A can’t miss event! The 2026 Assisted Living Symposium on May 7 is one of the best opportunities assisted living members have all year to...
Read More
Save your seat: The May 7 Assisted Living Symposium: Where Insight Meets Impact is designed for administrators, senior leaders, and staff looking for practical, real-world...
Read More
May 7: The 2026 Assisted Living Symposium is our premier event designed exclusively for Virginia’s assisted living leaders. Spend the day with top subject matter...
Read More
What’s happening: Virginia has implemented a new Advanced Registered Medication Aide (ARMA) role to expand medication administration capacity in long-term care settings within nursing homes...
Read More
What’s changing: On March 18, the DSS Division of Licensing Programs issued a new memo, in coordination with VDH, to clarify the role of Local...
Read More
What’s happening: During the Legislative Conference last month, DSS shared that the regulation governing Assisted Living Facility (ALF) Fee Requirements for Processing Applications (22VAC40‑160) is...
Read More
DSS shared this March 4 memo to clarify the scope of practice for Advanced Registered Medication Aides (ARMAs) in assisted living facilities (ALFs). The intent...
Read More
Honoring residents’ cultural traditions through activities, food, and environment is an important part of successful person-centered care. In the March edition of Provider Magazine, communications...
Read More
Is your compensation strategy keeping up? If you manage an assisted living community, you already know that staffing is your biggest challenge and your biggest...
Read More
Register now: Stay ahead of the issues impacting assisted living by attending the 2026 Assisted Living Symposium: Where Insight Meets Impact on May 7. This...
Read More
Assisted living is experiencing one of the most dynamic periods in its history. Shifting demographics, rising consumer expectations, regulatory developments, and an increasingly interconnected healthcare...
Read More
Registration is now open for the 2026 Assisted Living Symposium: Where Insight Meets Impact! Join assisted living leaders from across Virginia on May 7 for...
Read More
What’s new: LTC Trend Tracker recently released its newest customizable report, the CoreQ Customer Satisfaction Report. This report provides assisted living and skilled nursing users...
Read More
ICYMI: Be sure to review this recent memo from DSS on the agency’s revised process for issuing inspection documents to assisted living facilities and adult day centers....
Read More
Input needed: All senior living providers are asked to help support the 2025 State of Seniors Housing 2025 Annual Survey. State of Seniors Housing is a collaborative research...
Read More
Upcoming webinar: AHCA/NCAL is hosting a free, 60-minute presentation on March 10 at 2:00 pm discussing modern dining and complementary wellbeing practices for senior living residents....
Read More
Be sure to review the latest memo from DSS on the agency’s revised process for issuing inspection documents to assisted living facilities and adult day...
Read More
What to know: On January 22, DSS issued a memo reminding assisted living facilities (ALFs) and adult day centers of key preparedness measures in advance...
Read More
Situational awareness: With the likelihood of a large winter storm affecting much of Virginia this weekend, we want to remind you to: review your emergency...
Read More
Now available: NCAL has released its 2025 Assisted Living State Regulatory Review, detailing regulatory changes affecting assisted living in 18 states and the District of...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS issued a notice of proposed regulatory action to make permanent the emergency regulations requiring assisted living facilities (ALFs) to maintain a minimum...
Read More
It is important for assisted living communities to understand their fire protection features, evolving resident capabilities, staffing availability, and ongoing training and drills so residents...
Read More
Customer service is at the heart of long term care. However, complaints and customer concerns can be hard for staff to hear and manage. Having an...
Read More
What’s trending: Tuna casserole and liver are out! Foods that were once popular are disappearing from senior living menus. As baby boomers want global flavors...
Read More
Customer service is at the heart of long term care. However, complaints and customer concerns can be hard for staff to hear and manage. Having...
Read More
What’s new: NCAL has designed a specialized course for health care professionals who want to serve as Infection Preventionists (IPs) in assisted living communities. Based...
Read More
Exciting news: The Long-Term Care (LTC) Data Cooperative has recently added the electronic medical record (EMR) vendor Yardi. With this expansion of EMR vendors (PointClickCare,...
Read More
Participation is now open for the 2025 Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Study, published by Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) and supported by the NCAL....
Read More
In a new memo, the DSS explicitly states that subcutaneous injection of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications must not be performed by registered medication aides (RMAs)...
Read More
September is National Preparedness Month, which is a great time to take small steps to make a big difference in being prepared. Earlier this year...
Read More
Are you planning to join us in Roanoke for the 2025 Convention & Trade Show? Register now before the event sells out! The event offers...
Read More
Being a successful team leader in an assisted living community requires broad knowledge, technical skills, and the soft skills necessary to effectively lead others. NCAL’s...
Read More
What’s new: DSS announced amendments to the background check regulations for assisted living facilities and adult day centers, which were effective August 15, 2025. There...
Read More
Ready to learn, network, and lead? The 2025 Convention & Trade Show offers a robust assisted living (AL) track designed to help leaders sharpen skills,...
Read More
Bring your NALW celebrations to life! This year’s National Assisted Living Week (NALW) theme, Ageless Adventure, is all about celebrating the spirit of adventure at...
Read More
Assisted living communities are at the precipice of a new era in which data plays a critical role in driving quality improvement and enhancing care....
Read More
ICYMI: DSS issued two recent memos updating: Licensing Administrator supervisory assignments and contact information, and Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) Licensing Offices contact information. ...
Read More
What’s new: DSS issued two recent memos updating: Licensing Administrator supervisory assignments and contact information, and Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) Licensing Offices contact information....
Read More
Start planning: National Assisted Living Week® (NALW) 2025 will be here before you know it—start planning now to celebrate! This year's celebration takes place September...
Read More
What’s happening: The Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) is hosting a training program on June 24, 2025 on the requirements for the Auxiliary...
Read More
With the start of the 2025 hurricane season underway, DSS issued a memo reminding assisted living communities of the annual requirement to review and update your facility’s emergency...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS announced it is accepting comments until July 16, 2025 on its amendments to 22VAC40-90, Regulation for Background Checks for Assisted Living Facilities...
Read More
What’s new: The DSS Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) has revised the Protocols for Inspections document and developed program-specific licensing inspection tools to increase understanding...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS is soliciting comments on the new regulations for involuntary discharge of assisted living facility (ALF) residents. Under the changes, the Standards for...
Read More
With the start of the 2025 hurricane season underway, DSS issued a memo reminding assisted living communities of the annual requirement to review and update...
Read More
Get ready to celebrate: NCAL revealed Ageless Adventure as this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week® (NAWL), which runs from September 7-13. The annual, national observance, sponsored...
Read More
It’s time to level up your leadership skills. Being a successful team leader in an assisted living community requires broad knowledge, technical skills, and the soft...
Read More
What’s new: DSS sent a memo to all licensed assisted living facilities on May 19 with information about legislation passed during the 2025 General Assembly...
Read More
Final chance to register: The 2025 Assisted Living Symposium is next Tuesday, April 22. The agenda includes a DSS update, details on involuntary discharges, and...
Read More
Tailored to the AL setting: NCAL’s Infection Preventionist Specialized Training (IPCO) for Assisted Living is a specialized course of study for health care professionals who desire to...
Read More
April 15 is the deadline to register for the Assisted Living Symposium, which will be held on April 22 in Richmond. Sign up now to...
Read More
Don’t miss out on the Assisted Living Symposium on April 22 in Richmond! We have a great line up of experts offering Virginia-specific insights on...
Read More
Coming up on April 22: Make sure you register for the upcoming Assisted Living Symposium. This is our day-long, in-person event focused solely on AL...
Read More
Have you registered for the 2025 Assisted Living Symposium yet? Be sure to get your seat at this premier event for our assisted living providers....
Read More
Have you registered for the 2025 Assisted Living Symposium yet? Be sure to get your seat at this premier event for our assisted living providers....
Read More
You know assisted living exists out of a desire to serve and support residents by offering care and services that deliver a high quality of...
Read More
Quick reminder: Upon request, assisted living communities should provide a prospective resident or resident and the resident’s legal representative, if any, a statement that the...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS has notified assisted living facilities (ALFs) via a March 5 memo that that agency will be verifying that facilities are maintaining their...
Read More
Don’t miss out: The Assisted Living Symposium on April 22 is a day-long program focused exclusively on issues affecting Virginia’s AL providers. The agenda will...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_207237" align="alignright" width="398"] Tara Ragland, DSS Director, Division of Licensing Programs[/caption] Join us on April 22 for the 2025 Assisted Living Symposium. Come to...
Read More
What’s new: At its quarterly meeting on February 19, the Virginia State Board of Social Services (SBSS or Board) reviewed regulatory action on the changes...
Read More
What’s new: At its quarterly meeting today, February 19, the Virginia State Board of Social Services (SBSS or Board) reviewed regulatory action on the changes...
Read More
Is your respiratory protection plan in place? All assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities by OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard to establish and maintain a...
Read More
Data plays a key component in our current landscape and can be challenging for assisted living facilities to figure out what to collect and how...
Read More
Compliance matters: Assisted living, nursing, and post-acute communities have long been an area of scrutiny by the Office on Inspector General as they are high-risk areas....
Read More
Have you checked out the list of top deficiencies cited during inspections of assisted living facilities DSS conducted from July – September 2024? The top...
Read More
DSS has shared data on the top deficiencies cited during inspections of assisted living facilities the agency conducted from July – September 2024. The top five...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS is conducting a survey to gather information about the new assisted living facility liability insurance requirements. Responses are due by January 28,...
Read More
Effective January 23, 2025, Virginia assisted living facilities (ALFs) must comply with new liability insurance coverage requirements and use the DSS-provided Liability Insurance Statement and...
Read More
What’s happening: A week into the 2025 General Assembly session, legislators have introduced hundreds of bills and resolutions. VHCA-VCAL is still assessing the impact of...
Read More
Are you ready? As of January 23, 2025, Virginia assisted living facilities (ALFs) must comply with new liability insurance coverage requirements and use the DSS-provided...
Read More
Input from ALFs needed: DSS is conducting a survey to help it examine the factors that contribute to regulatory noncompliance with frequently cited health and safety regulations. Responses...
Read More
In a December 11 memo, DSS reminds assisted living facilities of their obligations to report outbreaks of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness. Outbreaks should be reported to...
Read More
Input from ALFs needed: DSS is conducting a survey to help it examine the factors that contribute to regulatory noncompliance with frequently cited health and...
Read More
In a December 11 memo, DSS reminds assisted living facilities of their obligations to report outbreaks of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness. Outbreaks should be reported...
Read More
What’s happening: Researchers and the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL@UNC) have developed a quality improvement tool to promote person-centeredness called Person-Centered Practices in Assisted...
Read More
What’s happening: All assisted living communities, ID/DD centers, and skilled nursing facilities are required by OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134) to establish and maintain...
Read More
What’s happening: In a memo issued on November 6, 2024, DSS announced revisions to the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) to add being authorized to temporarily practice pursuant...
Read More
Effective January 23, 2025, Virginia assisted living facilities (ALFs) must comply with new liability insurance coverage requirements and use the DSS-provided Liability Insurance Statement and...
Read More
What’s happening: In a memo issued on November 6, 2024, DSS announced revisions to the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) to add being...
Read More
Effective January 23, 2025, Virginia assisted living facilities (ALFs) must comply with new liability insurance coverage requirements and use the DSS-provided Liability Insurance Statement and...
Read More
What’s happening: All skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and ID/DD centers are required by OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134) to establish and...
Read More
Download the Relias e-Book: Navigating the impending surge in demand for assisted living services due to the aging baby boomer generation presents both unique challenges...
Read More
What’s happening: Assisted Living providers, it’s time to contribute to the annual Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Study conducted by Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service....
Read More
Sign up to receive support from local community pharmacies for the current fall vaccine season. Health Quality Innovators (HQI) is offering this service for assisted living...
Read More
Sign up to receive support from local community pharmacies for the current fall vaccine season. Health Quality Innovators (HQI) is offering this service for assisted...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS’s Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT) continues to offer on-site infection and prevention and control training for provider staff, through VDH grant...
Read More
It’s no surprise that a recent study published in Geriatric Nursing found that “implementation of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program leads to a reduction in perceived stress levels among...
Read More
Since September is National Preparedness Month, it is the perfect time to review best practices for fire drills. Fire drills are a key component of any...
Read More
Inspiring Generations: As assisted living communities across Virginia and the nation celebrate their residents and staff this week, we want to express our appreciation and gratitude...
Read More
Inspiring Generations: National Assisted Living Week® (NALW) 2024 is quickly approaching, so make plans now to celebrate September 8-14! NCAL has created numerous resources to...
Read More
Join the Long Term Care Data Cooperative! The cooperative is a national effort to improve the care of post-acute and long term care residents, and to...
Read More
IPC 101 for AL: With emerging communicable diseases, including multidrug resistant organisms, it is important for assisted living (AL) team members to understand standard, contact,...
Read More
Regulation changes: Per an August 15 memo, DSS has formally revised the affected regulations to change the term “adult day care centers” to “adult day centers.” There...
Read More
ICYMI: DSS issued regulations updating the language in the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities to require all assisted living facilities (ALF) to maintain a minimum amount of liability...
Read More
What’s new: DSS has announced a new infection prevention and control education curriculum available for assisted living facilities. The curriculum is hosted on the CDC TRAIN platform. This...
Read More
Regulation changes: Per an August 15 memo, DSS has formally revised the affected regulations to change the term “adult day care centers” to “adult day...
Read More
ICYMI: DSS issued regulations updating the language in the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities to require all assisted living facilities (ALF) to maintain a...
Read More
What’s new: DSS has issued regulations updating the language in the Standards of Assisted Living to require all assisted living facilities (ALF) to maintain a...
Read More
Latest announcement: Gov. Glenn Youngkin has named James Williams as commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services. Williams previously served in the administration as...
Read More
What’s new: DSS has announced a new infection prevention and control education curriculum available for assisted living facilities. The curriculum is hosted on the CDC...
Read More
What’s new: Per a July 1 memo to providers, the DSS Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) has updated its Contact Information document. Of note, one of the two...
Read More
Being a successful team leader in an assisted living community requires broad knowledge, technical skills, and the soft skills necessary to effectively lead others. NCAL’s...
Read More
A new report by Seniorly shows that among the 200 most expensive cities for assisted living, 17 are located in Virginia. Virginia also has three...
Read More
ICYMI: Effective July 1, 2024, the DSS Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) will manage the Individualized Service Plan (ISP) training, which was previously managed under...
Read More
Effective July 1, 2024, the DSS Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) will manage the Individualized Service Plan (ISP) training, which was previously managed under a...
Read More
What’s new: Per a July 1 memo to providers, the DSS Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) has updated its Contact Information document. Of note, one...
Read More
Looking ahead: As the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) prepares for the future, it is undertaking a strategic planning effort and would appreciate members’...
Read More
QAPI for AL: NCAL offers a 35-minute online course titled Quality Assurance Performance Improvement 101 for Assisted Living that walks through the principles of creating a systematic,...
Read More
Start planning: National Assisted Living Week® (NALW) 2024 is quickly approaching, so make plans now to celebrate! This year’s celebration will take place September 8-14. About...
