• Advocate Home
• Policy Tools & Information
• Affordable Care Act
• Citizen Advocacy Groups
• Fact Sheets
• Resident-Directed Care

Obtaining and Using Information from Your State Survey Agency

Advocates may find it very helpful to obtain survey information from their state survey agency.

Two examples of reports with useful data are

1. The ASPEN TAG Summary Report (TAG1) “G” Level (Actual Harm) and Above
This report lists every federal Ftag (deficiency) and how many times it was cited. Add up the numbers in sections FF05, FF06and FF07 to get the total number of times the deficiency was cited during the entire report period.

Each Ftag corresponds to a federal nursing home regulation that is part of a health survey. See sample page from report #1.

2. The ASPEN Scope/Severity Summary (SSS) “G” Level (Actual Harm) and Above
See sample page from report #2.

This report tells you:

• which facilities were cited under each level of scope/severity(G, H,I,J,K,L) and for what Ftag.
• the number of facilities in your state that have been cited for deficiencies at the G, H, I, J, K and L levels
• the status of the Informal Dispute Resolution process for each Ftag. You can find out if the Ftag was removed, changed or added.

How to obtain the information

You can prepare a Freedom of Information (FOI) request and send it to the director of your state survey agency.

SAMPLE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

Date

Dear

I am making a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for the following information:

1. ASPEN TAG Summary Report (TAG1) – NAME OF YOUR STATE Nursing Homes January 1,
YEAR – December 31, YEAR “G” Level (Actual Harm) and Above

2. ASPEN Scope/Severity Summary (SSS) "G” Level (Actual Harm) and Above January 1, YEAR – December 31, YEAR

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

 Ways you can use this information

• To educate your legislators and other policy makers about the quality of care in your state. You can cite this data when the issue of quality care comes up in a meeting with a legislator or others or at a legislative hearing.
• To educate the public. You can use the data when talking with consumers who contact you when they are choosing a nursing home.
• To share with the media. You can use the data to educate the media about nursing home care and interest them interested in nursing home issues.

This is an example of how one advocate, Martha Deaver of Arkansas Advocates for Nursing Home Residents, uses the survey information.

I make my FOI request in February of each year, making sure that the prior years data for all violations in my state has been entered into the federal data base at CMS. I add the "Actual Harm" violations up. I contact the print, radio, and TV media. I explain to them who I am (advocate for LTC residents) and ask them if they are interested in doing a story on the latest government data pertaining to the quality of care nursing home residents are receiving in my state. I quote the number of "Actual Harm" violations cited. I usually hear a gasp after doing so. I leave my contact information. When I receive a return call, it is usually from the reporter so I explain the information I have again. I offer to forward the data. I offer to make myself available to explain the data, after the reporter has time to review the information. The reporter will either ask for an explanation over the phone or request a face to face meeting. If the TV media are interested, they will most likely ask you for a on camera interview. I also send the data out to legislator across the state and to my congressmen and senators in Washington DC.

For more information about these reports and how to use them, contact, Martha Deaver, Arkansas Advocates for Nursing Home Residents, marthadeaver@sbcglobal.net.