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July 03, 2026
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LeadingAge Ohio has added an overflow hotel option for this year’s Annual Conference and Trade Show. An additional room block is now available at SpringHill Suites by Marriott Columbus Easton Area, 4048 Morse Road, and the Hampton Inn & Suites, 4150 Stelzer Rd, Columbus, Ohio 43230. Attendees who still need lodging for the conference are encouraged to make reservations soon. Reserve at SpringHill Suites here and the Hampton Inn & Suites here.
Conference attendees may still reserve select rooms at the Hilton Columbus at Easton, 3900 Chagrin Drive, at rates of $205 and $229 through Friday, July 24, 2026, for the Tuesday night of the conference. Free onsite parking is available, with valet service also offered. On Wednesday, July 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the CY2027 Home Health Proposed Rule with a 2.4% aggregate update as well as an accompanying fact sheet. This year, CMS decided not to apply a permanent adjustment but will apply a -3% temporary adjustment to recoup 10% of the outstanding temporary adjustments remaining from previous calendar year rules. This is in response to comments from LeadingAge and other advocates in CY2026 that CMS could not accurately determine if the behavioral changes were a reaction to the original transition from the previous payment system to the patient-driven groupings model.
In addition to the payment update, CMS is making changes to the reporting deadlines of the home health quality reporting program, expanding reasons for revocation of all provider enrollments and retroactive revocations, and requesting information on a home health-specific wage index and an advance care planning measure for home health providers.
Finally, in the draft rule, CMS discusses how home health can be used appropriately to support community-based palliative care programs and announced that it will be releasing updated subregulatory guidance along with the publication of the CY2027 Home Health Final Rule. “CMS believes the Medicare home health benefit can be an important step in the care continuum when a patient needs palliative care, either during episodes of serious illness or near end of life,” noted CMS. “Therefore, in this proposed rule, CMS states that skilled palliative care services can be furnished and billed under existing Medicare home health benefits for eligible patients with serious illnesses.”
LeadingAge will host a call next Tuesday, July 7 at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the proposals in this rule. All LeadingAge members are welcome to join and can sign up here. Top You Asked: Are bed and chair alarms allowed in nursing homes?
We Answered: Yes. Bed and chair alarms (position change alarms) are allowed under the federal regulations. However, CMS expects facilities to use them cautiously, based on an individualized assessment and care plan, and not as the primary or sole intervention for fall prevention.
Surveyors evaluate alarms under several F-tags. Under F584 (Safe/Clean/Comfortable and Homelike Environment), surveyors consider whether the widespread or long-term use of audible alarms creates an institutional rather than homelike environment. Under F604 (Right to be Free from Physical Restraints), an audible alarm may be considered a restraint if it inhibits a resident's movement because they are fearful of triggering the alarm. Surveyors also assess whether the alarm has resulted in negative outcomes such as decreased mobility, sleep disturbances, anxiety, or loss of dignity.
Under F689 (Free of Accident Hazards/Supervision/Devices), CMS emphasizes that alarms should never replace adequate supervision or staffing. In the State Operations Manual Appendix PP, CMS notes that research has not demonstrated that alarms effectively prevent falls, and they may contribute to alarm fatigue or simply alert staff after a fall has already occurred. If an alarm is used, the facility should demonstrate that it is part of a comprehensive, resident-centered fall prevention plan, based on an individualized assessment, monitored for effectiveness, and supplemented with interventions that address the resident's specific fall risks and routines. Top Time is running out to recognize the people and organizations making a lasting difference across Ohio’s aging services community. As part of this year’s Annual Conference and Trade Show, LeadingAge Ohio will feature a Hall of Changemakers display honoring individuals and member organizations whose leadership, compassion, and commitment have made an impact on a life, workplace, or community.
This is your last week to lift up a colleague, mentor, volunteer, resident, or member organization whose story deserves to be seen. The Hall of Changemakers is separate from the annual awards program and will be displayed during the conference as part of this year’s Celebrating the Changemakers theme. Submit a nomination here. Aging services organizations are being called to lead as true changemakers in a time of unprecedented transformation. A new generation of older adults is reshaping expectations around quality, transparency, experience, and engagement. Families are more informed than ever, public reporting is putting organizational performance in the spotlight, and every interaction has the power to strengthen trust or weaken it. In this rapidly evolving environment, customer service is no longer a “nice to have.” It is a catalyst for innovation, culture change, and organizational success.