Read More
Sign up for ahcancalED’s June 26 webinar, Mitigating Liability Claims in Assisted Living, which was created to help assisted living providers understand the top areas...
Read More
What’s happening: With emerging communicable diseases, including multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs), it is important for assisted living team members to understand standard, contact, and airborne...
Read More
What to know: A June 5 DSS memo advises assisted living facilities (ALFs) on three legislative measures passed in the 2024 General Assembly session affecting them. The highlighted...
Read More
To celebrate National Assisted Living Week (NALW) this September 8-14, NCAL has announced “Inspiring Generations” as the 2024 theme to honor the different generations within...
Read More
Focus on quality: Data is a critical element in any quality improvement project, but it can also be overwhelming. Wouldn’t it be great if you...
Read More
Workforce tips: Career ladders and career paths are not a new concept, but assisted living providers should consider creating career ladders, especially when staff development...
Read More
What’s happening: The DSS Infection Prevention and Control Team is hosting a webinar on May 23 at 10:00 am on the use of the infection...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_182436" align="alignright" width="353"] Clockwise from upper left: Leslie Ruffner, NF Administrator of the Year; Stefanie Stevens, Life Enrichment Director at Falls Run Nursing and...
Read More
Dementia care is becoming increasingly critical. But if you do not have the right culture to promote, sustain, and activate dementia care education, your efforts...
Read More
What’s happening: The VDH Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program is partnering with APIC and CBIC to offer a complimentary Long-Term Care Certification in Infection Prevention (LTC-CIP) preparatory course and exam....
Read More
What’s happening: Positions on the Board of Long-Term Care Administrators for licensed administrators are open or will become open on July 1. VHCA-VCAL encourages members to apply for...
Read More
As previewed by Tara Davis at last week’s Assisted Living Symposium, DSS has announced the delivery of the infection prevention and control train-the-trainer resource binder...
Read More
What’s happening: The VDH Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program is partnering with APIC and CBIC to offer a complimentary Long-Term Care Certification in Infection Prevention (LTC-CIP) preparatory course and exam....
Read More
Register today! The agenda for the April 11 Assisted Living Symposium has a great lineup of experts who will share their insights on the issues...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_191931" align="alignright" width="600"] LaShaun Bethea, Tara Davis, and Pamela Truscott [/caption] Have you looked at the Assisted Living Symposium agenda for April 11? Presenters...
Read More
What’s happening: The VDH Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program is partnering with APIC and CBIC to offer a complimentary Long-Term Care Certification in Infection Prevention (LTC-CIP) preparatory course and exam....
Read More
What’s happening: Positions on the Board of Long-Term Care Administrators for licensed administrators are open or will become open on July 1. VHCA-VCAL encourages members to apply for...
Read More
After the CDC updated its guidance for respiratory viruses in community settings, DSS issued a memo on March 7, 2024, with recommendations for Virginia assisted...
Read More
DSS has shared data on the top deficiencies cited during inspections of assisted living facilities the agency conducted from October – December 2023. The top...
Read More
What’s happening: The VDH Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program is partnering with APIC and CBIC to offer a complimentary Long-Term Care Certification in Infection Prevention (LTC-CIP) preparatory course and exam....
Read More
What’s happening: Positions on the Board of Long-Term Care Administrators for licensed administrators are open or will become open on July 1. VHCA-VCAL encourages members...
Read More
Sign up for the April 11 Assisted Living Symposium! Come learn from our lineup of experts who will share their insights on the issues affecting...
Read More
Assisted living has been in the national spotlight because of series in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and a recent hearing held by the US Senate...
Read More
New webinar series: Health Quality Innovators (HQI), in collaboration with DSS is hosting a series of affinity group webinars designed to engage assisted living facilities (ALF) and adult...
Read More
ICYMI: DSS recently updated its Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) licensing offices Contact Information document. Of note, the DSS Home Office information has been updated as it...
Read More
New webinar series: Health Quality Innovators (HQI), in collaboration with DSS is hosting a series of affinity group webinars designed to engage assisted living facilities...
Read More
Assisted living has been in the national spotlight because of series in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and a recent hearing held by...
Read More
DSS has updated its Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) licensing offices Contact Information document. Of note, the DSS Home Office information has been updated as...
Read More
What’s happening: A week into the 2024 General Assembly session, legislators have introduced nearly 2,200 bills and resolutions. VHCA-VCAL is still assessing the impact of...
Read More
What’s happening: Earlier this week, The Washington Post published an investigative series, “Memory Inc.” on assisted living providers. The series includes articles on fatal elopements...
Read More
What’s new: DSS is developing infection prevention and control (IPC) training resources for providers. DSS will make a one-time distribution of the materials in early...
Read More
ICYMI: With the onset of respiratory illness season and reported outbreaks of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, DSS distributed a memo with reminders about outbreak...
Read More
DSS shared data on the top deficiencies cited during inspections of assisted living facilities conducted from July 2023 – September 2023. The highest number of...
Read More
What’s new: DSS is developing infection prevention and control (IPC) training resources for providers. DSS will make a one-time distribution of the materials in early...
Read More
With the onset of respiratory illness season and reported outbreaks of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, DSS distributed a memo with reminders about outbreak reporting...
Read More
DSS is inviting assisted living facilities to its 2023 Winter Conference on Person-Centered Care – Wellbeing for All. The virtual event is scheduled for December...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS will host an educational webinar on auditing and monitoring of infection control practices on December 6 at 10:00 am. During the webinar,...
Read More
In the news: McKnight’s Senior Living recently reported that a study "published in JAMA Internal Medicine provides fresh insights into assisted living residents at move-in...
Read More
Check out the #GetVaccinated Toolkit’s best practices checklist to make sure you are prepared for vaccination season and achieve high vaccination rates. Remember, there are...
Read More
ICYMI: DSS issued a memo on November 3, 2023 informing providers that the barrier crimes list in § 19.2-392.02 for licensed Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) and Adult...
Read More
DSS issued a memo on November 3, 2023 informing providers that the barrier crimes list in § 19.2-392.02 for licensed Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) and...
Read More
Mark your calendar for the November 9 webinar, Strategies for Outbreak Prevention & Management and Staff Retention offered by Health Quality Innovators (HQI) in partnership...
Read More
What’s happening: The DSS Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT), in partnership with Health Quality Innovators (HQI), will offer an educational webinar on October 24...
Read More
What’s new: DSS has revised the Direct Care Staff Curriculum, Chapter 2 Infection Control, to reflect the most updated information regarding infection prevention and control...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS announced that it has shifted its approach to developing the new involuntary discharge regulations from a fast-track action to a standard three-stage...
Read More
It’s time to roll up our sleeves. As we gear up for cold and flu season, the importance of vaccination has never been more evident....
Read More
What’s happening: Health Quality Innovators (HQI) has teamed with VDH to assist participating assisted living facilities and adult day care centers across the state to...
Read More
What’s happening: In late August, DSS issued proposed fast-track changes the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities addressing involuntary discharge of assisted living facilities (ALF) residents....
Read More
Season of Reflection: As assisted living communities across Virginia and the nation celebrate their residents and staff this week, we want to express our appreciation...
Read More
What’s new: DSS sent a memo to assisted living facilities and other licensed providers reminding them to plan and be prepared for hurricane season to...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS has issued the proposed changes to the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities addressing involuntary discharge of ALF residents. The changes have...
Read More
DSS is hosting an educational webinar geared towards residents of assisted living facilities and participants in adult day care centers The webinar leaders will discuss...
Read More
DSS shared the most frequently cited deficiencies for Q2 of 2023 during the recent Assisted Living Symposium. Of note, there was no change in the most...
Read More
What’s happening: The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) published a final rule on Improving Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses effective on January 1, 2024....
Read More
The deadline to register for the August 9 Assisted Living Symposium is coming up. You don’t want to miss this great day-long program focused on...
Read More
LTC Trend Tracker is AHCA/NCAL’s free data collection and benchmarking tool available only to members. It offers your organization: data collection templates; customized report capabilities;...
Read More
In a piece for Provider Magazine, HealthCap Chief Operating Officer Kasie Cousino and HealthCap Director of Risk Management Angie Szumlinski discuss "the risks associated with...
Read More
Share the news: DSS is hosting a webinar geared towards family members to discuss how vaccines work, the importance of vaccines, and important vaccines to...
Read More
ICYMI: The DSS Division of Licensing Programs developed a model Infection Control Plan Manual template for use by assisted living facilities (ALFs). This template allows...
Read More
National Assisted Living Week® (NALW) 2023 is quickly approaching, so make plans now to celebrate! Gerald Hamilton, NCAL Chair, has a few words of encouragement...
Read More
Have you looked at the Assisted Living Symposium agenda for August 9? Sign up to learn from experts and agency leaders on issues including inspection...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_156501" align="alignright" width="168"] NCAL Executive Director LaShaun Bethea will kick off the symposium agenda. [/caption] What’s new: Registration is open for the August 9,...
Read More
For your radar: As the 2023 hurricane season officially starts on June 1, VHCA-VCAL and Jensen Hughes have prepared a new tool, the Hazard Vulnerability...
Read More
Mark your calendar: The US Attorney’s Office is hosting a June 6 informational meeting on steps nursing facilities and assisted living communities should take to...
Read More
Most cited: Long term care providers in Virginia are the providers most investigated and subject to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enforcement actions for violations...
Read More
NCAL revealed “Season of Reflection” as this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week (NALW) held September 10-16, 2023. The annual, national observance provides a...
Read More
What’s new: The CDC updated the interim infection prevention and control recommendations for healthcare personnel (HCP) during the COVID-19 pandemic At the bottom of the webpage,...
Read More
Starting today: University of Virginia (UVA) Health will offer the Virginia IMPACT (Infection Mitigation, Prevention, and Control through Technology) webinar series. The first webinar in...
Read More
What to know: A May 11 DSS memo advises ALFs on legislation passed in the 2023 General Assembly session affecting them. The memo reviews three bills covering...
Read More
DSS recently updated its Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) licensing offices contact information document noting changes to fax numbers and the importance of using mailing...
Read More
What’s happening: The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia sent a Dear Colleagues Letter to remind healthcare providers of effective communication requirements under the Americans...
Read More
What’s new: VDH updated the Virginia Tuberculosis (TB) Screening and Risk Assessment Tool used to screen staff and residents. For assisted living facilities: DSS explained...
Read More
This free, members-only webinar on May 18 will discuss how participating in the process to apply for an AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award will produce benefits...
Read More
Today’s assisted living leaders must balance the technical skills of running a community with the essential soft skills of being a team leader. Now is...
Read More
What’s new: DSS issued a memo announcing that VDH updated the Virginia Tuberculosis (TB) Screening and Risk Assessment Tool used to screen staff and residents....
Read More
Now available: NCAL has released new exclusive resources aimed at supporting efforts to expand affordable assisted living options it developed in partnership with certified public...
Read More
The most frequently cited deficiencies during assisted living facility inspections for Q1 of 2023 continue to be related to individualized service plans and medication administration....
Read More
Responses needed: DSS is asking assisted living facilities and adult day care centers to complete an anonymous and voluntary survey. Questions cover registered medication aides...
Read More
March 31 is the annual renewal deadline for individuals licensed by the Virginia Board of Long Term Care Administrators. The Board issued revisions to the...
Read More
What’s happening: Assisted living providers are entering into a world where people want to see data that supports the care and services being provided. For...
Read More
March 31 is the annual renewal deadline for individuals licensed by the Virginia Board of Long Term Care Administrators. The Board issued revisions to the...
Read More
DSS has extended the deadline to complete the survey on assisted living facilities’ educational and training needs on infection prevention and control (IPC). Providers have...
Read More
What’s happening: The VCAL Committee is reviewing the standards for assisted living facilities in advance of DSS issuing a formal request for public comments on...
Read More
Respond today: Take this short survey to provide information about your facility’s emergency preparedness readiness. Your responses will inform next steps in VHCA-VCAL’s grant project to build...
Read More
What’s happening: The General Assembly is poised to increase the rate for Virginia’s Auxiliary Grant (AG) program as part of the state budget. Contact your legislators to...
Read More
Action for NFs and ALFs: Take this short survey to provide information about your facility’s emergency preparedness readiness. Responses will be accepted through February 23, 2022. Why...
Read More
What’s happening: The General Assembly is poised to increase the rate for Virginia’s Auxiliary Grant (AG) program as part of the state budget. Contact your...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_170270" align="alignright" width="600"] A view of the Virginia State Capitol Buiding.[/caption] What’s happening: VHCA-VCAL has been closely tracking and lobbying on bills that impact...
Read More
Did you know: As an assisted living employer affected by the pandemic, you may be eligible to receive a tax credit of up to $26,000...
Read More
What’s new: Assisted living facilities (ALFs) were deliberately included in VHCA-VCAL’s Virginia Long Term Care Infrastructure Pilot Project (VLIPP) program grant proposal because of the critical...
Read More
What’s happening: Effective immediately, assisted living facilities (ALFs) are no longer required to report individual cases of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) to their licensing representative as major...
Read More
What's happening: DSS and VCU Gerontology have kicked off a new Lunch & Learn Series: Mentoring and Oversight of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Practices....
Read More
What’s new: VHCA-VCAL was awarded grant funds to build an emergency preparedness infrastructure to support both Virginia’s nursing facilities (NFs) and assisted living facilities (ALFs)....
Read More
Mock surveys are one of the most underutilized tools to enhance care and manage litigation risk. Even without the impact on CMS ratings, assisted living...
Read More
What’s happening: A week into the 2023 General Assembly session, legislators have introduced over 1,900 bills and resolutions. VHCA-VCAL is closely tracking measures affecting assisted...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS requests that assisted living facilities (ALFs) complete a survey to determine your interest and gauge your educational training needs specific to infection prevention...
Read More
What’s happening: DSS requests that assisted living facilities complete a survey to determine your interest and gauge your educational training needs specific to infection prevention...
Read More
What’s new: Changes to the Board of Long Term Care Administrator’s regulations for nursing home and assisted living administrators take effect December 21, 2022. The changes...
Read More
What’s new: Changes to the Board of Long Term Care Administrator’s regulations for nursing home and assisted living administrators take effect December 21, 2022. The...
Read More
Many staff and residents in assisted living communities have received the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and each other - and put an end to...
Read More
Check out the Falls Free Checkups toolkit from the CDC Foundation. The goal in sharing the toolkit and resources is to prevent and protect older adults...
Read More
What’s new: DSS issued an update on December 2 to a prior memo about VDH tuberculosis risk assessment screening. As of December 5, 2022, DSS inspectors will not...
Read More
What’s happening: The Board of Long Term Care Administrators issued its final notice of proposed changes to the qualifications for licensure for assisted living facility...
Read More
What’s new: DSS issued an update to a prior memo about VDH tuberculosis risk assessment screening. DSS inspectors will not inspect for the VDH guidance...
Read More
Respiratory viruses are more common during the winter months. Increases in influenza, RSV, COVID-19, and other respiratory viruses are occurring in the general population, with...
