Maine Could Better Ensure That Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities Comply With Federal Requirements for Life Safety, Emergency Preparedness, and Infection Control

Why OIG Did This Audit

• Intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IIDs) that participate in Medicaid are required by CMS to comply with requirements intended to protect residents. This includes requirements related to fire safety and emergency preparedness plans. Facilities are also required to develop infection control programs.
• In Maine, the State’s Department of Health and Human Services (State agency) conducts surveys of ICF/IIDs for compliance with Federal requirements.
• This audit is part of a series of audits that assess compliance with CMS’s life safety, emergency preparedness, and infection control requirements for ICF/IIDs.

What OIG Found

We identified 121 deficiencies related to life safety, emergency preparedness, and infection control at the 16 ICF/IIDs in Maine.

These deficiencies put the health and safety of residents, staff, and visitors at an increased risk of injury or death during a fire or other emergency or in the event of an infectious disease outbreak.

What OIG Recommends

We recommend that the State agency:

1. Follow up with the 16 ICF/IIDs to verify that they have taken corrective actions on the life safety, emergency preparedness, and infection control deficiencies identified during the audit.
2. Conduct surveys at ICF/IIDs at least every 15 months as required by CMS.
3. Work with CMS to develop standardized life safety training for ICF/IID staff.

In written comments on our draft report, the State agency concurred with our first two recommendations and described the actions that it had taken or planned to take to address them. The State agency did not indicate concurrence or nonconcurrence with our third recommendation.