MDS Alert

ADL Coding Tipster:

Dig Deeper When You See Limited Assistance

That holds especially true for a rehab patient.

You don't want inaccurately reported limited assistance for ADLs to limit fair reimbursement for residents who actually required more help.

So when CNAs tell you a resident has that level of self-performance, take a closer look before coding the MDS.

It's very rare that a rehab patient, in particular, requires only guided maneuvering in which the staff person doesn't bear the person's weight, notes Garry Woessner, regional director of rehabilitation for Benedictine Health System in Duluth, MN.

"So we take a closer look at that [and sometimes find] the CNAs are actually partially lifting the person's limbs or helping the person in that way," says Woessner.

You would code "extensive assistance" if the resident received weight-bearing assistance three or more times in the lookback.

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