Read More
What’s new: AHCA/NCAL has lowered the price on the Basics of Infection Prevention & Control in the Post-COVID-19 World facility subscription option. This 50-minute course...
Read More
Respiratory viruses are more common during the winter months. Increases in influenza, RSV, COVID-19, and other respiratory viruses are occurring in the general population, with...
Read More
Be part of Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) annual Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Study. Assisted living providers are invited to complete the study’s...
Read More
Catch up on the latest notices DSS issued in the last month. Updated CDC COVID-19 Guidance DSS receives second IPC grant Upcoming updates to the...
Read More
What’s new: The Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC), a General Assembly standing commission, is examining the affordability of assisted living facilities, with a focus...
Read More
Catch up on the latest notices from DSS. The agency recently released four memos relevant to assisted living facilities: November 2: Infection Prevention Control (IPC)...
Read More
Since CMS updated the COVID-19-related guidelines for infection prevention and control in late September, DSS issued a memo on October 26 changing the recommendations for...
Read More
Sign up for the next session of the DSS and VCU Gerontology the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training program. The November 2, 11:00 am session will...
Read More
Be part of Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) annual Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Study. Assisted living providers are invited to complete the study’s...
Read More
Highlighting best practices: Memory care facilities can reduce resident confusion, frustration, and anxiety while encouraging engagement and independence in a safe environment. An architect recently...
Read More
Sign up for the next installment of the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training program hosted by DSS and VCU Gerontology. The next session on Basic...
Read More
Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been at the forefront of many people’s minds in the last couple of years, given the severity of the pandemic...
Read More
Sign up for the upcoming Lunch & Learn hosted by DSS and VCU Gerontology as part of the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training program....
Read More
DSS issued a memo on September 12 with important health care updates covering: VDH resources for health care professionals and workers; updated CDC guidance; updated COVID-19 booster...
Read More
DSS issued a memo on September 12 with important health care updates covering: VDH resources for health care professionals and workers; updated CDC guidance; updated...
Read More
Assisted living facilities are places where caregivers, residents, family members, and communities come together as an extended family and celebrate and create joyful, happy memories....
Read More
The next installment of the DSS and VCU Gerontology CCE Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training program is September 7 at 11:00 am. The webinar...
Read More
National Assisted Living Week (NALW) is a time to reflect on and celebrate life’s special moments. Check out the Planning Guide, Promotional Toolkit with sample...
Read More
Assisted living facilities (ALFs) now have access to free COVID-19 testing for staff and residents through December 31, 2022. The CDC’s Operation Expanded Testing (OpET) program...
Read More
DSS updated the barrier crimes list for assisted living facilities and adult day care centers. Only technical edits were made to the list. No new...
Read More
DSS has shared data on the top 10 deficiencies cited during inspections of assisted living facilities the agency conducted from Jan 2022 – March 2022...
Read More
DSS updated the barrier crimes list for assisted living facilities and adult day care centers. What you need to know: Only technical edits were made...
Read More
Assisted living facilities (ALFs) now have access to free COVID-19 testing for staff and residents through December 31, 2022. The CDC’s Operation Expanded Testing (OpET) program...
Read More
After the many challenges of the past few years, this year's National Assisted Living Week (NALW) theme encourages staff and residents to reflect on and...
Read More
COVID variants are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Training and competency testing assisted living staff members’ infection prevention knowledge and skill sets are...
Read More
A June 23 DSS memo advises assisted living facilities (ALF) on legislation passed in the 2022 General Assembly session affecting them. Of particular note, requirements related to...
Read More
The latest modules of the DSS and VCU Gerontology CCE Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training program cover Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The PPE Part...
Read More
For the first time since 2019, the Assisted Living Symposium is back as an in-person program! Register now for the July 20 event. Step away...
Read More
During the 2022 General Assembly session VHCA-VCAL’s advocacy work largely focused on Medicaid funding and workforce issues. VHCA-VCAL also tracked bills taking effect on July...
Read More
A June 23 DSS memo advises assisted living facilities (ALF) on legislation passed in the 2022 General Assembly session affecting them. Of particular note, requirements...
Read More
Don’t miss the Assisted Living Symposium on July 20! Meet NCAL’s new Executive Director LaShuan Bethea and get an update on what’s going on at DSS...
Read More
In case you missed it, per a May 23 memo, the DSS Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) has stopped using its VERSA Mobile application that inspectors...
Read More
DSS and VCU Gerontology CCE announced a new comprehensive statewide Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training program. Register to access the training platform and enroll...
Read More
Register now for the July 20 Assisted Living Symposium. The agenda includes a chance to meet the new NCAL Executive Director, an update on agency...
Read More
Per a May 23 memo, the DSS Division of Licensing Programs (DOLP) has stopped using its VERSA Mobile application that inspectors use to enter inspection information...
Read More
Medication management continues to be a top-cited deficiency in assisted living inspections. With staffing and supply chain issues affecting so many communities, be sure you...
Read More
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) revealed “Joyful Moments” as this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week® (NALW). The national celebration will take...
Read More
The agenda for the Assisted Living Symposium on July 20 has been finalized. Check out all the details and register today for this NAB-approved continuing...
Read More
The VCU Department of Gerontology has introduced the Age and Ability Inclusion Toolkit for Senior Living. These free, web-based resources can help you build awareness...
Read More
The DSS Division of Licensing Programs invites you to join a jointly sponsored training event presented by VCU Gerontology. The event is today, May 18...
Read More
Review the April 15 DSS memo about recent updates made to the publication order process as the Division of Licensing Programs transitions to becoming more...
Read More
The Department of Social Services shared in a memo on April 15 recent updates made to the publication order process as the Division transitions to...
Read More
Join us for the Assisted Living Symposium on July 20, 2022 at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa/Short Pump! Come learn from our exciting lineup...
Read More
A recent report on liability claims in the senior care sector show while there was a broad-based increase in the average cost of claims across...
Read More
Are your emergency policies and procedures up to date? Now more than ever, emergency preparedness is vital in assisted living communities. Establishing proper policies and...
Read More
The DSS Division of Licensing Programs announced that the provider portal for applications for initial licensure for assisted living facilities is live in the new Virginia Enterprise...
Read More
The DSS Division of Licensing Programs announced that the provider portal for applications for initial licensure for assisted living facilities is live in the new...
Read More
The State Board of Social Services is conducting a required periodic review of fees charged for processing applications for licenses. Public comment is sought on...
Read More
Be sure you are using the newest version of the VDH tuberculosis (TB) risk assessment screening form. The updated fillable form and instructions file is...
Read More
DSS has shared recent updates to its one-page Department of Licensing Program (DOLP) Licensing Offices Contact Information document. Updates include information on physical office and...
Read More
DSS has asked VHCA-VCAL to pass along updated contact information including new Fax/E-FAX information for the regional licensing offices. DSS is also seeking volunteers to...
Read More
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has appointed Danny TK Avula, MD, MPH as the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS). Avula comes to the...
Read More
In a January 7 memo, DSS shared the COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Guidance issued by VDH. Per the guidance, all healthcare staff, including long-term care...
Read More
DSS has extended the deadline for assisted living providers to respond to its survey on the educational and training needs of ALF employees on infection...
Read More
As part of a grant DSS received in partnership with VDH, DSS will provide essential infection prevention and control support to licensed adult providers throughout...
Read More
Gov. Ralph Northam has issued a state of emergency in advance of the second winter storm in Virginia this week. If your facility is without...
Read More
The DSS Division of Licensing Programs issued a COVID-19 update on December 17. The update addresses COVID-19 immunization and boosters, the Omicron variant, widespread flu...
Read More
McKnight’s Long-Term Care News reports on a study that found "a brief staff training session on good drug practices for older adults led to significant...
Read More
The DSS Division of Licensing Programs has announced the agency has resumed conducting full, onsite field inspections, effective immediately. As part of the reinstatement of...
Read More
Neither the CMS vaccine mandate nor the OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) are applicable to assisted living facilities. OSHA specifically excluded...
Read More
On November 4, CMS published an interim final rule (IFR) that revises the requirements that most Medicare- and Medicaid-certified providers must meet to participate in...
Read More
As NCAL prepares for another critical year, the association is undertaking a strategic planning effort and would appreciate feedback and thoughts from all assisted living...
Read More
NCAL released a new vaccine toolkit specifically designed for assisted living (AL) providers to assist in their efforts to access the vaccine booster. These materials...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database...
Read More
In a September 21 memo to assisted living facilities, DSS has provided links to the VDH Vaccine Confidence Toolkit, which was made live earlier this...
Read More
DSS issued a memo to inform assisted living facilities that the barrier crimes list was recently updated to reflect changes to the Code of Virginia. No substantial changes...
Read More
DSS has updated contact information for three licensing offices. The changes affect the Fairfax, Northern and Valley licensing offices. For the Fairfax, Northern, and Valley...
Read More
The 2021 National Assisted Living Week (NALW) is coming up soon! To celebrate, ahcancalED is holding a sale September 8-19 on groundbreaking assisted living educational...
Read More
DSS issued an update to assisted living facilities on September 7 with reminders about COVID-19-related issues. In the coming weeks, the Division of Licensing Programs...
Read More
DSS issued a memo to inform assisted living facilities that the barrier crimes list for was recently updated to reflect changes to the Code of...
Read More
Spread cheer and brighten your halls and walls with NCAL’s gorgeous National Assisted Living Week (NALW) posters featuring this year's heartwarming theme and artwork. This year’s...
Read More
DSS has updated the licensing pages of its website to improve licensing content and accessibility and as a result of the transition of childcare programs...
Read More
Over the last month DSS has issued several memos for assisted living providers. Memos have covered a range of topics including: the end of COVID-related...
Read More
DSS has shared data on the top 10 deficiencies cited during the 710 inspections of assisted living facilities the agency conducted from January 1 –...
Read More
DSS has updated the licensing administrator supervisory assignments and licensing office mailing addresses and fax numbers. We encourage you to read the July 7 memo...
Read More
DSS has shared the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Shelter-in-Place Pictogram Guidance for 10 hazards and three building types. The pictograms provide clear, visual guidance...
Read More
New laws and updated Medicaid rates take effect on July 1, the start of Virginia’s state fiscal year (SFY). The budget passed by the General...
Read More
Gov. Ralph Northam has signaled he will allow the state’s public health emergency (PHE) expire at midnight on June 30, 2021. VHCA-VCAL is evaluating how...
Read More
DSS issued a memo providing two updates on legislation passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. Legislation on visitation by clergy and processing and...
Read More
There are currently three seats on the Board of Long Term Care Administrators open for appointment for new terms beginning July 1, 2021—including an opening...
Read More
DSS has shared a list of resources to assist assisted living communities in preparing for hurricane season. As a reminder, ALFs should review and update...
Read More
If you were unable to attend the May 27 DSS/VDH Lunch and Learn, a recording of the webinar and presentation slides are now available. The...
Read More
On July 1, 2021, Virginia will become the seventeenth state to legalize recreational cannabis. The changes have implications for assisted living facilities, which are included...
Read More
In a June 14, 2021 memo, DSS announced the agency will resume on-site field inspections effective June 15, 2021. The decision to do so was...
Read More
There are currently three seats on the Board of Long Term Care Administrators open for appointment for new terms beginning July 1, 2021—including seats for...
Read More
On July 1, 2021, Virginia will become the seventeenth state to legalize recreational cannabis. The issues surrounding cannabis use are complex, especially in the health...
Read More
A recent article in HealthDay reports, "U.S. assisted living facilities often have activities to keep seniors socially engaged," but research indicates "they need to ensure...
Read More
“Compassion, Community, Caring" is this year's theme for National Assisted Living Week® (NALW). The annual, national observance provides a unique opportunity for residents, their loved...
Read More
On May 12, DSS issued updated tips and best practices for visitation in ALFs. The information focuses on ways to bring more families and friends of residents...
Read More
On May 12, DSS issued updated tips and best practices for visitation in assisted living facilities (ALFs). The information focuses on ways to bring more...
Read More
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7) led a bipartisan effort asking US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to release Provider Relief Funds (PRF)...
Read More
As part of the VCAL Assisted Living Webinar Series held over the past week, DSS Ivy Burnham shared the most frequently cited ALF citations. Of...
Read More
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7) led a bipartisan effort asking US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to release Provider Relief Funds toward...
Read More
DSS and the VCU Department of Gerontology are partnering to present a webinar on May 3, Mental Health and Social Connectivity. The session will explore...
Read More
Episode two of the DSS and VDH COVID-19 Lunch and Learn Webinar Series will cover COVID-19 testing issues. COVID-19 Lunch & Learn Webinar Series Episode...
Read More
There’s still time to register for the final session of the Assisted Living Webinar Series featuring DSS’s Tara Ragland and Mary Chiles on April 20....
Read More
[caption id="attachment_135866" align="alignright" width="600"] Left to right: Ryan Martin, Kyle René, Tara Ragland, and Mary Chiles[/caption] There’s still time to register for the three-part Assisted...
Read More
The recording and presentation slides from the March 25 DSS and VDH COVID-19 Lunch & Learn Webinar Series for assisted living facilities (ALFs) are now...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_135866" align="alignright" width="410"] Left to right: Ryan Martin, Kyle René, Tara Ragland, and Mary Chiles [/caption] The upcoming Assisted Living Webinar Series, which starts...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_135866" align="alignright" width="600"] Left to right: Ryan Martin, Kyle René, Tara Ragland, and Mary Chiles[/caption] Join VCAL for our three-part Assisted Living Webinar Series...
Read More
DSS released a memo on March 19 on Visitation in Assisted Living Facilities: Updated Tips and Best Practices 3/19/21. The memo provides updated guidelines for...
Read More
AHCA/NCAL has an online program in conjunction with Healthcare Academy® that incorporates a digital competency platform to allow for documentation of live skills demonstration. The...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_135866" align="alignright" width="600"] Left to right: Ryan Martin, Kyle René, Tara Ragland, and Mary Chiles[/caption] Join VCAL for our three-part Assisted Living Webinar Series...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_135866" align="alignright" width="600"] Left to right: Ryan Martin, Kyle René, Tara Ragland, and Mary Chiles[/caption] Join VCAL for our three-part Assisted Living Webinar Series...
Read More
The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminds employers the agency is collecting calendar year 2020 Form 300A data due by...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database...
Read More
AHCA/NCAL's expanded version of its popular Infection Preventionist Specialized Training (IPCO Version 2) is recommended for assisted living nurses responsible for infection prevention and control. While designed...
Read More
The DSS ALF Outbreak Toolkit issued in late December is designed to provide easy access to the various tools and documents from different agencies to...
Read More
According to a January 4 DSS memo on COVID-19 Vaccination Updates and Frequently Asked Questions, ALFs can be scheduled for their vaccination clinics beginning Monday,...
Read More
As a reminder, CMS is requiring the reporting of point-of-care (POC) antigen test results (see p. 2 of this HHS memo). CMS is not requiring...
Read More
DSS issued a memo announcing its newest resource, the ALF Outbreak Toolkit. The toolkit is designed to provide easy access to the various tools and...
Read More
DSS has issued a memo related to Executive Order (EO) 72 – Commonsense Surge Restrictions, which are effective through January 31, 2021. EO 72 strengthens...
