Implement the New and Revised Resident Interviews on the MDS: How to Be Ready for Oct. 1

Most of the changes in the MDS version 1.18.11 item sets and the Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual v1.18.11 are resident-driven, says Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, a curriculum development specialist with AAPACN. “More than ever, resident interviews are the primary source of MDS …

Behavioral Health Education and Training: How to Ensure Staff Can Meet Resident Needs

The guidance to surveyors in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual addresses behavioral health education, training, and competencies under two separate F-tags: Did the facility have sufficient staff who provide direct services and implement non-pharmacological interventions to meet the behavioral health care needs of the resident, as determined by …

Oct. 1, 2023 Will See Performance Period Data Collection for Five SNF VBP QMs

The key takeaway of the Fiscal Year (FY 2024) Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) final rule, published on Aug. 7, 2023, is that the director of nursing services (DNS) will need to hit the ground running on Oct. 1, 2023, with a systematic, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary approach …

Need Behavioral Health Training Help? Check Out the COE-NF

The Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF), which opened its online doors in December 2022 thanks to a three-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is a centralized hub where any Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home can access trainings, tools, and …

SNF QRP FAQs for FY 2024

An update to the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document is now available. This document has been updated to reflect the finalized policies for the SNF QRP in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and includes other useful resources available to providers. From https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fy2024-snf-qrp-faqs.pdf

FY 2024 SNF PPS Final Rule Initial Timeline for NACs: How/When the MDS Takes Center-Stage

Breathing room will be in short supply for nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) and other interdisciplinary team members who need to implement and monitor the multitude of changes to the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) and the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing Program (SNF VBP) that are in …

Proposed Staffing Rule: CMS Focuses on a Comprehensive Approach

In the long-awaited Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes a three-pronged, comprehensive staffing approach for Medicare- and Medicaid-certified skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and nursing facilities (NFs): “Literature evidence [e.g., here, here, …

Behavioral Health: Eight Ways to Boost Compliance—and Help Residents—Under F740

F740 (Behavioral Health Services) is not a frequently cited F-tag so far in calendar year (CY) 2023, according to QCOR data posted on Aug. 13, 2023. However, the consequences can be severe—surveyors often issue this citation at the level of immediate jeopardy (IJ) when it does occur. Specifically, F740 is …

Finalized RAI User’s Manual: Eight Key Points to Know

In preparation for the upcoming Oct. 1, 2023, implementation of the also-just-updated v1.18.11v5 MDS item sets, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the final Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual version 1.18.11 and a draft-to-final change table. Highlights of these revisions include the …