Monitoring and reducing the use of antipsychotic medications is a high priority for many nursing facilities. Top concerns are the increased risk of adverse effects for residents taking these medications, the scrutiny of their management by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the impact of their use …
Although spring may seem like a mirage right now, it’s time for nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) to prepare for a literal thaw in the Five-Star Quality Rating System. As of January 2025, the Care Compare refresh will unfreeze four Quality Measures (QMs), frozen since April 2024 following the change from …
Vaccination measures play a critical role in long-term care, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) closely monitors vaccination data to ensure the safety of residents and staff. Nineteen different measures for vaccination reporting relate to influenza, pneumococcal, and COVID-19 vaccines. This article details the different vaccine measures …
Section GG has greatly evolved since 2016. It was first introduced as just a few functional items completed only for Medicare Part A residents, but now it requires 26 functional tasks for all long-term care residents. The accuracy of section GG not only impacts reimbursement but also plays a fundamental …
Effective Oct. 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) removed column 2, discharge goals, from items GG0130 and GG0170 on the Minimum Data Set (MDS). Many nurse assessment coordinators will welcome the reduced coding of these expansive GG items. But just because these goals are no longer …
The newest section GG Quality Measure (QM), the Discharge Function Score, has left many nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) with more questions than answers about how it is calculated. This measure estimates the percentage of Medicare Part A skilled nursing facility (SNF) stays that meet or exceed an expected Discharge Function …
The Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) process begins with the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment and ends with the resident-centered comprehensive care plan. In the MDS, section F focuses on the resident’s preferences for customary routines and activities, asking scripted questions about how the person rates the importance of these items. …
Think about individualization like the almost endless variations of coffee drinks available these days. With an extra pump of this or a drizzle of that, we enjoy endless ways to individualize our order. Beyond coffee, we all have our own routines and ways to complete different tasks, from what we …
Someone with an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 130 may be considered above average for intelligence but still not understand the complexities of the MDS 3.0 Quality Measures (QMs). This series of articles on QMs will improve the QM IQs of healthcare professionals in long-term care, starting here with two long-stay …
Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) today must manage more than 40 Quality Measures (QMs) from several different programs: the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 QMs, Five-Star Quality Rating System, SNF Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program, and SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP). The scope of quality management and improvement can be overwhelming, and …