Read More
In the latest memo to assisted living facilities (ALFs), DSS noted that vaccination clinics in the Commonwealth are scheduled to begin December 28, 2020, with...
Read More
VDH and DSS will host a Lunch and Learn for assisted living facilities on Tuesday, December 22 from 12:00 -12:45 pm. The agencies will review...
Read More
CMS has issued a Q&A on COVID-19 point-of-care (POC) testing and a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Certificate of Waiver (CoW) applications. The agency notes...
Read More
DSS’s Division of Licensing Programs announced that the Northam Administration has provided funding for personal protective equipment (PPE) “Push Packs” for ALFs. These supplies should...
Read More
CMS has issued a Q&A on COVID-19 point-of-care (POC) testing and a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Certificate of Waiver applications. The agency notes it...
Read More
On December 9, DSS issued a memo outlining the safety expectations for onsite inspections along with its onsite inspection safety protocol, and a related screening form. This...
Read More
On December 9, DSS issued a memo outlining the safety expectations for onsite inspections along with its onsite inspection safety protocol, and a related screening...
Read More
DSS’s Division of Licensing Programs announced that the Northam Administration has provided funding for personal protective equipment (PPE) “Push Packs” for all assisted living facilities...
Read More
The deadline for the Assisted Living Salary & Benefits study, conducted by Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) has been extended to November 30. The...
Read More
Provider Magazine reports on its recent conversation with NCAL Executive Director Scott Tittle about the ongoing pandemic and its impact on life inside assisted living...
Read More
You can still sign up for Thursday’s sessions of the 2020 VCAL Symposium. Dementia care expert Teepa Snow will be discussing how to deal with...
Read More
To ensure Virginia’s facilities are provided the opportunity to take advantage of the Pharmacy Partnership for Long Term Care Program, VDH partnered with the US...
Read More
Don’t miss next week’s virtual VCAL Symposium with live sessions on November 16 and 19. There’s still time to register to attend and participate in...
Read More
Nick Uehlecke, advisor to US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, will be leading a call today for assisted living providers who...
Read More
The deadline to submit your Intent to Apply (ITA) for a 2021 National Quality Award is November 12 by 8:00 pm. While not mandatory, applicants who submit an...
Read More
The annual VCAL Symposium is going virtual! The schedule includes a great series of live sessions on November 16 and 19. Bob VanDyk, who has...
Read More
Assisted living facilities have until November 7 to take advantage of the opportunity to conduct a baseline point prevalence survey (PPS) at no charge to...
Read More
Providers have until October 29* to enroll or opt out of CDC’s Pharmacy Partnership for Long Term Care today. Pharmacy partners will provide on-site COVID-19...
Read More
On November 16 and 19, VCAL will host its annual symposium as a virtual event. The symposium will include live webinars featuring: senior care expert...
Read More
Gov. Ralph Northam has signed legislation establishing liability protections for assisted living facilities and other providers during Virginia’s COVID-19 state of emergency. HB 5059 and...
Read More
Gov. Ralph Northam has signed legislation establishing liability protections for assisted living facilities and other providers during Virginia’s COVID-19 state of emergency. HB 5059 and...
Read More
The CDC recommends annual flu shots for everyone 6 months and older. Vaccinating by the end of October can be an important step with the...
Read More
DSS issued a memo on October 14 on changes to the individualized service plans (ISP) section of the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities as well as...
Read More
It’s time to prepare for the safe and rapid dissemination of a COVID-19 vaccine to long-term care residents, once available. It is important for facilities...
Read More
DSS issued a memo on October 14 on changes to the individualized service plans (ISP) section of the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities as...
Read More
On October 14, the House of Delegates and Senate of Virginia budget conferees released their compromise amendments to the current biennial budget. The compromise addresses...
Read More
The Board of Long-Term Care Administrators recently issued an update on continuing education for licensees. Due to ongoing concerns with the COVID-19 emergency and access...
Read More
Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) is conducting its annual Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Study. Assisted living providers are asked to complete the study’s...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be sending 1 million Abbott BinaxNOW™ test kits to skilled nursing facilities and 540,000 test...
Read More
VDH has been notified by the CDC that a COVID-19 vaccine could be distributed to states in the fall of 2020. Working with the VDH...
Read More
DSS issued a memo on hurricane preparedness for ALFs on August 27. As you prepare for hurricane season while concentrating on the COVID-19 pandemic, DSS provided a...
Read More
DSS issued a memo on hurricane preparedness for ALFs on August 27. As you prepare for hurricane season while concentrating on the COVID-19 pandemic, DSS provided a...
Read More
Happy National Assisted Living Week! VHCA-VCAL is honored to represent the hardworking and dedicated caregivers in Virginia’s assisted living communities! This year’s NALW theme is...
Read More
In late August, DSS issued a memo stressing the importance of influenza vaccination for residents and staff in assisted living facilities (ALFs). DSS states that...
Read More
COVID-19 has been around for months and there still is not a one-size fits all approach that addresses how to navigate the process of residents...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has extended the deadline for assisted living providers to submit their taxpayer ID numbers for validation...
Read More
If you are a private pay or Medicaid-certified assisted living/memory care community, ensure that you apply for the HHS Phase 2 General Distribution round of...
Read More
COVID-19 has been around for months and there still is not a one-size fits all approach that addresses how to navigate the process of residents...
Read More
A letter from Virginia State Health Commissioner Dr. M. Norman Oliver issued on September 9 reiterates numerous actions long term care facilities (LTCFs) should be...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that private-pay assisted living/memory care providers will be eligible to apply for CARES Act Provider...
Read More
DSS has issued a memo on hurricane preparedness for ALFs. The agency notes that the links may be helpful as ALFs review and update their...
Read More
DSS issued a memo on August 25 to all licensed assisted living facilities (ALFs) noting that all PPE being distributed through the Virginia Department of...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_102970" align="alignright" width="391"] Vaccine in vial with syringe. Vaccination concept. 3d[/caption] DSS has issued a memo stressing the importance of influenza vaccination for residents...
Read More
DMAS has issued instructions on how nursing facilities (NFs) and assisted living facilities (ALFs) can access the $33 million and $20 million, respectively, in CARES...
Read More
Honor your amazing staff! This year’s NALW theme, Caring is EssentiAL, reflects the hard work and dedication of essential caregivers in assisted living facilities across...
Read More
On July 30 DSS sent a memo to all licensed entities, including ALFs noting the applicability of the emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued by the...
Read More
The Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) has issued instructions on how assisted living facilities can access the $20 million in CARES Act funding distributed...
Read More
It’s time to start planning for National Assisted Living Week® (September 13-19, 2020) with this year’s Planning Guide and Product Catalog. The planning guide offers ideas...
Read More
DSS sent a memo to all licensed entities, including ALFs noting the applicability of the emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued by the Virginia Department of...
Read More
No details are yet available on the instructions for accessing the $53 million in funding announced by Gov. Ralph Northam in June. The Commonwealth will...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is considering relief funds for private-pay assisted living providers. To help facilitate this, the national trade...
Read More
DSS has published a letter and timeline with additional information about the $20 million in funding for assisted living facilities (ALFs) announced by Gov. Ralph...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database...
Read More
The Virginia National Guard (VANG) is wrapping up the Point Prevalence Surveys (PPS) for all nursing homes and those assisted living facilities (ALFs) with outbreaks...
Read More
Nominations for upcoming openings on the VHCA-VCAL Board of Directors are due today, July 15. You have the opportunity to nominate yourself or another member...
Read More
DSS issued a memo on June 23 with Recommendations for Reopening Assisted Living Facilities. Each individual facility should consider the reopening criteria and move through...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_122481" align="alignright" width="397"] HHS Secretary Alex Azar[/caption] Five members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation recently wrote to US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...
Read More
On July 2, 2020, VDH issued Updated VDH Nursing Home Guidance for Phased Reopening and Nursing Home Reopening Guidance Frequently Asked Questions. The agency also...
Read More
DSS issued a memo related to new legislation that took effect July 1 related to individual service plans (ISP), possession of cannabidiol or THC-A in...
Read More
New laws passed during the 2020 General Assembly session take effect July 1. Numerous measures like the bills related to the Long Term Services and...
Read More
As a reminder, our COVID-19 Resources webpage includes links to all of our member updates sent from April Payne, as well as the AHCA/NCAL updates....
Read More
It has come to our attention that some members have noticed errors in the COVID-19 outbreak data posted on the Virginia Long-Term Care Task Force...
Read More
VDH issued the VDH Nursing Home Guidance for Phased Reopening on June 19. VDH is also working on related FAQs. This week DSS also issued...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database...
Read More
VDH has refined its approach to Point Prevalence Surveys (PPS) so now the Virginia National Guard (VANG) is reaching out directly to facilities—both nursing centers...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL members receive 15% off the purchase of any Healthcare Interactive® CARES online training program by using promo code AHCA15 at checkout. CARES training is unique because it includes...
Read More
In light of the challenges brought on by COVID-19, it is even more essential to celebrate National Assisted Living Week (NALW) this year which will...
Read More
Service on the VHCA-VCAL Board of Directors offers you a chance to help drive the decisions of our association and shape our future. You have...
Read More
Read this special message to NCAL members from Executive Director Scott Tittle: COVID-19 has taken a toll unlike anything we could have anticipated. Our hearts...
Read More
As we await reopening guidance from DSS for assisted living facilities, we wanted to provide a roundup of key resources. We have shared these previously...
Read More
DSS has announced that VDH, with the assistance of the Virginia National Guard (VANG), is offering to conduct Point Prevalence Surveys (PPS) for COVID-19 testing...
Read More
Gov. Ralph Northam has extended Executive Orders (EOs) related to the healthcare workforce and flexibility for Medicaid providers. EOs 57 and 58, which were set...
Read More
The deadline to complete the survey being conducted by the governor’s Long Term Care Task Force to support future facility needs has been extended to...
Read More
In light of the challenges brought on by COVID-19, it is even more essential to celebrate National Assisted Living Week (NALW) this year which will...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL encourages members to participate in a survey being conducted by the governor’s Long Term Care Task Force to support future facility needs. Separate surveys...
Read More
NCAL has updated its Assisted Living Notification Guidelines for Confirmed COVID-19 Cases guidance. They encourage all assisted living communities to follow state and local requirements...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL invites you to join us for a webinar, COVID-19 Testing, on June 3. This webinar is specifically for nursing facilities and assisted living providers....
Read More
Marsh & McLennan is conducting a professional liability report for the long term care (LTC) sector on behalf of AHCA/NCAL. This year’s analysis is critical...
Read More
New data released on May 18 by the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA) highlights COVID-19 cases and PPE needs across the state. This information, which is...
Read More
AHCA/NCAL has prepared responses to common member questions on reimbursement and legal issues related to COVID-19 testing in long term care (LTC). Reimbursement Issues Medicare...
Read More
New data released on May 18 by the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA) highlights COVID-19 cases and PPE needs across the state. This information...
Read More
Relias is hosting a free webinar, Identifying Signs of Depression and Anxiety in People Living with Dementia, on May 28. The brains of people...
Read More
Marsh & McLennan is conducting a professional liability report for the long term care (LTC) sector on behalf of AHCA/NCAL. This year’s analysis is critical...
Read More
As a reminder, on May 14 DSS issued a memo to assisted living facilities about the system for an ALF to initiate an urgent PPE need request....
Read More
On Thursday, May 21, VHCA-VCAL is hosting a webinar on the CMS and CDC COVID-19 Surveys. Presenter Mary Chiles of Chiles Healthcare Consulting will review the processes...
Read More
DSS has issued a new memo to assisted living facilities about the system for an ALF to initiate an urgent PPE need request. “Urgent need”...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database...
Read More
On May 21 VHCA-VCAL is hosting a webinar on the CMS and CDC COVID-19 Surveys. Presenter Mary Chiles of Chiles Healthcare Consulting will review the...
Read More
The Board of Long-Term Care Administrators has granted an extension of continuing competency requirements for a period of six months after the deadline for any...
Read More
AHCA/NCAL has a new and expanded version of its popular Infection Preventionist Specialized Training (IPCO Version 2), and registration is open for the online training. Phase III...
Read More
Beginning May 11, 2020, DSS is asking all assisted living facilities to report their total PPE inventory and their burn rate, on a weekly basis...
Read More
CMS issued an interim final rule, effective May 1, which establishes explicit reporting requirements for long term care facilities to report information related to COVID-19...
Read More
Gov. Ralph Northam signed Executive Order 60, which reinforces certain existing statutory liability protections for Virginia healthcare workers. Due to COVID-19, public and private healthcare providers are...
Read More
In a special message to assited living faciltiy directors and staff, DSS Director of Licensing Programs Tara Ragland thanks providers for their “hard work, dedication,...
Read More
The General Assembly met on Wednesday for its annual reconvened session to consider Gov. Ralph Northam’s action on bills and the budget passed during the...
Read More
Effective immediately, the DSS Division of Licensing will adopt waivers and modifications for some licensing requirements in response to COVID-19. Leniency is granted in areas...
Read More
Relias is hosting a free webinar with dementia care expert Teepa Snow on April 24 focusing on dementia care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal...
Read More
As a reminder, our COVID-19 Resources webpage includes links to all of our member updates sent from April Payne. Given the volume of information we...
Read More
CDC released a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on April 3 on an assisted living and independent living community in Seattle related to the...
Read More
AHCA/NCAL has developed recommendations to help you address when a resident wants to leave the building to go into the surrounding community and then return....
Read More
AHCA/NCAL released four new resources on guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the CDC on critically low or unavailable PPE. These...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL has been asked to distribute a survey about the current stores of personal protective equipment (PPE) in assisted living facilities, so DSS, in partnership...
Read More
As a reminder, our COVID-19 Resources webpage includes links to all of our member updates sent from April Payne. Given the volume of information we...
Read More
As a reminder, on March 27, 2020, DSS has issued a memo to ALF licensees and administrators. It covers: ALF Assessments or Reassessments Adult Protective...
Read More
As we have seen in the outbreak in Washington state, nearly half of all residents infected were hospitalized and approximately 20-25 percent died. While some...
Read More
VDH scheduled the COVID-19 webinar for assisted living, PACE, adult day and group homes for Friday, March 20, at 2:30 pm. (This webinar was previously...
Read More
The Board of Long-Term Care Administrators has granted an extension of continuing competency requirements for a period of six months after the deadline for any...
Read More
The CDC has posted a recorded version of its March 17 webinar Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Update and Information for Long-term Care Facilities. During the...
Read More
CDC issued guidance on March 18 on the use of masks, gowns and face shields including suggestions on what to do if in crises shortages...
Read More
Relias has launched How to Prepare for Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Influenza: Free Training & Resources, a digital toolkit containing free resources regarding COVID-19 preparedness and...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL successfully advocated for Virginia’s nursing facilities and assisted living facilities during the 2020 General Assembly session. As a result, the association-backed bill on assisted...
Read More
Corie Tillman Wolf, executive director of the Board of Long-Term Care Administrators has shared an FAQ on continuing education extensions in light of cancellation of...
