Q&A: A resident discharged to the hospital with an unstageable pressure ulcer due to eschar (occurred in house). The wound was debrided in the hospital and then the resident returned with it being a Stage 3 pressure ulcer. Would this be presented upon reentry since it’s now a Stage 3?

Question: A resident discharged to the hospital with an unstageable pressure ulcer due to eschar (occurred in house). The wound was debrided in the hospital and then the resident returned with it being a Stage 3 pressure ulcer. Would this be presented upon reentry since it’s now a Stage 3? …

Q&A: A resident had a chest tube placed in the hospital and removed prior to re-admission. In the 5-Day look-back period, we have orders for an ointment and dressing to the area daily until resolved. Would I capture this under surgical wound and surgical wound care?

Question: A resident had a chest tube placed in the hospital and removed prior to re-admission. In the 5-Day look-back period, we have orders for an ointment and dressing to the area daily until resolved. Would I capture this under surgical wound and surgical wound care? Answer from Jennifer LaBay …

Q&A: Is an OBRA Discharge assessment required when a non-skilled resident has an unplanned transfer to the hospital, was not admitted, but was there for 30 hours?

Question: Is an OBRA Discharge assessment required when a non-skilled resident has an unplanned transfer to the hospital, was not admitted, but was there for 30 hours? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC:Yes, OBRA Discharge assessments are required when residents transfer to the hospital, emergency department, or …

GG Trivia Game

AAPACN’s GG Trivia Game is a fun education tool to help nurse aides and other direct care staff understand the performance levels and functional tasks for section GG. The nurse assessment coordinator or delegate hosts the GG Trivia Game and direct care staff are the players. The GG Trivia Game …

Care Conference 101: Keys to a Meaningful Meeting

A well-run care conference or care plan meeting can help the interdisciplinary team (IDT) improve the resident’s quality of care and quality of life by establishing a more resident-centered, individualized, culturally competent, and trauma-informed care plan, says Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, IPCO, QCP, ICC, director of reimbursement and …

State RAI Coordinators Contact List Update

The March update of Appendix B to the MDS 3.0 RAI User’s Manual contains changes to the list of State RAI Coordinators, MDS Automation Coordinators, and CMS locations and contacts. To ensure accurate formatting, use a current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF. Web-based or mobile browser plug-ins may affect …

Q&A: On admission, our infection control nurse asks about the COVID-19 vaccine and documents the resident’s vaccine status and acceptance or refusal of the vaccine. Since we are no longer providing the vaccine in the facility, should I be dashing this item?   

Question: On admission, our infection control nurse asks about the COVID-19 vaccine and documents the resident’s vaccine status and acceptance or refusal of the vaccine. Since we are no longer providing the vaccine in the facility, should I be dashing this item?    Answer from Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MTA, …

Q&A: Do the medications gabapentin/Neurontin get coded in section J, Scheduled pain medication regimen, if the doctor noted they are for pain management, and are they also coded as anticonvulsants in section N?

Question: Do the medications gabapentin/Neurontin get coded in section J, Scheduled pain medication regimen, if the doctor noted they are for pain management, and are they also coded as anticonvulsants in section N? Answer from Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, QCP, ICC, IPCO: Yes. Part of the confusion can …

TIP: CMS Released Draft RAI User’s Manual for Oct. 2025

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a draft of the Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual (RAI User’s Manual) v1.20.1, which is planned to become effective Oct. 1, 2025. This draft contains the following major changes: This AAPACN resource is copyright protected. AAPACN individual members …

October 2025: Draft MDS Item Sets and RAI User’s Manual

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a second version of the draft item set files for Oct. 1, 2025, updates, version 1.20.1v2, and the draft Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual (RAI User’s Manual). The draft item sets are the collection of different …