 3721.20), effective March 20, 2025. These laws ensure that residents in congregate care settings can designate an advocate or resident representative with guaranteed access during public health emergencies and other critical circumstances.
To assist providers with compliance, LeadingAge Ohio has developed a customizable policy template that incorporates both laws, along with a designation form and the Ohio Department of Health’s official information sheet. These documents are designed to streamline communication with residents and staff and promote safe, person-centered advocacy within care settings.
These resources may also be found on the Toolkits portion of the LeadingAge Ohio Are you looking to grow your care team? Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with qualified candidates at one of Hondros College of Nursing’s upcoming career fairs. These in-person events are free for LeadingAge Ohio members and are a great way to meet nursing students and recent graduates pursuing careers as Medical Assistants, STNAs, LPNs, and RNs.
Career fairs will be held at multiple campuses throughout August, including:
- Akron – Tuesday, August 19, 11:30AM–1:00PM
- Cincinnati / West Chester – Wednesday, August 13, 11:30AM–1:00PM and Thursday, August 14, 12:00PM–1:30PM
- Cleveland / Independence – Wednesday, August 20, 11:30AM–1:00PM
- Columbus – Thursday, August 21, 4:00PM–5:30PM
- Dayton – Tuesday, August 19 and Thursday, August 21, 11:30AM–1:00PM
- Detroit – Thursday, August 21, 11:30AM–1:00PM
- Indianapolis – Thursday, August 14, 11:30AM–3:00PM
- Toledo / Maumee – Thursday, August 21, 12:00PM–3:00PM
Each organization is asked to register for only one session and one slot to allow all partners an opportunity to engage. Click on the RSVP button for your preferred location in the invitation you received or reach out directly to Hondros for more information.
While you’re reconnecting with Hondros, it’s also a good time to remind staff about the 11% LeadingAge Ohio member tuition discount—which rises to 16% for Hondros alumni. The more member employees who use this benefit, the more the discount can grow. Staff can enroll at any of the six Ohio campuses with no wait list and flexible start dates throughout the year. To help promote this opportunity internally, download and share the Hondros member benefit flyer.
Questions about tuition discounts or partnerships with Hondros? Contact Molly Homan at mhoman@leadingageohio.org. There's always something happening at LeadingAge Ohio, and we don’t want you to miss a moment. From educational opportunities to networking events, our calendar is packed with ways for members to stay informed, engaged, and connected.
Explore what's ahead and make plans to join us—whether you're looking to expand your knowledge, connect with peers, or get involved in shaping the future of aging services in Ohio.
View all upcoming events here and mark your calendar today!
Top Registration is now open for the 2025 LeadingAge Annual Meeting, taking place November 2–5 in Boston. This year’s event invites aging services professionals from around the world to come together in a city built on bold ideas to share innovations, explore new strategies, and create ripples of impact across the sector. Co-hosted with the Global Ageing Network, the conference will also include a special opportunity to attend the Global Ageing Network Summit on Saturday, November 1—a once-in-a-decade pre-conference gathering focused on global collaboration and learning. Visit the LeadingAge Annual Meeting website to explore sessions, view the schedule, and complete your registration.
LeadingAge Ohio members traveling to Boston, along with our colleagues from LeadingAge Indiana, are also invited to the yearly State Night Out event! This year’s event will be held at Ned Devine’s Irish Pub – Parris Lounge & Hall on Sunday, November 2 from 5:30 to 7:30PM. Enjoy a relaxed evening of networking, food, and fun with friends from across the region. Register today on the State Night Out event page. Top Today, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) released this form for updating contact information for the Minimum Data Set (MDS) Data Use Agreement with CMS. Please forward this information to the appropriate staff and respond with the contact information no later than Friday August 22, 2025.
Please send the current Minimum Data Set (MDS) Data Use Agreement (DUA) (12906) contact person for your organization with name, email address, and phone number to PRIYA.LAL@medicaid.ohio.gov. The contact person will be responsible for signing the 2026 DUA addendum to be sent to CMS for approval to update the contract contact.
Access the form here.
Submit any questions to NFRatesetting@medicaid.ohio.gov Last week, Ohio Medicaid began issuing mass disenrollments from MyCare Ohio with an effective date of August 1. This week, ODM officials shared that they have halted these batch disenrollments and are now working toward reenrolling these individuals and backdating their enrollment to August 1. These appear to have occurred because of third party liabilities that were present for these enrollments. Questions regarding this issue may be sent to Susan Wallace at swallace@leadingageohio.org. The Ohio Department of Health’s Provider Resources and Education Program (PREP) has released a new training to help long-term care facilities meet both CMS and Ohio requirements related to the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers—one of the most frequently cited areas during surveys.
“Pressure Ulcer/Injury Care in Long-term Care Facilities: Part One” covers CMS regulations, interpretive guidance, and best practices for care. It also includes a helpful Pressure Ulcer/Injury Survey Readiness Tool.
This free, continuing education opportunity is available to nurses, dietitians, and nursing home administrators. Completion of the course offers:
- 1.75 CPEUs (Commission on Dietetic Registration)
- Nursing CE credit (through PSNA/ANCC-accredited approval)
The training is available on the PREP section of the ODH website under Health Education Resources and Forms. Access it here. The Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) is developing the 2027–2030 State Plan on Aging—a strategic roadmap to enhance the health and well-being of older Ohioans.
To ensure the plan reflects the real needs of Ohio’s aging population, ODA is inviting older adults, individuals with disabilities, and caregivers to complete a brief Statewide Needs Assessment Survey. Your input will help guide priorities and strengthen the final plan.