Join keynote speaker and The Power of Service author, Petra Marquart, at the Annual Conference as we explore the importance of customer service in today’s aging services landscape and more interdisciplinary topics.
Learn more here. Top LeadingAge is offering a three-part national webinar series on human-centered design for aging services organizations. The program will focus on how providers can better understand residents, staff, families, and other stakeholders, then use that information to improve services and experiences.
The series will be held Sept. 10, 17, and 24 from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Eastern. Sessions will cover finding signals in existing information, conducting stronger customer interviews, and turning what is learned into ideas that respond to human needs. Read more in the LeadingAge Learning Hub. Top Twenty-four Ohio communities and organizations will receive 2026 AARP Community Challenge grants to support projects that make neighborhoods more livable, connected, and accessible for people of all ages. The awards come as Ohio marks its first year as an AARP Age-Friendly State and bring the program's total investment in Ohio to nearly $1 million since 2017.
National Church Residences Foundation received funding to provide digital skills classes for older adults living in senior housing communities, while Ohio Department of Development – BroadbandOhio will expand technology training and device access for older Ohioans. Other funded projects include home safety modifications, telehealth access, accessible parks and trails, pedestrian safety improvements, disaster preparedness, and initiatives that support aging in place across communities throughout the state.
Learn more about the 2026 Community Challenge recipients and funded projects in AARP's announcement. As Ohio's older adult population continues to grow, Cuyahoga County is investing in a new online resource hub designed to make it easier for older adults, family caregivers, and community organizations to find local services. Approved by County Council in June, the Senior Resources Access Hub will serve as a centralized guide to transportation, health care, housing, benefits assistance, employment, digital literacy, and other aging resources. County officials also plan to include educational information on topics such as healthy aging, memory concerns, driving safety, stroke recognition, and social connection. Limited printed guides will also be distributed to senior centers and nursing homes.
The initiative reflects a broader effort to simplify access to aging services as demand continues to increase across Ohio. It also complements the recently launched Ohio Aging Compass, the state's online resource designed to help older Ohioans and caregivers connect with local aging services and supports. As communities continue to develop new tools to improve service navigation, centralized resource hubs can help older adults more easily access the programs available to them. Read the original Cleveland.com story. Top The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 25 decision on Temporary Protected Status for Haiti has created uncertainty for employers, including aging services providers that rely on Haitian workers. LeadingAge’s message to members is clear: do not take employment action based on the court decision alone. Providers should wait for implementation guidance from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before making changes tied to work authorization or reverification.
What You Need To Know
- The June 25 ruling allows the administration to move forward with ending TPS protections for Haiti.
- Documents remain valid until July 10, 2026.
- The decision does not by itself provide employers with all of the instructions needed to take action.
- Additional guidance from DHS, USCIS I-9 Central, and Temporary Protected Status Designated Country: Haiti is still expected.
- Some affected employees may have other immigration or work authorization pathways available, but those are individual, case-specific matters.
What Happens Next
- Federal agencies are expected to issue implementation guidance for employers.
- Providers in Ohio communities with a strong Haitian workforce, including Columbus and Springfield, should expect questions from employees and possible workforce anxiety even before formal guidance is issued.
- Depending on what federal agencies release, providers may need to review I-9 documentation, reverification timing, staffing exposure, and contingency plans.
What to Do
- Do not make employment decisions based only on the Supreme Court ruling.
- Identify employees who could be affected so leadership understands any workforce exposure.
- Monitor USCIS I-9 Central and Temporary Protected Status Designated Country: Haiti for official updates.
- Encourage potentially affected employees to consult qualified immigration counsel promptly.
- Review staffing contingency plans in departments where a loss of even a small number of employees would disrupt care or services.
- Follow LeadingAge’s Pathways for Foreign-Born Workers serial post for updates and related immigration policy developments affecting providers.
