Nursing home F-tags: what each one means
F-tags are CMS's numbered nursing home rules; these guides cover the ones incidents trigger, and the evidence you need.
Start here.
- F689 · 42 CFR 483.25(D)
F689: free of accident hazards, supervision and devices
F689 is the CMS nursing home tag for accidents. The facility must keep the resident environment as free of accident hazards as possible and give each resident enough supervision and assistive devices. CMS cites falls, elopement, burns and unsafe equipment. A fall alone is not a deficiency; an avoidable one is.
CMSRead the guide - F600 · 42 CFR 483.12(A)(1)
F600: free from abuse and neglect
F600 protects every nursing home resident's right to be free from abuse and neglect. This covers harm by staff, another resident or a visitor. CMS says the facility can be cited if abuse occurred, even if it screened, trained and acted promptly. Reporting and investigation duties sit in F609 and F610.
CMSRead the guide - F609 · 42 CFR 483.12(B)(5), (C)(1) AND (C)(4)
F609: reporting of alleged violations
F609 covers reporting of alleged abuse, neglect, exploitation, mistreatment, injuries of unknown source and misappropriation. Allegations of abuse, or that result in serious bodily injury, must be reported within 2 hours. Others must be reported within 24 hours, and investigation results within 5 working days. Covered individuals must also report suspected crimes to the state agency and law enforcement.
CMSRead the guide - F610 · 42 CFR 483.12(C)(2)-(4)
F610: investigate, prevent and correct alleged violations
F610 covers alleged abuse, neglect, exploitation and mistreatment. The home must keep evidence that it thoroughly investigated each allegation. It must protect residents meanwhile and correct verified problems. Results go to the administrator and State Survey Agency within 5 working days.
CMSRead the guide - F684 · 42 CFR 483.25
F684: quality of care
F684 is the nursing home quality of care tag. It covers care that no other section 483.25 tag covers. Care must meet professional standards, the person-centered care plan and the resident's choices. Surveyors use it for non-pressure wounds, end-of-life and hospice care, and a missed change in condition.
CMSRead the guide - F760 · 42 CFR 483.45(F)(2)
F760: residents are free of significant medication errors
F760 requires that residents are free of any significant medication errors. CMS cites it for any significant error, whatever the facility's overall error rate. An error is significant if it causes discomfort or jeopardizes health or safety.
CMSRead the guide - F880 · 42 CFR 483.80(A)(1)-(2), (A)(4), (E) AND (F)
F880: infection prevention and control
F880 is the CMS tag for infection prevention and control. A nursing home must run a program that prevents, finds, reports, investigates and controls infections. It needs written policies, surveillance, an incident record, safe laundry handling and an annual review. It is the most cited tag.
CMSRead the guide - F865 · 42 CFR 483.75(A), (B), (F), (H) AND (I)
F865: QAPI program and plan
F865 requires every nursing home to run an effective, comprehensive, data-driven QAPI program and keep the records to prove it. The home presents its QAPI plan at each annual recertification survey and shows proof of use on request. Leaders are accountable. Good faith attempts to find and fix problems cannot be used for sanctions.
CMSRead the guide - F867 · 42 CFR 483.75(C), (D), (E) AND (G)(2)(II)-(III)
F867: QAPI/QAA improvement activities
F867 is where QAPI becomes visible. The home must track medical errors and adverse events, find their causes and set priorities. It must fix problems at the system level and measure whether fixes hold. It must also run at least one improvement project a year.
CMSRead the guide - F868 · 42 CFR 483.75(G)(1), (G)(2)(I) AND 483.80(C)
F868: the QAA committee
F868 requires a quality assessment and assurance committee. Members are the director of nursing, the medical director or a designee, the infection preventionist and at least three other staff. One of those three is the administrator, owner, board member or another leader. It meets at least quarterly and reports to the governing body.
CMSRead the guide
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