To understand the current nursing home enforcement regulation, it is helpful to know some of the history behind it.
One of the most significant pieces of legislation for nursing homes was the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA '87).
OBRA '87 did three major things. It:
- Altered the requirements nursing homes had to meet. These requirements are now resident-centered & outcome-oriented.
- Altered the survey process to reflect the resident-centered, outcome-oriented requirements. It is not a paper review. Surveys are focused on the actual residents.
- Provided an enforcement response when providers were not in compliance with Federal regulations.