Nursing homes are now the most highly regulated environments in the United States, in the service of maximising the quality of each resident's life. This user-friendly guide has been updated to provide all of the requisite information needed by nursing home staff to prepare for a visit from federal surveyors. It provides the most current federal guidelines and the procedures used by federal surveyors in certifying facilities for participation in Medicare and Medicaid funding. It describes every aspect and service of a nursing home that is subject to inspection and includes the nearly 20% of new requirements established during the past three years, with an emphasis on the new Minimum Data Set 3.0.

The guide not only presents federal requirements and explanatory guidelines but also explains how to best interpret these guidelines so nursing home staff can be optimally prepared for a survey visit. It reflects changes in regulations regarding end-of-life care, nasogastric tube regulations, and rights to establish advance directives. The guide also provides information straight from CMS's Internet-Only Manual.