What is a Home Plus Facility?

Libby Hastings • August 14, 2024

If you’re exploring care options for a loved one in Kansas, you might have come across the term “Home Plus.” But what exactly does it mean? Let's dive into some details of these unique facilities and what they offer.


A Home-Like Setting with a Personal Touch


A Home Plus facility is a residential option for individuals who need extra help with daily activities. Defined by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, these facilities cater to no more than 12 residents. This small size allows for a more intimate, home-like environment compared to larger, more institutional settings.


Who Benefits from Home Plus?


Home Plus is designed for individuals who, due to functional impairments, require personal care and may also need supervised nursing care. This could include assistance with activities such as bathing, dressing, and medication management. The goal is to provide support while maintaining a sense of independence and normalcy for the residents. Essentially, they are like assisted living facilities but smaller, with private suites and some communal spaces.


One important distinction to note is that Home Plus facilities are licensed only by the state of Kansas. This means they adhere to state regulations and standards. Medicare will cover the same items in a Homes Plus that they would cover in your own home: supplies, equipment, and similar items. The difference with Home Plus facilities is that nurses receive orders directly from the doctor and then order the necessary supplies. However, not all Home Plus facilities have contracted doctors. In contrast, if you’re at home, you would need to visit a doctor to obtain equipment orders and then handle the Medicare process yourself, possibly with some assistance from a pharmacy or the doctor’s office.


Medicaid will cover Home Plus through HCBS (Home and Community Based Services) which is a waiver program. In this case, it is called the FE (Frail Elderly) Waiver. However, the Home Plus must be willing to accept and bill Medicaid. Most will not because of the reporting requirements and low reimbursement. Some facilities accept Medicaid but only after two years of private pay or long-term care insurance reimbursement.


Choosing the Right Home Plus Facility


Selecting the right Home Plus facility for your loved one is a crucial decision. Here are some tips to help you make an informed choice:


  1. Check Inspection Reports: Always review the facility’s inspection reports. These can provide valuable insights into the quality of care and any past issues.
  2. Contact KABC: You can always reach out to us at KABC to get a free consumer information report on any licensed adult care home in Kansas, which includes Home Plus facilities.
  3. Visit Unannounced: It’s a good idea to visit the facilities unannounced if possible. This allows you to see the day-to-day operations and get a more genuine feel for the environment.
  4. Ask Questions: During your visits, ask plenty of questions. Here are a few to get you started:
  • What happens in an emergency or a fall?
  • How are food preferences honored?
  • What are the staffing numbers?
  • How often are nurses on site?
  • Does your facility offer transportation?


Choosing a Home Plus facility is about finding the right balance of comfort, care, and community for you or your loved one. With thorough research and the right questions, you can make a choice that ensures receiving the best possible care in a warm and supportive environment.


Why Choose Home Plus?


The smaller, more personal setting of a Home Plus facility can be a significant advantage for many families. It often feels more like living in a family home than a traditional care facility. With fewer residents, staff can provide more individualized attention, fostering a closer-knit community and a more personalized care experience.

Understanding the Special Focus Facility Program

By Libby Hastings • April 21, 2025
Understanding the Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program: What Families Need to Know When Choosing a Nursing Home in Kansas When searching for a nursing home for a loved one, families often look for a place that will offer safe, reliable, and compassionate care. One important—but often overlooked—resource that can help inform that decision is the Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program , managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). What Is the Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program? The SFF Program was created by CMS to address the most persistent quality problems in nursing homes across the country. Every nursing home that accepts Medicare or Medicaid is regularly inspected to ensure it meets health and safety standards. Most nursing homes will have a few issues identified during these inspections—typically six to seven deficiencies on average—but some facilities consistently fall far below acceptable standards. These nursing homes: Have twice as many deficiencies as the average facility, Have more serious issues , including those that cause actual harm to residents, And show a long-term pattern of poor performance over a span of about three years. Facilities like these may fix issues temporarily, but often fail to address the root causes—resulting in a harmful cycle of repeated violations. That’s where the SFF program comes in. How the SFF Program Works CMS uses inspection data to score nursing homes based on both the number and severity of their deficiencies. Facilities with the highest scores (i.e., the most and most serious problems) are added to a list of SFF candidates . Each state is allowed only a limited number of active SFFs at a time—currently, only 88 facilities nationwide can be enrolled in the program. However, CMS maintains a much longer list of SFF candidates that also meet the criteria but haven't yet been selected for the program due to space limits. Once a facility is chosen as an active SFF: It is inspected every six months instead of the usual once a year. It may face progressive enforcement , such as financial penalties or losing eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid. It must show real, lasting improvements to graduate from the program. A facility "graduates" from the SFF program only after it has two consecutive inspections (after being named an SFF) with no more than 12 relatively minor deficiencies and none at a higher severity level. If a facility continues to have serious violations, CMS may consider terminating its participation in Medicare and/or Medicaid. Why This Matters to Kansas Familie s Being informed about a nursing home’s history can help protect your loved ones. Facilities in the SFF program—or on the candidate list—have serious quality concerns. While some may be working hard to improve, others may continue to struggle with systemic issues that put residents at risk. As of March 2025, the following nursing homes in Kansas are included in the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program: Excel Healthcare and Rehab Topeka (recently closed) Access Mental Health (Peabody) The following facilities in Kansas are currently on the SFF candidate list : Clearwater Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Good Samaritan Society- Liberal Kearny County Hospital Long-Term Care Unit Legacy at College Hill (Wichita) Legacy on 10th Avenue (Topeka) Medicalodges Jackson County Medicalodges Post Acute Care Center (Kansas City) Meridian Rehabilitation and Health Care Center (Wichita) Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation (Kansas City) Tanglewood Nursing and Rehabilitation (Topeka) The following facilities graduated from the SFF program: Advena Living of Cherryvale Life Care Center of Osawatomie Anew Healthcare Oxford is a facility that is no longer participating in the Medicare and Medicaid Program. We encourage families to take time to research and ask questions when considering a nursing home. You can access the full national SFF and candidate list on the CMS website here . KABC offers free unbiased Consumer Information Reports on all licensed adult care facilities in Kansas, helping you make an informed choice when deciding between long-term care options. Final Thoughts The Special Focus Facility Program exists to push underperforming nursing homes to do better—but it’s also a signal to the public. When selecting long-term care, knowing whether a facility is on this list can be an important part of making the best choice for your loved one. If you have questions about how to find quality nursing home care in Kansas or want help understanding a facility’s inspection history, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.

Advocacy in Action (April 2025): Legislative Recap

April 2, 2025
As we move further into 2025, we want to share an update on our legislative advocacy efforts this session. KABC remains committed to championing policies that protect and support older adults and individuals in long-term care. Here’s a look at key legislative developments and where things stand: