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Medicaid: Addressing the Needs of Mentally Retarded Nursing Home Residents

HRD-87-77 Published: Apr 15, 1987. Publicly Released: Apr 15, 1987.
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Highlights

GAO examined the services provided to mentally retarded nursing home residents through Medicaid in five states to determine if they were complying with Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requirements for: (1) speech, occupational, and physical therapy; (2) training in personal care skills; and (3) training in community living skills.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to require states that have not already done so to identify the mentally retarded currently in nursing homes, assess their active treatment needs, and develop programs to meet their needs.
Closed – Implemented
Congress enacted legislation requiring HHS to assess the active treatment needs of mentally retarded nursing home residents.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services should revise Medicaid regulations to require: (1) nursing homes to specifically address active treatment in plans of care for their retarded residents; (2) inspection-of-care teams to assess the active treatment needs and services of mentally retarded nursing home residents; (3) states to include a staff member trained in mental retardation on inspection-of-care teams when a nursing home has retarded residents; (4) states to develop written procedures outlining the role of nursing homes in the state's program for the mentally retarded; and (5) states to have the state retardation agency assess the active treatment needs of the mentally retarded and the appropriateness of their nursing home placement.
Closed – Implemented
Legislation was enacted requiring an assessment of each mentally retarded and mentally ill individual before they can be admitted to a nursing home to help ensure appropriate placement and services for those who are admitted to nursing homes.

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Topics

Developmental disabilitiesHealth care servicesLife skills trainingMedicaidMental health care servicesNursing homesPatient care servicesState-administered programsLong-term careTherapy