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State Survey Readiness Checklist - 90 / 60 / 30 / 7 Days

Surveyors do not schedule. This turns survey readiness from a scramble into a standing cadence: what has to be current at 90 days out, what gets verified at 60, what gets signed at 30, and what gets pulled in the final week.

What's in it

40 checkpoints across five windows

Named owner for every item

The evidence a surveyor actually asks to see

Day-of-survey response sequence

90 days out - clinical records current

Checkpoint	Owner	Evidence to have ready
Comprehensive assessments completed within 14 days of admission	MDS Coordinator	MDS completion dates against admission dates
Quarterly assessments completed no more than 92 days apart	MDS Coordinator	Assessment schedule report, exceptions flagged
Annual comprehensive reassessments within 366 days	MDS Coordinator	Reassessment log with dates
Care plans developed within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment	DON	Care plan dates against assessment dates
Care plans reviewed and revised after each assessment	DON	Revision history per resident
Physician orders and visits current for every resident	Medical Records	Order review dates
Medication regimen reviews completed on schedule	Consultant Pharmacist	Signed pharmacist reports and follow-up actions
Baseline care plans in place within 48 hours of admission	DON	Baseline care plan timestamps

60 days out - staff credentials and training verified

Checkpoint	Owner	Evidence to have ready
Every professional licence verified as active and unexpired	HR	Primary source verification printouts with dates
Nurse aide registry status checked for every aide	HR	Registry query results
Nurse aide in-service training - at least 12 hours in the last 12 months	Staff Development	Per-employee training hour totals
Annual performance reviews of nurse aides completed	DON	Signed review forms with dates
Abuse, neglect and exploitation training current for all staff	Staff Development	Attendance rosters with signatures
Background checks complete for all new hires	HR	Check results filed per employee
Contracted and agency staff credentials on file	HR	Agency credential packets
Annual TB screening and immunization offers documented	Infection Preventionist	Screening log; declination forms
Infection prevention and control training current	Infection Preventionist	Training records
Compliance and ethics program training documented	Administrator	Training log

30 days out - policies, drills and committee sign-off

Checkpoint	Owner	Evidence to have ready
Facility assessment reviewed and updated within the last 12 months	Administrator	Signed and dated facility assessment
QAA committee has met at least quarterly	Administrator	Meeting minutes with attendance
QAPI plan current, with active performance improvement projects	QAPI Lead	Plan document plus PIP worksheets
Infection prevention and control program reviewed annually	Infection Preventionist	Annual review sign-off
Antibiotic stewardship program active and documented	Infection Preventionist	Stewardship tracking reports
Emergency preparedness plan reviewed within the last 12 months	Administrator	Dated plan review
Two emergency preparedness exercises completed this year	Safety Officer	Exercise records and after-action reviews
Fire drills run on every shift, every quarter	Safety Officer	Drill log by shift and quarter
Life safety systems inspected on schedule	Maintenance	Vendor inspection certificates
Kitchen and dietary inspections current	Dietary Manager	Health department reports; temperature logs
Grievance log reviewed with resolutions documented	Social Services	Grievance log with outcomes
Resident council minutes current with follow-up actions	Activities Director	Minutes and action log

7 days out - evidence assembled

Checkpoint	Owner	Evidence to have ready
Resident roster and matrix printed and current	Medical Records	Roster with payer, diagnoses, and risk indicators
Staffing data for the last 4 weeks assembled	Administrator	Daily staffing postings and payroll-based data
Policy binder indexed and accessible	Administrator	Table of contents with revision dates
Ombudsman and state agency contact postings verified	Administrator	Photos of postings in place
Survey binder assembled with all required postings	Administrator	Most recent survey results posted and available
Entrance conference materials prepared	Administrator	Pre-filled forms and facility information packet
Staff briefed on entrance conference roles	DON	Briefing attendance sheet

Day of survey

Checkpoint	Owner	Evidence to have ready
Administrator or designee greets the survey team within minutes	Administrator	Designee named in writing and known to reception
Command centre room set up with all binders	Administrator	Room reserved and stocked
Daily debrief scheduled with department heads	Administrator	Standing calendar hold for the survey window

Federal requirements for long-term care facilities are set out in 42 CFR Part 483. State survey agencies add their own requirements and intervals - verify this checklist against your state agency guidance before relying on it.

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One email, one download. We'll send the updated version when the rules change, and nothing else.

Or stop tracking them by hand

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