The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites falls as the leading cause of injury-related death in adults aged 65 and older (CDC, 2023). It is imperative that nursing facility staff identify fall risk in their residents and care plan accordingly. A fall risk assessment can help to identify …
Since March of 2020, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have relied on two distinct waivers related to technical eligibility for Medicare. Due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), temporary changes related to the 3-day qualifying hospital (QHS) stay and the benefit period appear in the MLN Matters document SE20011 – …
Long-term care is one of the most regulated settings in this country. The interpretive guidance in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual, which surveyors apply during an onsite survey, is 856 pages long—and that is just a small fraction of the regulatory mandates that apply to long-term care facilities. …
Nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) new to the job often receive guidance from a mentor during their first two weeks in the role. That mentor might lead the new NAC step by step through all the functions necessary to manage the resident assessment instrument (RAI) process. Ideally, the NAC would continue …
The RAI User’s Manual states that “A previous fall, especially a recent fall, recurrent falls, and falls with significant injury are the most important predictors of risk for future falls and injurious falls” (CMS, 2019, p. J-27). However, there are many more items that must be considered when assessing a …
Ah, the great mysteries of life. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Is there intelligent life on other planets? Where do all the missing socks go? And of course, the enduring mystery: what is the interrupted stay policy? Interrupted stays may not happen often, and every skilled nursing …
Editor’s note: This is the fifth and final article in a series on the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) categories for the nursing component, covering various missteps to avoid in PDPM calculation, as well as essential coding tips. Part one focused on Extensive Services; part two focused on Special Care …
Editor’s note: This is the fourth article in a series on the PDPM categories for the nursing component, covering various missteps to avoid in PDPM calculation, as well as essential coding tips. Part one focused on Extensive Services, part two focused on Special Care High, and part three, Special Care …
Editor’s note: This is the third article in a series on the PDPM categories for the nursing component, covering various missteps to avoid in PDPM calculation, as well as essential coding tips. Part one focused on Extensive Services and part two, Special Care High. Future articles will address the additional …
Editor’s note: This is the second article in a series on the PDPM categories for the nursing component, covering various missteps to avoid in PDPM calculation, as well as essential coding tips. Part one focused on Extensive services. Future articles will address the additional nursing categories of Special Care Low, …