The anonymous survey takes just 10–15 minutes to complete and includes simple multiple-choice questions. Your voice matters—thank you for taking part. The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) will launch the Next Generation MyCare program on January 1, 2026. This week, the Ohio Department of Aging reminded its provider network that they will need to secure contracts with the four MyCare Ohio plans in order to continue serving consumers.
The four MyCare plans are:
Questions about Next Generation MyCare can be directed to the MyCare Ohio webpage. Top The release of the FY 2026 SNF PPS Final Rule and accompanying CMS updates has important implications for MDS nurses as they prepare for the October 1, 2025 implementation of MDS 3.0 version 1.20.1. These changes affect data collection, public reporting, and Medicare reimbursement.
Read more for specific updates MDS nurses must know. On July 31, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule updating Medicare payment policies and rates for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) for fiscal year 2026, which begins October 1.
CMS is updating SNF PPS rates by 3.2% (compared to the 2.8% increase CMS had proposed in April). The update is based on the final SNF market basket of 3.3%, plus a 0.6% market basket forecast error adjustment, and a negative 0.7% productivity adjustment.
The SNF Value Based Purchasing program will see changes under the final rule, including a new policy that will allow a SNF to appeal a decision made on a review-and-correct reconsideration request prior to any data being made publicly available.
CMS has also finalized changes to the SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) that LeadingAge supported in our comments on the proposed rule, including the removal of four standardized patient assessment data elements relating to social determinants of health (living situation, food, and utilities). LeadingAge supported the removal because these look-back items are neither reflective of, nor impacted by, the SNF stay. The final rule also includes changes to the CMS reconsideration policy and process related to noncompliance determinations that a SNF has not met the Quality Reporting Program reporting requirements.
In an August 1 statement, LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan said that the finalized 3.2% update “reflects modest recognition of the need for support in the form of fair payment for the care providers’ deliver, but still falls short of what is needed to meet the growing financial and workforce pressures facing providers,” and that CMS must also acknowledge that the financial realities of the current market “are placing immediate and significant strain on nursing home operations.”
We will provide additional analysis in the coming days. See the text of the final rule and a CMS Fact Sheet. Top The Long-Term Care Survey Process (LTCSP) requires surveyors to closely review records for residents who have been transferred to the hospital. This includes evaluating whether proper communication occurred between the nursing facility and the receiving healthcare provider. In the State Operations Manual Appendix PP, CMS provides an example of noncompliance: A facility transferred a resident to the hospital emergently due to a change in condition. However, the facility failed to provide the hospital with the contact information of the practitioner responsible for the resident’s care, resulting in a delay in hospital admission.
Under §483.15(c)(2), when a facility transfers or discharges a resident, it must ensure the transfer or discharge is properly documented in the medical record and that appropriate information is communicated to the receiving healthcare institution or provider. At a minimum, this includes:
- Contact information of the practitioner who was responsible for the care of the resident;
- Resident representative information, including contact information;
- Advance directive information;
- All special instructions and/or precautions for ongoing care, as appropriate such as:
- Treatments and devices (oxygen, implants, IVs, tubes/catheters);
- Transmission-based precautions such as contact, droplet, or airborne;
- Special risks such as risk for falls, elopement, bleeding, or pressure injury and/or aspiration precautions;
- The resident’s comprehensive care plan goals; and
- All other information necessary to meet the resident’s needs, which includes, but may not be limited to:
- Resident status, including baseline and current mental, behavioral, and functional status, reason for transfer, recent vital signs;
- Diagnoses and allergies;
- Medications (including when last received); and
- Most recent relevant labs, other diagnostic tests, and recent immunizations.
- Additional information, if any, outlined
Each week, LeadingAge Ohio’s Stephanie DeWees shares a Survey Tip of the Week, offering insights based on member questions, frequently cited F-tags, and guidance from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).
These tips are archived on the LeadingAge Ohio website and serve as an ongoing resource for providers preparing for surveys.
To access the full collection, visit LeadingAgeOhio.org and search “Survey Tips” using the search bar in the lower right-hand corner. Caresource recently clarified that most of the unpaid private room claims have been corrected, but that any provider with remaining claims for private rooms that have not paid correctly should submit them for final project clean-up. Caresource requests that providers compile the following information in an excel document and send it to Angela Wainwright at angela.wainwright@caresource.com.
- Claim number
- Member ID
- Date of Service
- Total charges
Any file including individual identifiers should be sent encrypted. Questions regarding this may be directed to Susan at swallace@leadingageohio.org. The next Assisted Living Wednesday meeting will take place on August 13, 2025, at 2:00 PM. The agenda includes a review of the critical access rate process for newly certified providers, along with discussion of the recently-released provider memo on the Next Generation MyCare transition.
Providers are encouraged to bring questions related to how this transition may impact their operations or the individuals they serve. To register for Assisted Living Wednesdays, contact Susan Wallace at swallace@leadingageohio.org. Top Has your organization recently celebrated a major milestone? Opened a new building? Been featured in the news? Whether it’s a groundbreaking, an award, or a great story from your community, we want to help spread the word.
LeadingAge Ohio members are doing incredible work across the state, and we’re proud to highlight those efforts. Share your press releases, social media posts, or media coverage with us and we’ll feature them in the Member News section of The Source. We may also help amplify your story on LeadingAge Ohio’s social media channels.
To submit a news item, simply email Laurinda Johnson at ljohnson@leadingageohio.org. We can’t wait to celebrate your success! Top LeadingAge Ohio holds valuable education webinars and in-person events throughout the year. Opportunities are added weekly. See the complete Schedule of Events. Top
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