HJNO Jan/Feb 2023

LDH 2023 PLAN 30 JAN / FEB 2023 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS  Commitment 2 / Initiative 6 / Goal 3 & 4 (cont.) Commitment 2 / Initiative 6 / Goal 5 Commitment 2 / Initiative 7 / Goal 1 Commitment 2 / Initiative 7 / Goal 2 bonuses. This investment in the staff perform- ing the work will indirectly improve the quality of services provided. In 2021, Louisiana used federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to increase rates to direct service workers providing services for OCDD — resulting in decreased turnover during FY22. In FY23, OAAS will replicate the same strategy to increase the wage floor and ensure that 70% of the rate increase funding is directed to direct support workers in wage and other non-wage methods such as paid sick leave, health benefits, and training. Additionally, OAAS will partner with OCDD to study the reasons for the staffing shortages and how best to retain qualified and experi- enced workers. At the end of FY22, the turnover rate was 70.4% for OAAS direct support professionals and 51.8% for OCDD direct support profes- sionals. LDH’s goal is to achieve a 67.9% turn- over rate for OAAS and 49.3% rate for OCDD by the end of FY23. Goal 5: Broaden opportunities for community involvement and increased independence through the use of technology with remote support in OCDD home- and community-based waivers. Strategy: Services for technology with remote support were added to the OCDD waivers in June 2022; however, OCDD must identify pro- viders to offer the services and help stake- holders and the general public understand how these services can be used most effec- tively. To do this, OCDD will pull together a core group of stakeholders to provide ongo- ing feedback on the use of technology with remote support; gather information to better understand potential gaps in access to tech- nology to help break down these barriers; de- velop and execute a communications plan to build an understanding of the support that is currently available and how it can be incorpo- rated into a person’s Comprehensive Plan of Care; and gather data to gauge the success of the inclusion of technology with remote support and to determine the need for future changes. As this is a new service, no providers are currently utilizing technology with remote support within the services system. Initiative 7: Protect the Health, Safety, and Welfare of Nursing Home Residents in Louisiana Hurricanes and other natural disasters are among the greatest threats to the highly vul- nerable nursing home population. Protect- ing nursing home residents from the poten- tially fatal effects of storms falls to the Health Standards Section, which exercises regula- tory powers over all Louisiana healthcare providers. The evacuation of nursing home residents to an unlicensed warehouse in Independence, Louisiana, in 2021 resulted in tragic conse- quences for nursing home residents, and prompted LDH to work with stakeholders, in- cluding nursing homes, other state agencies, and our state legislators, on reforms. But we did not wait for legislative reforms to take effect. LDH prioritized proactive visits to unlicensed facilities identified as sites for evacuation in 2022 ahead of hurricane season. Through a robust, team-centered approach, LDH was able to identify potential issues, make recommendations for improvements, and, in some instances, warn nursing home operators against moving forward on plans that potentially threaten health and safety. In addition, the Nursing Home Emergency Preparedness Review Committee, established by the Legislature, plays a key role in helping ensure nursing home emergency prepared- ness plans adequately position facilities to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Loui- siana nursing home residents. Goal 1: Ensure review and approval of emergency preparedness plans submitted to the Department. Strategy: A team approach to evaluating nurs- ing homes’ emergency preparedness plans is key. Partner agencies include local OEPs, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), the De- partment of Transportation and Development (DOTD), the Louisiana Emergency Response Network (LERN), and the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM). These partners, as man- dated by the Legislature, review each plan to help ensure facilities include risk assessments to identify potential emergency scenarios and the planned response, which must promote