Catch up: The F-tag focus series is back for the next few weeks to provide tips on F-tags that CMS has identified as focus areas per Admin Info: 22-09-ALL for federal surveys. Today we’re focusing on activities of daily living at F676. 

§483.24 Activities of Daily Living

What you need to know: F676 states, “Based on the comprehensive assessment of a resident and consistent with the resident’s needs and choices, the facility must provide the necessary care and services to ensure that a resident’s abilities in activities of daily living do not diminish unless circumstances of the individual’s clinical condition demonstrate that such diminution was unavoidable.

• This includes the facility ensuring that a resident is given the appropriate treatment and services to maintain or improve his or her ability to carry out the activities of daily living.
• The facility must provide care and services for hygiene, mobility, elimination, dining, and communication.

Actions for facilities:

• Review your policies and procedures to confirm there are processes in place to ensure all residents can communicate and have any communication devices they may need.
• Review care plans to ensure any communication needs and/or devices are care planned as appropriate. Ensure the residents’ choices are included in the care planning process.
• Review activities programming to ensure activities are being provided in a manner that is responsive to individual hearing, vision, or communication concerns.

Want more info?

• Access AHCA/NCAL’s summary of §483.24 Activities of Daily Living.
• Refer to Appendix PP-State Operations Manual.
• Visit AHCA/NCAL’s Survey Preparedness webpage for links to other F-tag summaries.