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MDS Alert

Surveys and Compliance:
Be Prepared for Influx of Survey Catch-Ups
A visit may not be on your holiday gift list, but expect surveyors soon, regardless. The ... Read more
Federal Agency Updates:
The OIG Sets its Sights on Nursing Homes
While CMS is ramping down its focus on infection control, OIG suggests nursing homes need ... Read more
Knowledge Check:
Do You Know What to Think About When Writing a Care Plan?
Fully individualize each care plan to reflect each resident. Read these 13 statements ab... Read more
Back to Basics:
How Well Do You Know RAI Manual Guidelines on Care Planning?
Hint: Care plan goals should be measurable. Most people responsible for completing and s... Read more
Knowledge Check:
Understand the ‘Why’ for Care Plans
Don't miss the rationale for each answer. Check your answers here, and understand the rat... Read more
Reader Questions:
Think About the Dollar Cost When Giving Cheer
Question: In the past, we have given small gifts to residents during the holidays. Is that... Read more
Reader Questions:
Mark Preference for Newspaper Reading
Question: One of my residents is unwilling to communicate their preferences for the interv... Read more
Reader Questions:
Consider Utensil Guidance Physical Assistance
Question: When coding G0110H (Eating) for activities of daily living (ADL) assistance, how... Read more
Staffing:
Stem the Loss of Staffing by Prioritizing Retention
Administrators have never had more reasons to invest in employees. With the long-term car... Read more
COVID-19:
Check Out These COVID Vaccine and Payment Updates
Hint: Anyone over 18 living or working in a high-risk setting like long-term care is eligi... Read more
Policies and Procedures:
Know These Key Points About Advanced Directives
Hint: Don't mistake a DNR for an AD. Your facility's policies and procedures should alr... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Worry About Giving These Vaccines Simultaneously
Questions: I've heard there has been some research that folks who receive the pneumonia va... Read more
Reader Questions:
Respect Residents’ Pronouns
Question: I heard recently that there was a 2017 law in California where nursing home empl... Read more
Reader Questions:
Differentiate Lethargy, Stupor
Question: I don't understand the difference between lethargy and stupor when assessing and... Read more
COVID-19:
Maintain Compliance and Fulfill Testing Requirements Using These Options
Plus, more advice for managing unvaccinated staff. The Centers for Medicare & Medicai... Read more
Back to Basics:
Don’t Just Go Through The BIMS Motions
Try this quiz, and see if you understand the context surrounding BIMS. The Brief Interv... Read more
ICD-10-CM Coding:
Locate Pneumonia Cause to Select Correct Diagnosis Code
Learn this necessary trick for correctly coding aspiration pneumonia. You know to list ... Read more
Back to Basics:
Check Your Quiz Answers Here
See how well you know the RAI Manual's justification and explanation of the BIMS. 1. Deli... Read more
Reader Questions:
Memorize These COVID-19 Terms
Question: I keep seeing some phrases bandied about in guidelines surrounding COVID-19, but... Read more
Reader Questions:
Gain Compliance with PRF Reporting Before Nov. 30
Question: My facility accepted provider relief fund (PRF) money but I'm worried we aren't ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know Which Assessments Should Be Submitted in ‘Expected’ Order
Question: I accidentally submitted a resident's discharge assessment but hadn't yet submit... Read more
Staffing:
Know Your Obligations Around Now-Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations
In protecting seniors, CMS risks further exacerbating the chronic staffing issues in long... Read more
Compliance and Safety:
Beware Fake Vaccination Cards
With the Food and Drug Administration issuing full approval for one COVID-19 vaccine, the ... Read more
COVID-19:
Care Plan Accordingly for Long-Term COVID and Post-COVID Conditions
You will likely continue to encounter more residents with serious complications after COVI... Read more
Surveys and Compliance:
Know the Intricacies of Facility Closure Regulations
Amidst high season for natural disasters and a drop in business due to COVID, avoid penal... Read more
Reader Questions:
Look for 5-Star Preview Report Via CASPER
Question: How do I access my facility's 5-star preview report? North Dakota Subscriber ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Residents May Receive Boosters Soon
Question: What do I need to know about a potential third booster COVID-19 vaccination for ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Count Closing the Door for Car Transfer
