Attachment F-Advance Package

Attachment F: Advance Package Call Document, Advance Letter, Advance Frequently Asked Questions, Associations’ Letter of Support, NSRCF Brochure, and Confidentiality Brochure

Advance Package Call Document

• OPEN FACESHEET.

• GO TO ORIGINAL PRELOADS TAB AND REVIEW DATA.

• GO TO FACILITY & DIRECTOR TAB

• PLACE CALL.

VERIFY INFORMATION

• Hello, my name is ___________________ . I have some information that I would like to mail to the director of PRELOAD FACILITY NAME. (IF VERY LARGE, LARGE OR MEDIUM: I would like to mail it to the director who pertains to assisted living.) May I please verify this person’s name and title?

• I have the name of this home as ______________________ SPELL IF NECESSARY. Is this correct?

• I have the address as _______________________. Is this correct? Is there a separate mailing address you would like to give me?

• I have the director’s name as _____________________ SPELL IF NECESSARY. Is this correct?

• What is the name of the director? VERIFY SPELLING.

• What is _________’s position?

• The number I called is PRELOAD PHONE NUMBER. Is this the correct number to reach ______________? REPEAT TO VERIFY

• What is _____________’s email address? SPELL ALOUD TO VERIFY.

• Thank you. I will put this information in the mail in 2 business days. Have a good day. Good bye.

FAQS

• WHAT IS THIS (SHORT): This is a federally sponsored statistical study.

• WHAT IS THIS (LONG): I’m working on the National Survey of Residential Care Facilities, a study sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics.

• WHAT IS THE NSRCF: The National Survey of Residential Care Facilities is the first national study of assisted living and residential care places and their residents

• WHY ARE YOU CALLING: I would like to mail the director some materials and am calling to verify your mailing address.

IF DIRECTOR/KEY PERSON ASKS ABOUT CHAINS

• We have a packet of information about the survey which we have sent to many of the national and regional chains. I would be happy to send this information to a person within your organization. GO TO CHAINS TAB. IF PACKAGE ALREADY MAILED: According to our records, we have sent information to a NAME at ORGANIZATION. Would you still like us to mail this information?

• To whom should we mail this information?

• Thank you. This packet will be sent within 2 business days. As I mentioned before, I do have some information about the study which I would like to mail to the director of this facility, PRELOAD FACILITY NAME. (IF VERY LARGE, LARGE OR MEDIUM: I would like to mail it to the director who pertains to assisted living.) May I please verify this person’s name and title?

IF PHONE IS ANSWERED BY VOICEMAIL:

• DO NOT LEAVE MESSAGE.

• MAKE A NOTE WHEN TO TRY AGAIN.

Advance Letter

Dear __________:

We are pleased to inform you that the first ever national study of assisted living and residential care will be conducted by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). This study, the National Survey of Residential Care Facilities (NSRCF), will include a representative sample of over 2,000 residential care places throughout the United States.

The purpose of the study is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of assisted living and residential care communities and the needs of the residents they serve. NSRCF has received support from these national organizations:

• American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA)

• American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA)

• Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA)

• Board and Care Quality Forum, and

• National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL)

A representative of RTI International will contact you soon to arrange an appointment for a personal, on-site interview in the hopes that you will participate in this landmark study. Your participation in this national study is voluntary, but will assist greatly in helping further our nation’s understanding of assisted living and the needs of people served in these communities.

Data collected by NSRCF is authorized by Section 306 of the Public Health Service Act (Title 42, U.S. Code 242k). As required by federal law (section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act in 42, U.S. Code, 242m(d) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act Title 5 of PL 107-347), all information collected will be used only for statistical purposes and held in the strictest confidence. This study also conforms to the Privacy Rule as mandated by HIPAA, where disclosure of resident data is permitted for public health purposes. If you have any questions about your rights as a participant in this research study, call the Research Ethics Review Board at the National Center for Health Statistics toll-free at _______.

If you would like to learn more about this study, please call ______ extension ______.

Leave a brief message with your name and phone number and say that you are calling about Protocol #________. Your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Thank you in advance for your help with this important endeavor.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Sondik, Ph.D.

Director, National Center for Health Statistics

Advance Frequently Asked Questions

National Survey of Residential Care Facilities (NSRCF)

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m asked to participate in studies all the time. What makes this one any different?

NSRCF is a large national study that because of its size and design can provide information that is representative of all residential care facilities in the United States. The National Center for Health Statistics, the federal agency responsible for providing statistical information that guides actions and policies to improve the health of the American people, developed this survey collaboratively with several other government agencies: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (DHHS), Department of Veteran Affairs, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The survey is supported broadly by industry associations, including the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA), the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) (see enclosed letter of support). For more information, [website to be added].

What other residential care facilities are you going to visit?

This is a random national sample, and we do not release the names of these facilities to anyone. This is to protect individual facilities and the residents they serve.

Why can’t some other facility take our place?

If you do not participate, the unique qualities of your facility will be lost. The survey will be used by Congress and decision makers who will formulate policy for the next decade. You represent other facilities like yours. If you do not participate, there is no guarantee that residential care facilities like yours will be adequately represented. We do not want industry decisions based on this survey to be made without all types of facilities, including those like yours, represented.

Will the data be held confidential?

NSRCF is authorized by Congress in Section 306 of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 242K). All information collected in this survey will be held in strict confidence according to law [Section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 United States Code 242m (d) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (PL 107-347)]. No information collected in this survey may be used for any purpose other than the purpose for which it was collected. Aside from NCHS employees, the only parties that may receive your personal information are (1) NCHS contractor(s)—hired to conduct this survey and (2) our designated agents—persons who work under the supervision and control of NCHS.

These parties, who will use your information only for statistical research and the conduct of this survey, are bound by strong restrictions designed to guarantee your privacy. By law we may not release information that could identify your facility or residents to anyone else without your consent. If any federal employee or contractor gives out confidential information not authorized by law, he or she can be fired, fined, and/or imprisoned.

My staff is incredibly overworked right now. I need to know how much of their time will be required for this survey. How long will this take?

We will need about an hour with you or someone you designate to answer questions about your facility. We will also collect information about a small sample of current residents that will take approximately 20 minutes for each person sampled. The interviewer will accommodate the schedules of your staff to complete these tasks as quickly as possible.

Associations’ Letter of Support

NSRCF Brochure

Confidentiality Brochure

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