Read More
VDH has rescheduled the COVID-19 webinar for assisted living, PACE, adult day and group homes from this afternoon March 18 to Friday, March 20, at...
Read More
Our website has been updated with the latest version of our COVID-19 Screening Toolkit – March 18, 2020 Revision. The updated file includes new information...
Read More
In a March 17, 2020 letter to adult program licensees, DSS noted it had reviewed guidance from the CDC in conjunction with AHCA/NCAL resources and...
Read More
Renee Kinder with Broad River Rehab has shared information for families and caregivers on practical guidance on how to keep families and residents connected during...
Read More
Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency this afternoon in response to the spread of COVID-19. The governor’s press release included steps being taken...
Read More
Relias has launched How to Prepare for Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Influenza: Free Training & Resources, a digital toolkit containing free resources regarding COVID-19 preparedness and...
Read More
In a message to assisted living providers today, DSS encourages providers to use the VHCA-VCAL COVID-19 Screening Toolkit recommendations regarding visitors and would strongly suggest...
Read More
This afternoon the General Assembly approved the budget conference report. In the budget nursing facility Medicaid rates (relative to the very negative rebasing) will be...
Read More
News outlets across the state have been covering how long term care providers are protecting residents from the introduction of the coronavirus into their facilities....
Read More
April Payne, VHCA-VCAL vice president of quality improvement, was part of Gov. Ralph Northam’s press conference on March 11 to provide updates and discuss ongoing...
Read More
Our priority right now is to prevent COVID-19 from getting into nursing facilities and assisted living facilities and if it does get in, to prevent...
Read More
VHASS is conducting a survey to assess how much and where personal protective equipment (PPE) is available in Virginia's hospitals, nursing facilities, and ALFs to...
Read More
We have set up a COVID-19 Resources webpage to share information and helpful resources to ensure all members have access to the necessary guidance they...
Read More
Provider Magazine reported an in-depth piece on medication management’s role in in SNFs, assisted living and memory care communities. Melissa Green, chief clinical officer of...
Read More
NCAL has announced a new partnership with CarePrepare™ to offer assisted living members access to state survey inspection data. NCAL is incorporating the data into...
Read More
Have you have checked out this DSS ALF Training Regulations Chart? VHCA-VCAL’s Vice President of Quality Improvement and Director of VCAL April Payne explains it...
Read More
In a message to licensees, the Board of Long-Term Care Administrators noted that it will cease mailing hard copy licenses and registrations on a yearly...
Read More
CMS has issued a memo to all providers on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Illness (2019-nCoV) and reminders about infection prevention and control measures. In addition,...
Read More
In a message to licensees, the Board of Long-Term Care Administrators noted that it will cease mailing hard copy licenses and registrations on a yearly...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has asked VHCA-VCAL to share the following information with you about respiratory outbreaks and the coronavirus in particular. The...
Read More
February 10 is the deadline to sign up your activity staff to attend our upcoming course Activities and More … Preparing Activity Professionals for the...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_112296" align="alignright" width="509"] VHCA-VCAL Vice Chairman Derrick Kendall, Secretary of Health and Human Resources Daniel Care, DMAS Director Karen Kimsey, DSS Commissioner Duke Storen...
Read More
NCAL has announced a new partnership with CarePrepare™ to offer assisted living members access to state survey inspection data. NCAL is incorporating the data into...
Read More
Registration is open for valuable training sessions for your activity professionals and MDS coordinators. From February 17-21, we will offer the 45-hour Activities and More...
Read More
Today marks the tenth day of the 60-day 2020 General Assembly session and the deadline by which legislators must introduce all bills. As of this...
Read More
The deadline to apply for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program is quickly approaching. You must submit your application and payment by 8:00 pm ET...
Read More
Provider Magazine published a "Special Report" by attorney Timothy Ford on assisted living resident agreements, which states, "Perhaps the only thing worse than a poorly...
Read More
NCAL Executive Director Scott Tittle recently wrote to all NCAL members about the efforts by another senior living association to establish national standards of operations...
Read More
One week into the 2020 General Assembly session, VHCA-VCAL is closely monitoring numerous bills affecting assisted living facilities. Among them are bills to direct DSS...
Read More
We hope you will begin or continue your pursuit of providing the best quality care and services to your residents and patients by participating in...
Read More
The deadline to apply for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program is only three weeks away. You must submit your application and payment by 8:00...
Read More
224 VHCA-VCAL members have achieved progress in meeting the national AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative goals. The group of achievers in Virginia includes 220 nursing facitlies that...
Read More
Gov. Ralph Northam presented his final amendments to the current biennial budget and introduced his funding plan for the next two fiscal years (2021 and...
Read More
The deadline to apply for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program is quickly approaching. You must submit your application and payment by 8:00 pm ET...
Read More
Researchers offer advice to help caregivers celebrate the holidays with individuals with dementia. One recommended technique is the use of reminiscence therapy to recall happy...
Read More
The AHCA/NCAL recognized four Virginia assisted living communities for their achievements through its Quality Initiative Recognition Program, which honors member facilities for their individual work...
Read More
The DSS Eastern and Peninsula Licensing Offices are hosting training sessions on January 22, 2020 on admissions-related standards and regulations for licensed assisted living facilities...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL members receive 15 percent off the purchase of any Healthcare Interactive® CARES online training program by using promo code AHCA15 at checkout. CARES is the only online dementia training...
Read More
The deadline to apply for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program is quickly approaching. You must submit your application and payment by 8:00 pm ET...
Read More
The DSS Eastern and Peninsula Licensing Offices are hosting training sessions on January 22, 2020 on admissions related standards and regulations for licensed assisted living...
Read More
AHCA/NCAL is offering a new instructional webinar, Pioneering Solutions to the Workforce Crisis. This 45-minute webinar delivers practical action steps and strategies assisted living and...
Read More
Today, November 21, 2019 is the deadline to submit your Intent to Apply (ITA) for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards as well as the deadline...
Read More
New data released by the Virginia Department of Health Professions (DHP) shows that 94 percent of both Virginia’s assisted living administrators (ALFAs) and nursing home...
Read More
Senior Housing News reports that the utilization of hospice "is rising in the U.S., particularly in assisted living." As an increasing number of "senior living...
Read More
Space is limited in the upcoming Writing a Winning Quality Award Application Workshop on December 4. It’s the perfect time to get a head start...
Read More
Save on your Quality Award application today! The Intent to Apply (ITA) for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award cycle closes this Thursday, November 21...
Read More
As a reminder, DSS has published a new model form for Approval for Placement in Special Care Unit (see 22 VAC 40-73-1100). DSS advises that while the...
Read More
With the announcement last month of the October 17, 2019 effective date for a series of changes to the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities,...
Read More
Celebrate the hard work you have done to measurably improve the lives of your residents. The 2020 AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative Recognition Program honors member centers and communities...
Read More
The deadline for the Assisted Living Salary & Benefits study, conducted by Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) has been extended to December 2. The...
Read More
November 18-24, 2019 is U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW). Use resources from the CDC to help spread the word about the appropriate use of antibiotics to...
Read More
Most long term care facilities (about 75%) are being overcharged for one or more of their utilities and these overpayments are wasted dollars out the...
Read More
Due to technical difficulties with the Quality Award Portal, AHCA/NCAL has extended the National Quality Award Intent to Apply (ITA) deadline to November 21. Submissions...
Read More
Don't miss the opportunity to save on your Quality Award application fee for 2020! The Intent to Apply (ITA) deadline is coming up next week...
Read More
U.S. News and World Report has again issued its annual list of “Best Nursing Homes” across the country. Nearly 3,000 centers nationwide received the “best”...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL is pleased to announce you can take advantage of special savings on Healthcare Interactive® CARES online training, the only online dementia care training program...
Read More
We encourage you to submit your Intent to Apply (ITA) payment for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award application cycle today! While not mandatory, applicants...
Read More
There is still time for you to take advantage of the free Quality Award Bronze and Silver Criteria Workshops on October 29. These workshops are...
Read More
DSS announced that the changes to the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities have been revised, effective October 17, 2019, to correspond with changes made...
Read More
Have you earned a National Quality Award in the last three years? Or maybe you’ve never applied for one. Sign up for our free Quality...
Read More
The 2020 Quality Initiative Recognition Program will honor AHCA/NCAL member skilled nursing care centers and assisted living communities that have achieved one or more of...
Read More
The Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health is hosting a workshop on “Creating a Daytime Environment” as part of its series on...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database...
Read More
By focusing on things from the associates’ perspective, panelists at Senior Housing News’ annual summit shared what they’ve found that works to address their workforce...
Read More
The Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health is hosting a workshop on “Creating a Daytime Environment” as part of its series on...
Read More
Each year more and more assisted living communities are distinguishing themselves by wining an AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award, including 28 ALFs in Virginia. Don’t miss...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL is hosting a series of free Quality Award workshops to help you prepare your application for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards. Wendy Walters and...
Read More
It is critical for nursing centers and assisted living communities to address and mitigate reported incidents of resident-to-resident mistreatment. AHCA/NCAL has developed two new tools...
Read More
The US Department of Labor (DOL) finalized its proposed rule to increase the salary threshold under which “white collar” exempt staff would be guaranteed time-and-a-half pay...
Read More
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued recommendations on preparing for the 2019-20 influenza season. Recommendations include annual vaccination for anyone aged...
Read More
McKnight’s Senior Living reports, "Assisted living residents and their family members are almost 15% more likely to recommend their senior living communities to other friends...
Read More
Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) is conducting its annual Assisted Living/Personal Care Salary & Benefits Study. The report covers management salaries, nonmanagement wages, and...
Read More
Now through October 21, you can nominate yourself to serve on one of four NCAL Committees: NCAL Quality Committee, NCAL Finance and Policy Committee, AHCA/NCAL...
Read More
The DSS Central Licensing Office is sponsoring a provider meeting on October 2, 2019 in Richmond. The meeting will cover the auxiliary grant and regulatory...
Read More
Every day, you assist our seniors live their happiest and best lives. We’re proud to count 92 assisted living facilities in our membership. Thank you!
Read More
Plan now to prepare your social media posts celebrating National Assisted Living Week, which kicks of September 8. Share photos and videos of unique events,...
Read More
The decision to evacuate or shelter-in-place when a hurricane approaches is a difficult one. PBS NewsHour and The Conversation report on the life-and-death decision nursing...
Read More
On September 2, Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Dorian’s effects on southeastern Virginia, anticipated to begin Thursday. Leaders...
Read More
On September 10 the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care and Quality Assurance Performance Improvement program will host a call on approaches to care for...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL met with Chief Workforce Development Advisor Megan Healy on August 28 to discuss workforce needs in the long term care sector. This meeting follows...
Read More
With hurricane season in full swing as Dorian approaches the southeast coast of the US, we encourage members to review their emergency preparedness plans and...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has asked VHCA-VCAL to share information with members on containing multi-drug resistant organisms (MRDOs). The information from VDH...
Read More
Provider Magazine reports research published in JAMDA indicates telemedicine may be able to reduce avoidable emergency department (ED) visits among senior living residents with dementia....
Read More
In a guest column for McKnight’s Senior Living, How to prepare for and facilitate an involuntary discharge, Timothy J. Ford, Esq., addresses questions AL communities...
Read More
You’re ready to ignite “A Spark of Creativity” this National Assisted Living Week, but how do you share that with others? Check out the NALW Media...
Read More
Upon reflecting on the day, Tom May, Administrator at the Village at Gordon House remarked, “I was really impressed with the AL Symposium. The quality...
Read More
Look no further than the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Program! Applications for the 2020 program cycle are available online. Participating in the Quality Award Program has...
Read More
You’re ready to ignite "A Spark of Creativity" this National Assisted Living Week, but how do you share that with others? Check out the NALW Media...
Read More
Become the best in quality and get ready for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program cycle! It’s just around the corner – applications and the criteria...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL is excited to announce a new partnership with HPSI, one of the nation’s leading Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO). HPSI offers a group purchasing program...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL has learned that some assisted living facilities (ALFs) were incorrectly notified that changes to the overnight staffing ratios are in effect. As a reminder,...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has asked VHCA-VCAL to share a clinician letter from Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, MD regarding respiratory illness outbreaks reported...
Read More
Become the best in quality and get ready for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program cycle! It’s just around the corner – applications and the criteria...
Read More
Today, July 18, is the deadline to register for the July 25 Assisted Living Symposium. Register now! Keynote speaker Greg O’Brien will remind you why you work in...
Read More
Add a spark to all of your National Assisted Living Week (NALW) events! Display colorful NALW posters throughout your community before and during the week....
Read More
The AHCA Clinical Practice Committee has developed and launched a new resource for members, Opioid Use: What Do We Do and How? The use of...
Read More
Are you registered for the Assisted Living Symposium? Join us on July 25 to be inspired, network with your peers, and earn NAB-approved continuing education....
Read More
There’s only one week left to register for the Assisted Living Symposium on July 25. Keynote speaker Greg O’Brien will remind you why what you...
Read More
New Medicaid rates and new laws take effect on July 1, the start of a new state fiscal year. The new rates reflect a 2.9...
Read More
The 2019 Annual Convention on September 23-26 offers you the opportunity to connect with your colleagues, learn from nationally recognized experts, and recharge with new...
Read More
Research led by Dr. Kali Thomas at Brown University examines the use of home health among assisted living community residents, showing a slight growth in the...
Read More
Do you want to better harness the power of the assisted living data you collect? Not sure if it's worth tracking data in the first...
Read More
CareConversations.org includes numerous resources and advice for individuals and families considering long term care. The 6 Steps You Can Take to Plan for Long Term...
Read More
Celebrate your staff members who give their all to provide the best care for residents. Nominating your administrator, your DON, a CNA, a volunteer, or...
Read More
We are hosting a week-long course in July offering comprehensive training in programming and documentation specifically for activity professionals. This course meets all federal and...
Read More
The Assisted Living Symposium is a can’t-miss event! Come to be inspired by Greg O’Brien as he chronicles what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s....
Read More
While legislation passed during the 2019 General Assembly is generally set to take effect on July 1, the Department of Social Services (DSS) recently sent...
Read More
Most long term care facilities (about 75%) are being overcharged for one or more of their utilities and these overpayments are wasted dollars out the...
Read More
Don’t miss the annual Assisted Living Symposium and the chance to save on your registration fees. The agenda includes a great line up of speakers...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database...
Read More
Fifteen new members join the ranks of the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award winners earning their Bronze-Commitment to Quality Awards for their dedication to quality care. VHCA-VCAL...
Read More
With so much going on these days, we decided to give you a breather and extend the deadline for nominations for the VHCA-VCAL Awards program...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has issued a special edition of its Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) High Sign newsletter about Candida auris. The newsletter focuses...
Read More
Winning a statewide award and acknowledging the great work of your staff and volunteers can boost morale at your center. Give your deserving DON, CNA,...
Read More
Check out the complete agenda for the July 25 Assisted Living Symposium including info on keynote speaker Greg O'Brien, award winning author and journalist living...
Read More
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released two new complimentary clinical tools to help health care providers reduce older adult falls—the leading cause...