Question: I am trying to decide how to code Section GG for a resident who needs help shutt... Read more
Reader Questions:
Beware HIPAA Rules for Electronic Faxes
Question: Our facility sometimes works with other institutions that use electronic faxing ... Read more
COVID-19:
Don’t Miss New Guidance on PRF Money, Reporting
You may be able to use projected 2020 revenues to calculate COVID-19 losses. Nursing home... Read more
News You Can Use:
Stay Abreast on Important Agency and Industry News
You may now have a code for residents with a history of COVID-19. Stay ahead of the curv... Read more
Best Practices:
Keep Working to Get Drug Use Under Control
CMS is realizing that facility self-reporting may not be the best option for monitoring da... Read more
Reader Questions:
Draw Line for Residents Between ‘Busy’ and ‘Work’
Question: One of our residents with dementia genuinely wants to help, and giving her a ta... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Count This Respiratory Treatment as Therapy
Question: One of our residents uses a nebulizer on her own. Does this count toward respira... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Skill When Hospice is More Appropriate
Question: One of our residents just had a qualifying 3-day stay in a hospital and will be ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Differentiate Between Scabs and Eschars
Question: How do I know the difference between a scab and an eschar when I'm considering a... Read more
COVID-19:
Don’t Miss These New OSHA Obligations for Facilities
Some healthcare entities may fight back through litigation. The Occupational Safety and H... Read more
Compliance:
Quick! Execute These COVID-19 Responsibilities and Tasks
Know your facility's responsibility to employees to remain compliant with COVID-19 ETS. T... Read more
Industry Notes:
OIG Report Highlights COVID-19’s Staggering Toll on Nursing Home Residents
The agency aims to understand how to avoid such crises in the future. The Office of the I... Read more
Back to Basics:
Complete This MDS Paperwork When a Resident Dies
Hint: A Part A Discharge Assessment probably isn't necessary. Every person who works in ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Use Medical Record in This No Signature Situation
Question: The colleague who was responsible for filling out much of a resident's MDS no lo... Read more
Reader Questions:
Note This Exception to OSHA COVID-19 ETS
Question: The recent emergency temporary standard (ETS) released by the Occupational Safet... Read more
Reader Questions:
Look to This Pressure Injury Assessment Tool
Question: I keep seeing references to the Braden Scale. What is that? Vermont Subscriber... Read more
Surveys and Compliance:
Make These Adjustments for COVID-19 Vaccinations Now
The first reporting period is just around the corner in mid-June. On May 11, 2021, the C... Read more
COVID-19:
Bolster This One Aspect of Administrative Efforts to Boost Safety
Community transmission rates alone don't explain the outbreak numbers. Across the entir... Read more
Quiz:
Test Your Knowledge about SCSAs
Being familiar with the nuts and bolts of hospice situations may help! Knowing when to c... Read more
Quiz Answers:
Pocket These SCSA Facts
Make your SCSA coding easier by confronting the nitty-gritty. Check your answers against ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Remember This Timing for Hospital Observations
Question: If a resident goes to a hospital emergency room and receives intravenous (IV) me... Read more
Reader Questions:
Avoid Unnecessary Work in This Discharge Situation
Question: A colleague completed a prior OBRA Discharge assessment for a resident, noting t... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Neglect Cybersecurity
Question: What should our organization be doing right now to make sure we're not the next ... Read more
Reimbursement:
Note These Possible Repercussions from FY 2022 Proposed Rule
The numbers are in on PDPM, and CMS is realizing its bets were off. The 2022 proposed ru... Read more
Staffing:
Pump Up Your Dementia Education for Staff
Make sure your onboarding program and continuing education cover dementia. There are more... Read more
Back to Basics:
Demystify Therapeutic Diets
Knowing these commonly used terms will help you better navigate compliance. So, what's ... Read more
Reader Question:
Don’t Ease Up On COVID-19 Restrictions
Question: Most of the residents in my facility, and at least half the staff, are fully vac... Read more
Reader Questions:
Put These Protections in Place for Resident Record Requests
Question: Can we just hand out residents' individual medical records willy-nilly upon resi... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know This Heart Anatomy to Avoid This ICD-10-CM Trap
