HOT TOPICS

RULES CHANGES

Access THIS FILE to see a clean version of the new rules.

Effective July 1, 2012

 

GRANDFATHERING ENDED October 1, 2012...
YOU MUST BE LICENSED BY OCTOBER 1, 2012 to be the administrator of a Residential Care, Assisted Living or Adult Day Care Facility.  We did license over 400 total during the grandfathering period (between July 1 and October 1, 2012).

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DID YOU KNOW...
There is a NAB REVIEW SEMINAR SCHEDULED FOR February 2013...two days, $275...
        We plan to schedule a NAB Review in February and August each year now!
The next PRECEPTOR Training has been scheduled for January 9th...includes "refresher" training for current preceptors who wish to remain current.
The FALL CLASS for AU began on August 2nd...syllabus is available on the Administrator University link on the left...expect to start again in Late January 2013

AND DID YOU KNOW that you can pay some fees online and register for events (such as the NAB Review and Preceptor Training) through our Calendar?

AITs - Have you found the FLASH CARDS yet to help you study for the NAB?
AITs (and trainers) from other states have found these to be useful...

 

 

And now, a few words about CEUs…

Near and dear to everyone’s heart, they are MUCH more than the perceived pain in the neck they are to most people…  These are your ticket to continually improving in your profession as a Long Term Care Administrator. Never lose sight of that FACT...this is your PROFESSION.  It is not a job.

A few things to keep in mind…

- NHAs are required to do 24 CEUs each calendar year...RC/AL = 18; RC = 16 and Adult Day Care = 12.  New licensees will be prorated.
- You are required to maintain records of your own CEUs.
- OSBELTCA randomly audits your accomplishment and we will be asking for copies of your certificates during such an audit.
- Your CEUs need to have been approved by this Board (OSBELTCA) OR have NAB approval with an NCERS number associated.
- When you renew your license, you certify that you accomplished the required CEUs (or that you will by the end of the calendar year).

In 2010, 12.5% (that’s about 1 in 8) of those audited for what they did in 2009 fell short of the requirement…that’s a fairly alarming rate of failure.  Is it worth it?  Those we audited in 2012 (for 2011 CEUs) has been a much better story...so far, we've had nobody fail to accomplish all of their CEUs but we do have a couple that we're still waiting for a response from...fingers crossed!

The “going rate” (penalty-wise) for failure to accomplish CEUs (which is clearly a punishable offense for this Board to deal with…see OAC 490:10-5-3(13))  for first time offenders has been:

            $50.00 fine PER CEU short            
            An assessment of an additional 2 CEUs per each CEU short            
            It ends up being reported/recorded in our Registry AND in the national (HIPDB) database…and this is now codified in "rule" with the promulgation of new rules.  It's no longer just "the going rate" but the rule.

Second offenses would be dealt with more harshly.  This “going rate” is what the Board has determined to be a “fair” rate for this offense…  The fact that it’s a reportable offense alone should be a deterrent, but consider that only 6 short would cost you $300 and 12 CEUs to be accomplished…  to most people, it’s not worth it.  It would be a rare day that the Board would see a valid excuse for not getting your CEUs…(primarily because the audits are done after the fact and you can request a waiver in advance if you have a valid reason).

And CEUs are designed to HELP YOU IMPROVE.  As a professional, the minimum should never be a question…  Too many people probably just go to the locally offered (free and/or inexpensive) CEUs rather than going to other places and getting courses in something that will HELP YOU IMPROVE IN AREAS YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO IMPROVE IN…  A “professional” (as we all are) would work on his/her weak areas…such as a baseball player might spend hours each day in the batting cage hitting curve ball after curve ball, to get better at something he may have trouble doing.  We are also professionals and need to fill those gaps in our abilities and work to be better…

So, get your CEUs… but PICK your CEUs because it’s something you need or want to learn more about (online or through another organization such as ACHCA – they go to Las Vegas and other nice places…and it IS our professional association like the Bar Association is to a lawyer...become the professional your residents deserve you to be). 

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PROBABLE CAUSE REVIEW

You MIGHT find this review helpful to your understanding of the Board's Probable Cause process - click here to see a "briefing" that analyzes the process itself, the F-tags referred to the Board in 2011 and the most common violations committed by administrators...it could be very instructive for you.