Read More
Each year we are thrilled to recognize VHCA-VCAL members, staff, and volunteers for their dedication to enriching the lives of those they serve in their...
Read More
Be inspired, network with your peers, and earn NAB-approved continuing education at the 2019 Symposium on July 25. This annual event is designed specifically for...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database...
Read More
Do you know an outstanding administrator, DON or CNA? Are your residents still talking about an activity program they loved? Or do you have volunteers...
Read More
Registration is open for valuable training sessions for your MDS coordinators and activity directors. Judy Wilhide Brandt will teach the MDS Basic Part I and...
Read More
When an individual is considering assisted living, thinking about what services you may need can be overwhelming. NCAL’s Checklist for Consumers and Prospective Residents can...
Read More
NCAL has revealed “A Spark of Creativity” as this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week (NALW). NALW will be celebrated September 8-14, 2019. “A...
Read More
The deadline for submitting your nominations for the 2019 VHCA-VCAL annual awards is right around the corner! Help us celebrate your staff, activity programming, and...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL is pleased to announce that we have partnered with AHCA/NCAL on a new preferred provider program called Cleary Energy. The program is designed to...
Read More
“A Spark of Creativity” is the theme for this year’s National Assisted Living Week (NALW). The annual, national observance, held this year on September 8-14...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has previously issued guidance to assisted living facilities related to equipment or supplies that could be considered a physical...
Read More
Candida auris has been the subject of recent media stories based on a New York Times article. C. auris is an emerging yeast that can...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_105857" align="alignright" width="419"] Young male doctor and senior man sitting on sofa and smiling during home visit[/caption] Do your residents or their families ask...
Read More
Encourage your staff to apply for a 2019 Regirer Nursing Scholarship before the May 24 application deadline. The $1500 scholarships are available exclusively for or...
Read More
Do you know an outstanding assisted living administrator or nurse? Do you have a volunteer adored by your residents, or did you have a great...
Read More
The Department of Labor has recently published three notices of proposed rulemaking that may affect nursing centers and assisted living communities related to overtime and joint...
Read More
Kaiser Health News (KHN) has published an article on suicides connected to long term care (LTC) settings. While data shows that suicides are rare in...
Read More
This year, we’ve heard more than ever across the U.S. how the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program has made a true difference within not only...
Read More
Applications for the 2019 Regirer Nursing Scholarships are now available online. Encourage your staff members who are interested in obtaining their LPN or RN degree...
Read More
The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database...
Read More
The US Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a new proposed rule that would increase the number of workers eligible for overtime. The proposal does...
Read More
Too busy to keep up with the latest news? Take a look at three recent items on how to control dining costs by adopting practices...
Read More
Just because individuals get older doesn’t mean they get any nicer, and when professionals begin working in congregate settings they are surprised to see bullies,...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has revised the Assisted Living Facility (ALFs) Disclosure Statement. The disclosure statement has been revised to add a line...
Read More
In meetings this week with representatives of the Virginia Board of Pharmacy and the Board of Long Term Care Administrators, state regulators indicated that they...
Read More
McKnight’s Senior Living asked VHCA-VCAL for comment on the impact of medical cannabis legislation passed during the 2019 General Assembly session on assisted living providers....
Read More
There are currently five seats on the Board of Long Term Care Administrators open for appointment for new terms beginning June 30, 2019. VHCA-VCAL encourages...
Read More
The latest Hospital & Health care Compensation Service’s Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Report shows that the average base pay for ALF administrators dropped slightly...
Read More
April Payne updated assisted living members at the Legislative Conference on the progress VCAL work groups have made on two projects: updates to the survey...
Read More
The General Assembly has taken a look at numerous bills this session that would have affected assisted living operations. In our weekly bill wrap up...
Read More
AHCA/NCAL is focused on its mission to improve lives by delivering solutions for quality care, and LTC Trend Tracker is one of those solutions. If...
Read More
The General Assembly hits "crossover" on Tuesday, February 5. That’s the deadline by which the House and Senate must act on bills that originated in their...
Read More
St. Clare Newport, a CCRC in Rhode Island, successfully evacuated all 87 of its residents last week when it lost its heat amid a regional gas...
Read More
The 2019 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award application deadline is next week—January 31. Don't miss out on the opportunity to be recognized for your commitment to...
Read More
Provider Magazine reports the National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed a resident satisfaction metric for assisted living developed by AHCA/NCAL. The CoreQ surveys "are the only...
Read More
It’s that time of year, when facilities may experience an outbreak of the norovirus. This highly contagious, difficult to eradicate virus causes nausea, vomiting, and...
Read More
Today marks the tenth day of the 45-day 2019 General Assembly session and the deadline by which legislators must introduce all bills. Committees have been...
Read More
NCAL Executive Director Scott Tittle writes to members to recap 2018 NCAL activities, while also providing some context on recent happenings in D.C. As he...
Read More
In a change from the proposed rule issued in 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has excluded assisted living facilities (ALFs) and continuing care retirement...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) notes that flu activity is currently widespread in Virginia. During the week ending January 5, VDH investigated a flu...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL is intensely focused on two pieces of legislation related to emergency preparedness planning and generators for assisted living facilities (ALFs). One would establish a...
Read More
The news from Arizona about the woman who has been in a persistent vegetative state in a nursing facility for over 10 years and gave...
Read More
The Virginia General Assembly kicked off its 2019 legislative session on January 9. Legislators are scheduled to meet for 45 days this year. VHCA-VCAL’s priorities...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_102277" align="alignright" width="199"] Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (PRNewsFoto/Office of Inspector General Department of Health and Human Services)[/caption]...
Read More
In a competitive and ever-changing market, providers must identify ways to stay a step ahead and stand out to potential customers and referral sources. The...
Read More
Two VCAL Committee workgroups are spearheading initiatives to provide assisted living members with new resources and information. The first project is an effort to revamp...
Read More
A New York Times article reports on the difficulty some assisted living providers have in caring for dementia residents, even in memory care segments. NCAL...
Read More
Senior Housing News reports health care real estate investment trust (REIT) Welltower has released a study conducted on its behalf by Johns Hopkins Medicine identifying...
Read More
Please join AHCA/NCAL and AALNA for the last Caring Together webinar of 2018 on December 11 Assisted Living Nurse Competencies – What Are They, How...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has issued clarifying guidance on HIPAA and providing resident names when submitting incident reports to the regional licensing office....
Read More
As part of its annual announcement of its Best Nursing Homes list, U.S. News and World Report has run a series of articles on assisted...
Read More
A recent article in the Los Angeles Times spotlights the efforts of assisted living communities to bring innovative food selections to their residents. According to...
Read More
Take part in the upcoming Assisted Living Salary and Benefits study, conducted by Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS). The participation deadline has been extended...
Read More
A recent report by the Long Term Care Community Coalition (LTCCC), which calls for stronger assisted living regulations nationwide, cited Virginia as a model state...
Read More
On November 7 the Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC), a standing commission of the General Assembly, unanimously supported establishing a requirement that each assisted...
Read More
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to save on your 2019 National Quality Award application fee and get access to extra educational resources. While not...
Read More
U.S. News and World Report will issue its annual list of “Best Nursing Homes” across the country on October 30. To help you respond to questions...
Read More
In this competitive and ever-changing market, assisted living providers must identify ways to stay a step ahead and stand out to potential customers and referral...
Read More
In this competitive and ever-changing market, assisted living providers must identify ways to stay a step ahead and stand out to potential customers and referral...
Read More
Now’s the time to sign up to join the VCAL Committee for 2018. The VCAL Committee is the association’s forum for addressing issues and trends...
Read More
Finding a qualified workforce is one of the largest challenges facing long term care providers. AHCA/NCAL unveiled new resources to help members attract and retain...
Read More
The Board of Long-Term Care Administrators has opened a comment period on whether to amend the requirements for preceptorships. A petitioner has requested that the...
Read More
A staff report submitted to Virginia’s Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) lays out five policy options related to back up emergency generators at assisted...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has updated the Reportable Disease List by removing some diseases and reorganizing the list to allow greater flexibility with...
Read More
LTC Trend Tracker users should have received their third quarter Top-Line Publication earlier this week. The new publication features metrics and graphs that outline your community’s...
Read More
As part of its annual review of state assisted living regulations, NCAL issued the 2018 edition of "Assisted Living State Regulatory Review." The report found...
Read More
Get the most out of your experience attending the 2018 Convention and Trade Show! In addition to great education sessions, the event offers great networking...
Read More
Not-for-Profit financial statement standards are being updated for the first time in 20 years. Learn more about how these changes will affect the reporting of...
Read More
4 Kaiser Health News' Navigating Aging column recently published an item regarding assisted living discharges: Assisted Living Kicks Out The Frail 'Cause 'We Can't Take...
Read More
NCAL is hosting a members-only webinar on Thursday, September 20, 2018 to provide an overview about how health care compliance programs are relevant for assisted...
Read More
At the most recent meeting of the Assisted Living Facility (ALF) Stakeholders, representatives from VCAL, DSS, other state agencies, and additional provider groups discussed on-going...
Read More
Department of Social Service (DSS) licensing officials have asked VCAL to remind members of two key compliance issues related to emergency preparedness. Providers have been...
Read More
Have you heard the news? Your Quality Initiative Progress is a LTC Trend Tracker℠ publication that includes metrics and graphics outlining individual center's progress through the...
Read More
Department of Social Service (DSS) licensing officials have asked VCAL to remind members of two key compliance issues related to emergency preparedness. Providers have been...
Read More
Although the weather forecast indicates that Hurricane Florence will make landfall in the Carolinas, parts of Virginia may feel its effects from heavy rains, potential...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) has revised its Q&A document on the Assisted Living Facility (ALF) Standards. The revisions are related to questions...
Read More
AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine - encourages post-acute and long-term care (PA/LTC) facilities to strengthen their employee immunization programs to...
Read More
NCAL is hosting a members-only webinar on September 20, 2018 to provide an overview about how health care compliance programs are relevant for assisted living...
Read More
As you get ready for next month’s National Assisted Living Week, make sure you’re also protecting the privacy and dignity of residents when it comes...
Read More
Early Bird pricing for the 2018 VHCA-VCAL Convention at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center ends later this month. Register now and book your room...
Read More
The NCAL Customer Relations Committee seeks to better understand how assisted living providers are staying on top of resident and family member satisfaction. This quick...
Read More
NCAL's new tool - The AL Cost Calculator - has the answers. The AL Cost Calculator is an online resident assessment tool with 25 different...
Read More
Connect with the public by reaching out to your local media outlets to spread the word about National Assisted Living Week (NALW). You can promote...
Read More
As you get ready to “Capture the Moment” during next month’s National Assisted Living Week, make sure you’re also protecting the privacy and dignity of...
Read More
Be sure to review the newest Question and Answer (Q&A) document on the Standards for Assisted Living Facilities issued by the Department of Social Services...
Read More
Rights and Responsibilities of Residents of Assisted Living Facilities posters are now available at no charge to VHCA-VCAL members. To request copies, send an email...
Read More
NCAL's new tool - The AL Cost Calculator - has the answers. The AL Cost Calculator is an online resident assessment tool with 25 different...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has issued a new Question and Answer (Q&A) document on the Standards for Assisted Living Facilities. The document includes...
Read More
The NCAL Customer Relations Committee seeks to better understand how assisted living providers are staying on top of resident and family member satisfaction. Please take...
Read More
Are you still on the fence about applying for a National Quality Award? AHCA/NCAL research demonstrates that Silver and Gold recipients have superior performance in...
Read More
Make sure your assisted living organization is putting the right staff with the right skills in the right place at the right time. NCAL’s new...
Read More
Providing you with critical content on issues facing assisted living operators is one of our chief goals at the Together 2018 Convention and Trade Show....
Read More
Start preparing for the biggest week of the year with the National Assisted Living Week® (NALW) Planning Guide and Product Catalog. This year’s planning guide contains...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL member Mellette PC has prepared a client advisory on a recent guidance document published by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD),...
Read More
To make Individualized Service Plan (ISP) training more accessible and convenient, the Department of Social Services (DSS) has announced it has developed a curriculum that...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has announced that Leigh Burke has joined Adult Programs as the Central Office Licensing Administrator effective July 25, 2018....
Read More
Over 110 assisted living providers gathered for the annual VCAL Assisted Living Symposium on July 24 to hear from a great line up of speakers. ...
Read More
Start preparing for the biggest week of the year with the National Assisted Living Week® (NALW) Planning Guide and Product Catalog. This year’s planning guide contains...
Read More
We’re proud of the fact that 69 VHCA-VCAL members are active winners of an AHCA-NCAL National Quality Award. Have you been thinking about applying, but...
Read More
If you have not already done so, VHCA-VCAL encourages all member assisted living facilities (ALFs) to respond to a short questionnaire distributed by the Department of Social...
Read More
We’d like to hear from you about how the new inspection process is working. In particular, April Payne, Vice President of Quality Improvement and Director...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_92491" align="alignright" width="300"] Click to enlarge.[/caption] What was your first reaction when you heard about the AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative for 2018-2021? Did you wonder...
Read More
Check out these links to resources and information on how Alzheimer’s and brain health and a new report on the growth in assisted living and...
Read More
Over 80 members will be in attendance at the July 24 VCAL Assisted Living Symposium. Take a look at who will be there. If you’re...
Read More
We’d like to hear from you about how the new inspection process is working. In particular, April Payne, Vice President of Quality Improvement and Director...
Read More
If you have not already done so, VHCA-VCAL encourages all member assisted living facilities (ALFs) to respond to a short questionnaire distributed by the Department...
Read More
Registration fees for the Assisted Living Symposium go up after Friday, June 1. Register to attend today and save! We have a great line up...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL encourages all member assisted living facilities (ALFs) to respond to a short (nine questions) questionnaire distributed by the Department of Social Services (DSS) on...
Read More
We are excited to share a first look at the VCAL Assisted Living Symposium agenda! Featured speakers and topics include new DSS Commissioner Duke Storen,...
Read More
The Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC), a standing commission of the Virginia General Assembly, is conducting a study to evaluate the availability of temporary...
Read More
Register now to take part in Individualized Service Plan (ISP): Meeting Resident/Participant Needs training offered by the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Virginia...
Read More
Citations for medication administration and Individualized Service Plans (ISP) account for 57% of the violations found in Virginia’s assisted living facilities (ALF) from January 1-...
Read More
We are excited to share a first look at the VCAL Assisted Living Symposium Agenda! Featured speakers and topics include: Virginia’s new Department of Social...
Read More
Andy Kramer, MD, writes in the May issue of Provider Magazine that for providers, "this is the time for putting the pedal to the metal...
Read More
Register now to take part in Individualized Service Plan (ISP): Meeting Resident/Participant Needs training offered by the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Virginia...
Read More
Today NCAL revealed “Capture the Moment” as this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week (NALW), which will take place September 9-15, 2018. “Capture the...
Read More
Please join the American Assisted Living Nurses Association (AALNA) and NCAL for the first webinar in the 2018 Caring Together series. The webinar, “Strategies for...
