The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Department of Public Health
Division of Health Care Quality
10 West Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 753-8000

ARGEO PAUL CELLUCCI
GOVERNOR
JANE SWIFT
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
WILLIAM D. O’LEARY
SECRETARY
HOWARD K. KOH,M.D.,MPH
COMMISSIONER	

Circular Letter:  DHCQ 12-00-407

TO:        Administrators, Long Term Care Facilities

FROM:  Paul I. Dreyer, Ph.D.,  Director
 
DATE:   December 20, 2000

RE:        Nursing home residents with mental retardation or developmental disability
Pursuant to a recent federal court order, residents in long term care facilities who have mental retardation or developmental disability must receive specialized services according to an Individual Support Plan which is developed and periodically reviewed by the Department of Mental Retardation (“DMR”).
Federal regulations currently require that nursing facilities provide interventions which complement, reinforce and are consistent with any specialized services the resident is receiving or is required to receive.  The resident’s plan of care should specify how the nursing facility will integrate relevant activities throughout all hours of the resident’s day at the nursing facility to achieve this consistency and enhancement of PASARR goals. 42 CFR 483.45 (a) (1), (2)
Beginning immediately, the Department of Public Health intends to increase its scrutiny of service provision to residents in nursing facilities who have mental retardation or developmental disability. The Department will specifically include residents receiving specialized services in its resident sample reviewed during annual surveys in order to determine whether nursing facilities are planning for and providing services consistent with the resident’s PASARR goals. 
Thank you for your attention to these matters. If you have any questions about this information, please contact the LTC Regional Manager for your area at 617-753-8000.