What it requires: Every Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing facility must conduct and maintain a facility-wide assessment evaluating resident population, acuity, and the resources (staffing included) needed to meet those needs. The assessment must be reviewed and updated at least annually, and whenever there is a significant change in the resident population or a planned change in services.
Current status: This requirement is independent of — and survived — CMS's December 2025/February 2026 repeal of the numeric hours-per-resident-day staffing minimums. It remains the primary federal mechanism surveyors use to evaluate staffing adequacy.
What surveyors look for: A documented, facility-specific rationale connecting actual staffing levels to actual resident acuity — not a generic template. Facilities cited under this requirement are typically those whose assessment doesn't reflect current census/acuity, or whose staffing doesn't visibly follow from what the assessment itself says is needed.
Practical takeaway: Treat this as a living document, not an annual compliance exercise — update it any time your resident mix changes meaningfully, not just on the anniversary date.
General information, not legal advice. Requirements change; confirm against the official source before you act, or ask us how this applies to your organization.