Read More
Take advantage of early bird pricing for the 2018 Assisted Living Symposium between now and June 1. The agenda includes remarks from new DSS Commissioner...
Read More
In a new quarterly member communication, NCAL Executive Director Scott Tittle recaps the latest AHCA/NCAL activities as they relate to serving our assisted living membership,...
Read More
Did you know that the Smithsonian Museums host groups for private dinners and movie showings? With an extensive movie library for theater programs, and restaurants...
Read More
Who would you call if your community needed to evacuate? Do you have the contacts and connections you need with your local hospitals or other...
Read More
Revised model forms that conform to the new Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities (22 VAC 40-73) are now available on the Virginia Department of...
Read More
Revised model forms that conform to the new Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities (22 VAC 40-73) are now available on the Virginia Department of...
Read More
NCAL has announced the next phase of the Quality Initiative for Assisted Living with updated targets to the same four focus areas. For the next...
Read More
Are you ready for April 1 when the Department of Social Services (DSS) will begin assessment for compliance with the new Standards for Licensed Assisted...
Read More
On March 13, AHCA/NCAL announced new goals as part of its nationwide, multi-year initiative to further improve quality in long term and post-acute care centers...
Read More
Six years ago we laid out a bold plan to improve the quality of care in our long term and post-acute care centers and communities....
Read More
The Board of Nursing has published a final regulation amending the name tag requirement for nurses. The regulation now specifies that a nurse's name badge...
Read More
On March 2, 2018 the Department of Social Services (DSS) updated the Disclosure Statement and the Liability Insurance Disclosure Notification Form based on the new...
Read More
LTC Trend Tracker is a web-based, data collection and benchmarking tool that is an exclusive benefit of your NCAL membership. LTC Trend Tracker takes care...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) is continuing to work on developing technical assistance, Q&A documents, and forms to accompany the new Standards for Licensed...
Read More
Earlier this month national media outlets gave extensive coverage to a report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) calling upon the Centers for Medicare...
Read More
Are you taking advantage of what LTC Trend Tracker can do for you? Trend Tracker is a powerful members-only tool that can help your organization better...
Read More
The official version of the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities effective February 1, 2018 have been posted on the Department of Social Services (DSS) website. Today...
Read More
LPNs in assisted living facilities (ALFs) received a 2.88% increase in hourly rates in 2017, according to the 20th annual Assisted Living Salary & Benefits...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Department of Social Services (DSS) have asked VHCA-VCAL to remind providers about their obligations related to reportable...
Read More
Bookmark VHCA-VCAL’s updated webpage on the Standards for Assisted Living Facilities (22VAC40-73) to have all the resources and tools you need to navigate the new...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL members’ nursing and assisted living centers care for amazing individuals. Two-dozen residents are profiled in the 2018 Faces and Stories in Virginia’s Long Term Care...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has announced it will hold an additional training session on January 26 on the new standards for assisted living...
Read More
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) is gearing up for another very busy year in Washington, D.C. Conventional wisdom holds that Congress is less...
Read More
Bookmark VHCA-VCAL’s updated webpage on the Standards for Assisted Living Facilities (22VAC40-73) to have all the resources and tools you need to navigate the new...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has announced it will hold an additional training session on January 26 on the new standards for assisted living...
Read More
Don’t forget that NCAL offers a one-stop shop for all resources related to interacting with current residents, their loved ones and potential customers on its...
Read More
Misuse of antibiotics contributes to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Practicing proper antibiotic stewardship to reduce inappropriate and misuse of antibiotics will help to...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has provided a series of resources as part of the training sessions licensing administrators conducted on the new regulations. ...
Read More
To keep up with your NAB-approved continuing education (CE) credits in 2018, like those offered by VHCA-VCAL, administrators must sign up for the new National...
Read More
DSS is again emphasizing information it has provided to its inspectors related to equipment or supplies that could be considered a physical restraint. Numerous questions about...
Read More
As a reminder, the agency has established a dedicated email address providers can use to send questions on the new regulations. The email address
[email protected] will...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has provided a series of resources as part of the training sessions licensing administrators conducted on the new regulations. ...
Read More
Calling all Administrators! NAB (National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards) is creating a National CE Registry that will be the first of its kind and...
Read More
The Department of Social Services has prepared a chart detailing the new assisted living facility (ALF) standard numbers, the current ALF standard numbers, along with...
Read More
The Department of Social Services has shared information it has provided to its inspectors related to equipment or supplies that could be considered a physical...
Read More
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a notice announcing that most employers must electronically report injury and illness data through the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) beginning on...
Read More
Virginia’s Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC), a standing commission of the General Assembly, met on November 21 to make policy and legislative recommendations on...
Read More
The comprehensive revision to the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities, 22VAC40-73, was published as a final regulation on November 13, 2017. The full text...
Read More
NCAL Day 2017 brought into focus a consistent theme of quality of life for residents and staff of assisted living communities, according to VCAL Director...
Read More
The comprehensive revision to the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities, 22VAC40-73, was published as a final regulation on November 13, 2017. The full text...
Read More
Mark your calendar to take advantage of a great Cyber Week discount on any purchase from Relias. From November 27 to December 3, you can...
Read More
The latest Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Program Newsletter from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) encourages providers to prepare for influenza season. Vaccination remains...
Read More
The most cited deficiencies in Virginia’s assisted living facilities (ALF) for the fourth consecutive quarter are again related to Individualized Service Plans (ISP) and medication...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has repeated its reminder to assisted living facilities that it has amended the General Procedures to reflect the increase...
Read More
On October 19, DSS issued a message to assisted living providers reminding them of new language added to the background check regulations that prohibits ALFs from...
Read More
Providers are encouraged to send their questions on the new assisted living facility (ALF) regulations that take effect on February 1, 2018 to a new...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL members represent the long term care profession on a number of state boards and stakeholder groups. These boards and groups rely on the subject...
Read More
The October News Brief from the Board of Long-Term Care Administrators includes updates on the following topics: Drug Take-Back Day – October 28, 2017 Pending Regulatory...
Read More
October 28 is the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The initiative aims to provide a safe, convenient,...
Read More
Does your center care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia? Join America’s leading educator on dementia and Relias partner, Teepa Snow,...
Read More
Now’s the time to sign up to join the VCAL Committee for 2018. The VCAL Committee is the association’s forum for addressing issues and trends...
Read More
October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, and the NCAL Customer Relations Committee has developed a new resource for assisted living providers in recognition. "Bullying...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has announced the revised assisted living regulations will take effect on February 1, 2018 provided there are not major...
Read More
AHCA/NCAL is offering members new toolkits to help them prepare for the emergency preparedness requirements that take effect on November 16. Check out these customizable...
Read More
Assisted living regulations, statutes, and policies in 17 states were updated between June 2016 and June 2017, according to the National Center for Assisted Living’s...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has announced the revised assisted living regulations will take effect on February 1, 2018 provided there are not major...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has amended the General Procedures to reflect the increase in the aggregate amount of civil penalties that the Commissioner...
Read More
Texas Health Care Association President and CEO Kevin Warren wrote a recent op-ed for The Houston Chronicle detailing the difficult decision making process long term...
Read More
Although Gov. Terry McAuliffe has approved the comprehensive overhaul of the standards for assisted living facilities (ALFs), the Department of Social Services (DSS) must still...
Read More
Long term care providers and our entire profession join in expressing our deepest sympathy to the families of the residents who lost their lives recently...
Read More
Long term care providers and our entire profession join in expressing our deepest sympathy to the families of the residents who lost their lives recently...
Read More
Although Gov. Terry McAuliffe has approved the comprehensive overhaul of the standards for assisted living facilities (ALFs), the Department of Social Services (DSS) must still...
Read More
Christine “Chris” Smith and Robin Gordon were among the winners of VHCA-VCAL’s annual awards recognizing outstanding service to the profession. Both have served on the...
Read More
With last week’s news that more than 45 nursing facilities and 49 assisted living communities were successfully evacuated in Texas because of Hurricane Harvey and...
Read More
Use the hashtag #NALW to contribute to the national conversation about assisted living September 10-16. Check out the NALW Media Toolkit for ideas on how to spread...
Read More
September 2017 marks the annual observance of National Preparedness Month. National Preparedness Month will focus on planning, with an overarching theme "Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead....
Read More
On August 18, the office of Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved the comprehensive rewrite of the assisted living standards. This is one of the final steps on...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) has issued a technical assistance (TA) on how providers should handle supplemental feedings. The guidance provides clarification on prescriber-ordered...
Read More
Members and staff are playing integral roles in efforts to study assisted living staffing requirements. Virginia’s Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) has undertaken a...
Read More
Analysis of the top ten deficiencies cited at the 355 facilities inspected from April 1 – July 1, 2017 again show that the two most-cited...
Read More
Analysis of the top ten deficiencies cited at the 355 facilities inspected from April 1 – July 1, 2017 again show that the two most-cited...
Read More
The Office of the Attorney General has revised the list of barrier crimes for licensed assisted living facilities and adult day care centers. New barrier...
Read More
Kick off the AHCA/NCAL 68th Annual Convention with NCAL Day! A full slate of programming offers assisted living professionals CEUs, inspiring speakers, engaging discussions, priceless networking, and...
Read More
Did you miss last month’s Assisted Living Symposium? Check out this recap of the takeaways and advice from the day’s speakers from how to take...
Read More
Members and staff are playing integral roles in efforts to study assisted living staffing requirements. Virginia’s Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) has undertaken a...
Read More
Analysis of the top ten deficiencies cited at the 355 facilities inspected from April 1 – July 1, 2017 again show that the two most-cited...
Read More
Get noticed this National Assisted Living Week! There is no better time to showcase your unique residents, your dedicated staff, your contributions to the larger...
Read More
With over 80 attendees, including 29 prospective members, VHCA-VCAL hosted another successful Assisted Living Symposium. Speakers included NCAL Excutive Director Scott Tittle, Department of Social...
Read More
To satisfy employment background check requirements, you can use the Virginia State Police (VSP)’s Non-criminal Justice Interface (NCJI) to search Virginia criminal history records using...
Read More
These posters feature the Maya Angelou quote that inspired our 2017 National Assisted Living Week theme, Family is Forever. Place this reminder of acceptance and...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Social Services issued a critical alert on June 28 to remind assisted living providers about what constitutes a restraint per the...
Read More
NCAL's Risk Management Work Group created a new checklist for members on key considerations for assisted living communities regarding issues around resident sexual consent. Sexual...
Read More
To satisfy employment background check requirements, you can use the Virginia State Police (VSP)’s Non-criminal Justice Interface (NCJI) to search Virginia criminal history records using name...
Read More
Doris-Ellie Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer of Retirement Unlimited Inc., serves as the Assisted Living Director on the VHCA-VCAL Board. She has shared with us her...
Read More
National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) Executive Director Scott Tittle will update you on emerging industry trends, state regulatory requirements, and how activity at the...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Social Services issued a critical alert on June 28 to remind assisted living providers about what constitutes a restraint per the...
Read More
NCAL's Risk Management Work Group created a new checklist for members on key considerations for assisted living communities regarding issues around resident sexual consent. Sexual...
Read More
New laws related to eligibility for employment in nursing centers or assisted living facilities, vaccine administration, TB testing, family councils, employment in assisted living, penalties...
Read More
Start preparing for the biggest week of the year with the National Assisted Living Week® (NALW) Planning Guide and Product Catalog. This year's planning guide...
Read More
The 2017 VHCA-VCAL Convention and Trade Show promises to deliver dynamic educational sessions in our assisted living and nursing tracks. Join us in September as...
Read More
What are the TOP 10 carriers of infectious agents?* Do you have a plan for infection control surveillance and tracking? During the Assisted Living...
Read More
Exceeding membership growth goals, record breaking AL participation in the AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards Program, and adding four new AL measures to LTC Trend Tracker were...
Read More
Four of the seven VHCA-VCAL members recognized with a 2017 Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award by AHCA/NCAL are assisted living facilities. They join a growing list...
Read More
New laws related to eligibility for employment in assisted living, penalties for inspection issues, vaccine administration, TB testing, adult exploitation, and other issues affecting assisted...
Read More
NCAL is cohosting a webinar on June 27 on how nurses can impact resident mental health in assisted living. To have maximum positive impact, understanding...
Read More
In a profile in Provider Magazine, NCAL Chair Christian “Chris” Mason’s "advice to providers is to embrace their role in meeting the demands and expectations...
Read More
Virginia ranks as the most accommodating U.S. state for seniors according to a SeniorAdvice.com report. Neighboring states Maryland and West Virginia rank sixth and tenth,...
Read More
The Virginia Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) met on May 22 to discuss their 2017 work plan, which will include a study of staffing...
Read More
Missy Currier joined the Adult Licensing Division as the Associate Director at the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) in March. She shared with us...
Read More
Registration is now open for our annual Assisted Living Symposium on July 25 in Richmond! Register Now! Featured speakers and topics include: Scott Tittle, Executive...
Read More
DSS has asked us to remind providers to stay up-to-date on the General Procedures and Information for Licensure and the related Technical Assistance. The procedures...
Read More
Each quarter regulators and assisted living providers meet to discuss issues affecting assisted living facilities (ALFs) in the Commonwealth. The ALF Stakeholder Group uses a...
Read More
Missy Currier joined the Adult Licensing Division as the Associate Director at the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) in March. She shared with us...
Read More
Mark your calendars for the 2017 Assisted Living Symposium on July 25 in Richmond! Featured speakers and topics include: Scott Tittle, Executive Director of the...
Read More
The Virginia Board of Long-Term Care Administrators has shared its monthly news brief. Read the latest from the Board on current regulatory actions and news...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has shared data on the top ten deficiencies cited at the 270 facilities inspected from January 1 – March...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL members with assisted living beds received the inaugural edition of our new assisted living publication this week. We will deliver this new message to...
Read More
Beginning on Saturday, April 22, nurse aide candidates will not be able to register or take the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) exam as...
Read More
We are excited to launch our new e-publication dedicated to assisted living topics and VCAL members! Scroll down to read this month's news. We will...
Read More
Take a look at these most-read articles from recent editions of CareConnection you may have missed. DSS Selects New Associate Director for Field Operations Help...
Read More
April joined the VHCA-VCAL staff in January as the Vice President of Quality Improvement and Director of the Virginia Center for Assisted Living. April shares...
Read More
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) has revealed “Family is Forever” as this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week (NALW). NALW will be...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL associate member Williams Mullen has prepared a summary of the changes to the assisted living standards approved by the Board of Social Services. As...
Read More
On April 25 for a half-day session, our panelists will help you understand what is new and different in the standards and what the legal...
Read More
The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Department of Gerontology is extending its research study on the use of antipsychotic medications in assisted living facilities (ALFs) through...
Read More
NCAL is hosting a webinar on April 7 at 2:00 pm on the LTC Trend Tracker. Participate and ask questions about how to use this...
Read More
“It always seems too early, until it's too late," is the theme for this year’s National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), which this year will be...
Read More
The changes to Virginia’s assisted living standards cover a wide breadth of AL operations including staff training, resident care, activity programming, infection control, and staffing...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Social Services has announced that Melissa Currier has joined the Adult Licensing Division as the Associate Director-Senior in charge of field...