Question: I'm looking through a resident's cardiologist's medical documentation, and she i... Read more
COVID-19:
Understand How Vaccinations Affect Visitation
Don't expect “normal,” but hope is on the horizon. Although some long-term care faci... Read more
Workplace Safety:
Be Prepared for More Intensive SNF, NF Scrutiny
Know what federal agencies and Congress are looking into. The Occupational Health and S... Read more
Back to Basics:
Know Which Assessments Should Be on Your Radar
Keep these handy charts to differentiate various MDS assessments. Nurse assessment coord... Read more
Reader Questions:
Brush Up On What Other Credentials ‘Physician’ Includes
Question: When I'm working on the Minimum Data Set (MDS), what does the word “physician... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know These Facts About Optional State Assessments
Question: How is the Optional State Assessment (Item A0300) different from the other asses... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Mix Vaccination Records
Question: I work at an independent skilled nursing facility, the only one in my rural coun... Read more
COVID-19:
Stay Up to Date on How COVID-19 is Affecting the Industry
Consider how the big picture news might play out on your facility's operations. There's a... Read more
ICD-10 Focus:
Rely on These 6 Tips for Coding Heart Failure
Better understand the ICD-10 nuts and bolts of this common condition. Heart failure is ... Read more
Back to Basics:
Understand How to ‘Skill’ a Resident
Find clarification in the useful behemoth, the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual. MDS nurse... Read more
Medicare Part A:
Get These COVID-Related Answers on Skilled Status
Although COVID-19 has changed almost everything in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), skil... Read more
Reader Questions:
Note the Continuation of This Useful Waiver
Question: With a change in administration, are the waivers enacted during the public healt... Read more
Reader Questions:
Bolster Support for Residents Who Survive COVID-19
Question: How do we best support residents who are no longer infectious but aren't totall... Read more
Reader Questions:
Evaluate These Datapoints on NHSH
Question: Facilities are expected to report COVID-19 data on certain platforms. What are t... Read more
CMS Roundup:
Note These New Tools and Relevant COVID-19 Updates
Know which red tape has been cut, and which guidance has evolved. The Centers for Medica... Read more
Surveys and Compliance:
Tick These Boxes for Pain Management
Prioritize the resident but know that surveyors are evaluating staff responses. As provi... Read more
Quality Measures:
Test Your Knowledge and Avoid Ratings Penalties
Don't miss these updates or the ways they reflect upon your facility. The Care Compare ... Read more
Check Your Answers Here
Determine whether your knowledge of the updates to the Five-Star Ratings System is up to d... Read more
Reader Questions:
Choose Correct Modifier for Medicare Billing
Question: I don't understand the difference between the CR modifier versus the DR conditio... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Use Aftercare Codes in This Instance
Question: What's the most appropriate diagnosis code for a resident who ends up in a facil... Read more
Reader Questions:
Aim for Specificity to Code Idiopathic Gout
Question: One of the residents on my wing is here for complications from gout, but the ICD... Read more
Policies and Protocols:
Understand How COVID-19 Vaccines Might Impact NFs
If you don't already have a plan for employee vaccination, you're behind. Nursing facilit... Read more
COVID-19:
Strive for Transparency in Vaccination Information
Don't throw away your mask just yet. If you have questions about how receiving the vaccin... Read more
Pandemic Realities:
Understand That Your Grief is Real — and Valid
Long-term care workers' mourning has been largely unacknowledged. The long-term care ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Remember ‘3 Midnights’
Question: A Medicare Part A beneficiary resident left my facility four days ago and return... Read more
Reader Questions:
Vaccination Does Not Initially Preclude Exposure
Question: What kind of policies should facilities put in place for a staff member who are ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know This Login Information
Question: I'm new at my facility and am trying to submit data for payroll based journal (P... Read more
Reader Questions:
Use This System for Vaccine Recipients to Self-Monitor
Question: I've heard a lot about monitoring for signs and symptoms after receiving the COV... Read more
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