MDS Alert

READER QUESTION:

Does Family and Rehab Therapist Assistance Count in Coding ADLs on the MDS 3.0?

Question: What counts as ADL help that can be coded on the MDS 3.0? Are we still going to be able to include ADL assistance provided by family members? What about rehab therapists in the SNF or ADL help provided while the resident was in the hospital?

Answer: Keeping in mind that CMS may still make changes to the MDS 3.0 instruction manual, currently the instructions say to include episodes of the ADL activity involving the nursing home staff only, says Rena Shephard, MHA, RN, RAC-MT, C-NE, president and CEO of RRS Healthcare Consulting in San Diego. That means "no family, visitors, or hospital staff. Presumably, the resident's performance with rehab staff is to be considered, since the instructions do not specifically exclude rehab staff."

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