Top The Long-Term Care Survey Process instructs surveyors, during the closed record review, to verify that resident personal funds were conveyed within 30 days of discharge, eviction, or death. Under §483.10(f)(10)(v), upon the discharge, eviction, or death of a resident with a personal funds account, the facility must convey within 30 days the resident’s funds, and a final accounting of those funds, to the resident, or in the case of death, the individual or probate jurisdiction administering the resident’s estate, in accordance with State law.
Recent citations have commonly occurred because the employee responsible for resident trust funds was unaware of the 30-day requirement or because communication delays between the facility and the corporate accounts receivable department resulted in missed deadlines. During the investigation, surveyors will request the facility's policy governing resident personal funds to determine whether facility practice was consistent with its own procedures. In many cited cases, facilities were unable to produce a policy addressing the timely conveyance of resident funds. New Five Star Reports are now available for nursing home members in the LeadingAge Report Portal. These reports are based on the June 24 update to Nursing Home Care Compare. As this is only a monthly update, rather than a quarterly refresh, providers may see a change in their Health Inspection scores but Staffing and Quality Measures will not change. LeadingAge members can access their reports on the LeadingAge Report Portal. The next quarterly refresh of the Five Star Quality Rating System will occur on July 29. The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) has released updated nursing facility ventilator program rates effective July 1, 2026, along with advance notice of significant program changes expected later this year. While the updated rates represent a substantial reduction from the prior year's reimbursement, the guidance also confirms that ODM intends to move forward with enhanced reimbursement for complex non-invasive ventilation (NIV) services under a redesigned ventilator program.
The revised fact sheet states that, beginning no earlier than Oct. 1, 2026, approved nursing facilities will be eligible to receive an enhanced payment for complex NIV services through a fee-for-service prior authorization process once new administrative rules take effect. LeadingAge Ohio views this as an important step, providing written confirmation that ODM intends to recognize and reimburse complex NIV services as the redesigned program is implemented.
ODM also indicates that the revised rules will include updated definitions, billing guidance, expanded provider eligibility and accountability requirements, and a new application process. All current and prospective ventilator program providers will be required to submit an updated application under the revised requirements. The proposed rules are expected to be released through the formal rulemaking process in the coming months. The Ohio Department of Health’s July 2026 Question of the Month offers useful clarification on three MDS coding issues that can trip up providers. First, ODH confirms that for GG0130, Self-Care and GG0170, Mobility admission items, providers may use assessment findings gathered during the first three days of a resident’s Medicare Part A stay, beginning with the date entered in A2400B, Start of Most Recent Medicare Stay. In the example provided, therapy and nursing assessments completed on the first three days of the stay could be used for coding, even though the 5-day PPS MDS had a late assessment reference date. ODH also cautioned that if the assessment reference date for the late assessment was not set while the resident was still in the Medicare Part A stay, the facility may not complete the assessment.
ODH also addressed two additional coding questions. Rectal tubes and fecal bags are not captured in H0100, Appliances, and when a rectal tube is present for the full seven-day look-back period, H0400, Bowel Continence should be coded as 9, not rated. For M1200E, Pressure Ulcer/Injury Care, ODH said treatment may be coded even when it was provided outside the facility, including at a wound clinic, so long as it occurred after admission, within the look-back period, and is supported by verifiable documentation such as physician orders, treatment records, or clinic notes. Providers with future questions may contact Cheryl Moya at the Ohio Department of Health with “Question of the Month” in the subject line. Top Graceworks recently marked its 100th anniversary with a celebration that brought together friends, supporters, donors, staff and community partners to honor a century of service. The gathering reflected the relationships that have sustained the organization’s mission over the years and the people who have helped carry that work forward across generations.
The centennial also served as a moment to look ahead. Graceworks shared its gratitude for everyone who has been part of the journey and noted that the anniversary is not only a reflection on a long history of service, but also a reminder that its work in the community continues. As Graceworks enters its second century, the organization is celebrating both its legacy and the opportunities still to come. Top LeadingAge Ohio holds valuable education webinars and in-person events throughout the year. Opportunities are added weekly. See the complete Schedule of Events. Top
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Upcoming Events
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July 6, 2026
2:00PM - 3:00PM | | Virtual |
| July 8, 2026
11:00AM - 12:00PM | Webinar Series |
| July 9, 2026
10:00AM - 11:30AM | | Virtual |
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