Read More
April 4-5 MDS Basic Workshop – Presented by Judy Wilhide Brandt | VHCA-VCAL Office April 25 *Just Announced* Assisted Living: New Standards and New Laws...
Read More
Did you know that 44% of residents in assisted living facilities in Virginia are over the age of 85 and 38% have Alzheimer’s disease or...
Read More
The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database file, which reflects...
Read More
The award-winning, evidence-based Bathing Without a Battle training on person-centered bathing for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is now accessible online free of...
Read More
The Virginia State Board of Social Services voted to approve the new comprehensive standards for licensed assisted living facilities at its February 15 meeting. The...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has shared data on the top ten deficiencies cited at the 263 facilities inspected from October 1 – December...
Read More
Recent analysis of closed professional liability claims in senior housing and care shows that assisted living claims incur an average total paid higher than the...
Read More
Sen. Rosalyn Dance (D-Petersburg) introduced a resolution calling for a study of staffing ratios in assisted living communities. As introduced, SJ 266 would have directed...
Read More
A new webpage on the NCAL website offers a one-stop shop for all resources related to interacting with current residents, their loved ones and potential...
Read More
Resident Assistants (RAs) in Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) received the largest percent pay increase in pay of all ALF employees, according to the 19th annual...
Read More
Thursday, January 26, is the application deadline for the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program. Applications and payments must be submitted using the online application and...
Read More
Virginia is at risk for not being included in the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers (NSLTCP) because not enough residential care communities have participated...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL welcomes April Payne, LNHA as the association’s new Vice President of Quality Improvement and Director of the Virginia Center for Assisted Living. Ms. Payne’s...
Read More
Honoring Choices Virginia, an initiative to build system change and education around advance care planning, has issued a report on ways to support electronic sharing...
Read More
The CDC recently released a report on the influenza vaccination coverage among health care personnel for the 2015-2016 influenza season. The Advisory Committee on Immunization...
Read More
Certain criminal convictions may prevent registration of medication aides in Virginia. Criminal convictions may also prohibit employment in certain health care settings, including nursing centers...
Read More
NCAL’s new Fact & Figures webpage includes high level data points on assisted living communities, finance, residents, and workforce. Most of the data comes from...
Read More
Don’t track your performance in a silo. Join your VCAL colleagues in using LTC Trend Tracker to see how your community compares to others. AHCA/NCAL’s...
Read More
The application portal for the 2017 Quality Award Program cycle is now open. The application deadline for Bronze, Silver and Gold is January 26, 2017...
Read More
AHCA/NCAL has prepared a white paper, Olmstead v L.C. - What Nursing Care Centers and Assisted Living Communities Need to Know, which compiles the most...
Read More
Practicing hand hygiene is a simple yet effective way to prevent infections. Cleaning your hands can prevent the spread of germs, including those that are...
Read More
Virginia Health Commissioner Dr. Marissa Levine issued a clinicians’ letter this week that included an update on influenza activity across the state. She recommends that...
Read More
You have until December 31 to take advantage of special pricing for an Umbrella License with the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) to offer movies...
Read More
The deadline for the Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Report conducted by Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) and supported by NCAL has been extended...
Read More
The Department of Gerontology in Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Allied Health Professions is now one of only 11 programs in the country to receive...
Read More
Hospital and Healthcare Compensation Service is again conducting industry compensation surveys for assisted living and multi-facility long term care operators. By participating in the study,...
Read More
As of November 4, only 24 VCAL members have signed up for AHCA/NCAL LTC Trend Tracker. This great tool is available to all NCAL members. ...
Read More
CMS is seeking public input on additional reforms and policy options the agency can consider to accelerate access to Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)...
Read More
The Department of Social Services has posted updated files to its website related to the changes in the liability insurance disclosure effective November 15, 2016. ...
Read More
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) wants to hear from you – our members. McKinley Advisors, an independent research firm, is administering a study...
Read More
Is your center planning to apply for a 2017 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award? If so, be sure to submit your intent to apply before the November 17 deadline...
Read More
DSS has notified providers that effective October 19, 2016 it has updated the regulations prohibiting assisted living facilities from continuing to employ individuals who have...
Read More
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has issued a new Nursing Home Antimicrobial Stewardship Guide. The guide offers step-by-step instructions and materials to...
Read More
Join the LTC Trend Tracker team on November 11 from 1:00-2:00 pm for a Live Question and Answer session. This session coincides with AHCA/NCAL’s launch...
Read More
Videos shared by NCAL feature the 2016 award winners, including the 2016 Nobel Caregiver of the Year, Angela Humes of Dogwood Village of Orange County. ...
Read More
On November 15, 2016 a new regulatory requirement takes effect for liability insurance coverage disclosure by assisted living facilities. A new section VI. Liability Insurance...
Read More
Growing Older: Providing Integrated Care for an Aging Population is a new publication from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health...
Read More
Today the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Department of Gerontology will send its last reminder to assisted living facility (ALF) administrators calling for their participation in...
Read More
Virginia State Health Commissioner Dr. Marissa J. Levine has announced new regulations for disease reporting and control, which went into effect on October 20, 2016. ...
Read More
NCAL has issued its annual review of changes states have made to assisted living regulations across the country. The most common changes involved staffing and...
Read More
Although the State Board of Social Services is meeting on October 19, it will not consider the proposed overhaul of the assisted living regulations. The...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) sent a notice to assisted living facilities (ALFs) encouraging preparation for possible severe weather from Hurricane Matthew, including guidance...
Read More
The Department of Social Services (DSS) has issued clarification about the choice of finger-stick devices for use by qualified assisted living facility staff in assisted...
Read More
“Movie Night” is a time honored tradition at an assisted living community or skilled nursing center. AHCA/NCAL has announced a formal agreement with the Motion...
Read More
Be sure to share the news about all the great celebrations and activities you have planned for this week! For advice and resources to help...
Read More
The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) is conducting a survey to learn about the level of understanding of person-centered, trauma-informed care in the aging...
Read More
[caption id="attachment_75475" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo courtesy of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging[/caption] The leaders of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging have...
Read More
The Virginia State Board of Social Services (SBSS) has formally added new language to the background check and hospice regulations pursuant to legislation passed during...
Read More
The Orange County Review has covered the news that Angela Humes, a 35-year employee at Dogwood Village of Orange County has won the National Center...
Read More
In 2014, the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program implemented a recertification policy that impacts ALL current and previous recipients. Under this policy, Bronze and Silver Quality...
Read More
The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Department of Gerontology has received funding from the Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases Research Award Fund to study the use of...
Read More
National Assisted Living Week (NALW) media toolkit is now available on www.nalw.org. Included in the toolkit are samples of an invitation to the media to...
Read More
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) database...
Read More
To help members ensure they have the policies and procedures in place to protect residents’ privacy, AHCA/NCAL has provided a social media guidance document for members, offering...
Read More
The agenda for the upcoming August 17, 2016 meeting of the State Board of Social Services does not include the final regulatory action on the...
Read More
Are you looking for information on the best practices for achieving staff stability? Do you need advice about how to recruit the best team as...
Read More
AHCA/NCAL has released a new resource for assisted living members on LTC Trend Tracker. This one-pager explains what LTC Trend Tracker is and how your...
Read More
At the VCAL Symposium, Ivy Burnham, Licensing Administrator-Adult Programs at the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) shared a list of the 10 most cited...
Read More
On July 14, the Virginia Board of Nursing (BoN) convened a work group comprised of BoN members and interested stakeholders to review both the clinical...
Read More
Angela Humes with Dogwood Village Senior Living in Orange won the 2016 NCAL Noble Caregiver in Assisted Living Award. Humes has worked at Dogwood Village...
Read More
Last year when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced proposed revisions to the requirements of participation for nursing homes, the agency placed...
Read More
Over 80 assisted living professionals attended this year’s VCAL Symposium on July 14. This day-long education program was dedicated to providing AL-specific information to our...
Read More
Learn from national and state assisted living experts about the latest trends in assisted living, quality initiatives, and how to prevent medication errors, as well...
Read More
As social media usage has exploded over the last decade and its misuse has become an issue in the media and for policymakers, AHCA/NCAL has...
Read More
Long-time VHCA-VCAL member Tara Davis-Ragland will begin serving as the Division Director of the Division of Licensing for Adult Programs at the Virginia Department of...
Read More
Online registration for the 2016 VHCA-VCAL Convention and Trade Show is now open. Visit www.vhca.org/2016convention for event highlights, hotel information and full descriptions of the...
Read More
Learn from national and state assisted living experts about the latest trends in assisted living, quality initiatives, and how to prevent medication errors, as well...
Read More
This five-day, 45-hour course is an intensive and hands-on program to help individuals who work in the activities field build their knowledge and skills to...
Read More
Learn from national and state assisted living experts about the latest trends in assisted living, quality initiatives, and how to prevent medication errors, as well...
Read More
This five-day, 45-hour course is an intensive and hands-on program to help individuals who work in the activities field build their knowledge and skills to...
Read More
The theme for the 2016 National Assisted Living Week (NALW), September 11-17, 2016, is “Keep Connected,” which recognizes the increasing opportunity technology can offer to...
Read More
Registration is now open for VHCA-VCAL’s Introduction to Activity Management in Long Term Care course. This five-day, 45-hour course is an intensive and hands-on program to help...
Read More
Join us for the VCAL Symposium on July 14 where you can learn from national and state assisted living experts about the latest trends in...
Read More
While the State Board of Social Services met on June 15-16, 2016, the agency announced that the final regulatory action on the comprehensive revision of...
Read More
At the most recent joint meeting of the Quality of Care and Regulatory Committees, members discussed elopement and the need for administrators to understand how...
Read More
Registration is now open for the 2016 Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VCAL) Symposium, July 14 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond – Midlothian!...
Read More
Registration is now open for VHCA-VCAL’s Introduction to Activity Management in Long Term Care course. This five-day, 45-hour course is an intensive and hands-on program to help...
Read More
Pre-registration is now open for the 2016 Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VCAL) Symposium, July 14 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond – Midlothian!...
Read More
Registration is now open for VHCA-VCAL’s Introduction to Activity Management in Long Term Care course. This five-day, 45-hour course is an intensive and hands-on program to help...
Read More
Virginia tops a new list as the most livable state for seniors. According to the list from Senior Advice, Virginia earned the top spot thanks...
Read More
Save the date for the 2016 Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VCAL) Symposium, July 14 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond – Midlothian! This...
Read More
Registration is now open for VHCA-VCAL’s Introduction to Activity Management in Long Term Care course. This five-day, 45-hour course is an intensive and hands-on program to help...
Read More
Save the date for the 2016 Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VCAL) Symposium, July 11 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond – Midlothian! This...
Read More
Registration is now open for VHCA-VCAL’s Introduction to Activity Management in Long Term Care course. This 5-day, 45-hour course is an intensive and hands-on program...
Read More
Mark your calendars now for the 2016 VHCA-VCAL Convention and Trade Show at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA on September 11-14, 2016....
Read More
Save the date for the 2016 Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VCAL) Symposium, July 11 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond – Midlothian! This...
Read More
Registration is now open for VHCA-VCAL’s Introduction to Activity Management in Long Term Care course. This 5-day, 45-hour course is an intensive and hands-on program...
Read More
As media outlets and even some members of Congress have turned their attention to inappropriate use of cell phones and social media by long term...
Read More
Save the date for the 2016 Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VCAL) Symposium, July 11 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond – Midlothian! This...
Read More
Researchers at Brown University are conducting a short, 8-question, multiple choice, national, anonymous survey to learn about nursing center and assisted living policies regarding camera...
Read More
In April the Department of Social Services (DSS) revised the list of barrier crimes affecting the ability of licensed assisted living centers to hire applicants. ...
Read More
Winning a statewide award for excellence in programming or events can be a great boost to your center’s marketing efforts! Make sure your center is...
Read More
This week we learned of the passing of Lynne Williams, the former Director of the Division of Licensing at the Department of Social Services (DSS). ...
Read More
AHCA reports that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted new FAQs on the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver rule implementation....
Read More
The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) announced changes to the Pressure Ulcer Staging System including change in terminology from pressure ulcer to pressure injury. The...
Read More
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) has posted the results of its 2015 Performance Measures Survey. The results demonstrate ways NCAL members are working...
Read More
On July 1, 2016, a new law will become effective that prohibits assisted living facilities, adult day care centers, licensed and registered child welfare agencies,...
Read More
The National Center for Assisted Living has announced the 2016 theme for National Assisted Living Week® is "Keep Connected." This national celebration will take place...
Read More
Surveyors have told us that they will be looking closely at infection control and antibiotic resistance in the coming year. The Centers for Medicare and...
Read More
VHCA-VCAL was informed this week that the Department of Social Services’ comprehensive revision of the assisted living (AL) facility regulations will not be submitted for...
Read More
With recent media and congressional attention being paid to instances of social media abuse of nursing and assisted living residents, we wanted to remind you...
Read More
Employers, including nursing centers and assisted living communities, are required to post a copy of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Form 300A summarizing...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) has provided a new model form on its website for the Sworn Statement or Affirmation for Adult Facility...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has provided an inventory of nursing facility beds in the Commonwealth as of December 31, 2015. The spreadsheet includes...
Read More
The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), has released a second new report, Variation in Residential Care Community...
Read More
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics outlines the most needed services for assisted living residents. Bathing,...
Read More
Last year, AHCA/NCAL's data collection tool LTC Trend Tracker expanded to offer features for assisted living providers. NCAL members can now submit their staffing data,...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Social Services has provided VHCA-VCAL with updated contact information for the agency’s licensing administrators for assisted living program. Click here to...
Read More
The 2015-2016 Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Report is now available from Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS). HCS publishes the report in cooperation with...
Read More
On January 7 The Washington Post profiled two World War II veterans who became unlikely friends decades later at an assisted living facility in Virginia....
Read More
National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) Executive Director Scott Tittle has outlined NCAL’s areas of focus for 2016 with an emphasis on maintaining state regulation...
Read More
The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) asked VHCA-VCAL to remind assisted living facilities who participated in the Auxiliary Grant program about certain...
Read More
The Richmond Times Dispatch fielded a reader question about whether workers in assisted living facilities should be allowed to have fake or long finger nails....
Read More
The Virginia Board of Long-Term Care Administrators issued new regulations on November 5, 2015 affecting assisted living facility acting administrators in an administrator-in-training (AIT) program....
Read More
The Virginia Health Care Association-Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VHCA-VCAL), LeadingAge Virginia and the Virginia Assisted Living Association collaborated on comments to the Virginia Department...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) is in the midst of a comprehensive rewrite of the regulations for assisted living. VCAL encourages you to...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) has provided an update on ePAS, the electronic claims processing system for completion of preadmission screening (PAS) documents...
Read More
The Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) is accepting comments on proposed new regulations for assisted living facilities through November 6. The Virginia Center for...
Read More
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) conducts an annual survey on performance measures to help determine what assisted living providers are measuring in order...
Read More
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) has published its 2015 Compendium of Residential Care and Assisted...
Read More
