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4.10: The Elder Justice Act

DOI:

10.1891/9780826148476.0040

Abstract

The Elder Justice Law was passed by Congress in 2010 and incorporated into the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Among other provisions, this law requires nursing facilities to prevent or respond to elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The federal government constantly evolves incentives toward improved quality care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is evolving new definitions of quality care and incentivizing facilities to achieve improved quality. The CMS was enabled to upgrade and update the Nursing Home Compare website to include a “Five-Star Quality Rating System,” which allows consumers to easily compare side-by-side information about facilities in choosing the best one for their needs. Five-Star ratings are based on the ability of the nursing facility to meet metrics surrounding health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Quality measures are pulled from Minimum Data Set (MDS) data being collected by the facility on its residents.