Long-Term Care Survey Alert
SURVEY & CLINICAL NEWS
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--Have you checked out the draft MDS 3.0? The revamped instrument requires staff to use a structured interview approach for assessing cognition, mood, preferences for daily events and activities and pain. Rand Corporation is currently conducting a national evaluation of the performance of the draft MDS 3.0, with its final report due to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in December 2007. The draft pain-related questions also include "chart-based items" that, for example, ask whether the person is on a scheduled pain medication regimen, says Rand researcher Debra Saliba, MD, MPH. (For a copy of the draft MDS 3.0 and a free issue of MDS Alert with extensive coverage of the draft MDS 3.0, please send your e-mail request to the editor at editormon@aol.com.)
A structured exercise program may help seniors ward off a major "walking disability." That's the findings of a study reported in the November 2006 Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. "Lower-extremity functioning is a very powerful marker for overall function and the risk of disability. This research suggests that a multi-faceted program of aerobic, strength, balance and flexibility exercises can make a difference for older adults by significantly improving their walking ability," said Jack M. Guralnik, MD, PhD, with the National Institute on Aging, in a statement.
Long-Term Care Survey Alert
- Special Focus:
Revised survey guidance--Avoid A Bitter Survey Pill: Give Your Medication And Pharmacy Services A Checkup
Use this 5-point checklist to comply with revised survey guidance. If your head is swimming [...] - CLIP & SAVE:
Check Out These 3 Medication-Related Immediate Jeopardy Examples
Could these scenarios happen in your facility? The revised survey guidance for the following three [...] - CLINICAL TOOL:
Track Coumadin Trends To Detect A Need For Dosage Adjustment, Intervention
Facilities can use this form to see the big picture. - MEDICATION MANAGEMENT:
Sidestep Unnecessary Drugs And F329 Tags
Get your interdisciplinary team marching to this best-practice regimen. When prescribing medications, less can definitely [...] - CARE PLANNING; 2 Inside Tips For Care Planning A Resident's Behavioral Sx
Combine data analysis, creativity to improve resident well-being. Understanding residents' behavioral symptoms and intervening in [...] - CASE STUDY:
Field-Tested System Heads Off Falls And Improves Clinical Outcomes
Consider this facility's wellness-focused approach. Looking for a fun way to reduce residents' falls, depression [...] - PATIENT SAFETY:
Don't Take A Survey Tumble For Falls
F tag-proof your facility with these 3 strategies. Whether your facility takes the rap for [...] - STAFF DEVELOPEMENT:
Get Physicians, Nurses On The Same PageIn Responding To Acute Care Needs
Here's how to bridge the communication gap between docs, nurses. Nurses represent the physicians' eyes [...] - STAFF DEVELOPMENT:
Sharpen Your 'Illness Identification' Skills
Hint: Suspicion is your friend when evaluating common Sx. Sometimes a common symptom such as [...] - WHAT DO YOU THINK? Can You Use The POC To Rebut Deficiencies?
The answer may be yes, if .... To argue or not to argue in the [...] - CLIP & SAVE:
Connect The Dots When Assessing Aggressive/Combative Behavior
Consider using this faxable form to gather assessment data for physicians. - SURVEY & CLINICAL NEWS
--Have you checked out the draft MDS 3.0? The revamped instrument requires staff to use [...]