CALA News & Views | Issue 53 | CALA at 30

When to Call 9-1-1 By Selena Coppi Hornback, CALA Senior Director of Public Policy DRIVING Resident-Centered REGULATIONS:

T he regulation requiring licensees to call 9-1-1 was written at a time when calling 9-1-1 was generally the best option for residents. Advances in technology and other alternatives have created new options that allow residents to receive care quickly and in a familiar environment. Unfortunately, the regulations have not kept pace and do not recognize those options. The results are rigid requirements that are not resident-centered and frustrated emergency responders who believe they are being called repeatedly for issues they don’t consider to be true emergencies. With that in mind, CALA has been encouraging DSS to find a solution to the requirement to immediately call 9-1-1 when an “injury or other circumstance has resulted in an imminent threat to a resident's health including, but not limited to, an apparent life-threatening medical crisis,” which effectively led to calling 9-1-1 in most circumstances, even when other more appropriate options are available. It can be challenging for residents living with dementia to go to the emergency room where they may have to sit for hours in unfamiliar surroundings as they wait for care. During COVID, many residents didn’t want to go to the emergency room if it could be avoided and emergency rooms were overwhelmed, which necessitated finding new

ways to care for residents. Telehealth appointments and having providers come onsite with mobile X-ray or other medical professionals providing concierge services proved there were options for residents not experiencing emergency medical conditions that didn’t require calling 9-1-1. Putting the care of residents first combined with the additional scrutiny RCFE providers have faced from emergency responders led to DSS releasing a PIN with additional guidance for calling 9-1-1 until they can update the regulation . ● Information about the reason for the PIN , which is to address advances in medical care options since the regulation was adopted, ensure residents receive timely care in a familiar setting when possible and promote proper use of the 9-1-1 system. ● A list of symptoms/conditions is included for which DSS expects licensees to call 9-1-1. They remind licensees it is not an exhaustive list, and they should use their best judgment. When in doubt, call 9-1-1. The final PIN was released in June. An overview of the main points of the PIN is as follows:

CALA NEWS & VIEWS I ISSUE 53 | AUGUST 2025 12