Q&A: A resident elected hospice on July 9, 2025. What is the required completion date for the Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA), and what steps should be taken if the resident passes away before the assessment is completed?

MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Q&A

Question: A resident elected hospice on July 9, 2025. What is the required completion date for the Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA), and what steps should be taken if the resident passes away before the assessment is completed? Answer from Scott Heichel RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, QCP, ICC, IPCO: …

Q&A: Is aspirin coded as an antiplatelet in N0415I?

MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Q&A

Question: Is aspirin coded as an antiplatelet in N0415I? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: The RAI User’s Manual includes aspirin as an antiplatelet medication on page N-9: “N0415I1. Antiplatelet: Check if an antiplatelet medication (e.g., aspirin/extended release, dipyridamole, clopidogrel) was taken by the resident at any …

Q&A: How do we code interviews that were not complete when a Medicare resident has an unplanned discharge to the hospital?

MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Q&A

Question: How do we code interviews that were not complete when a Medicare resident has an unplanned discharge to the hospital? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: If the interviews were not completed, you would need to answer the gateway question that ‘Yes’ the resident interview should …

Myers and Stauffer Medicaid Links

Billing and Reimbursement / MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Post-Acute Care News

Myers and Stauffer provides documentation resources and training opportunities for several state Medicaid programs. Learn more below. State Clients  Alabama Iowa North Carolina Arkansas Kentucky Ohio California Louisiana Oregon Colorado Maryland Tennessee Connecticut Minnesota Texas Florida Mississippi Utah Georgia Missouri Vermont Hawaii Montana Wisconsin Idaho Nevada West Virginia Indiana New …

Q&A: If a resident initiates his/her discharge for the following day and the facility was able to organize home care, equipment, etc., is this considered a planned or unplanned discharge?

MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Q&A

Question: If a resident initiates his/her discharge for the following day and the facility was able to organize home care, equipment, etc., is this considered a planned or unplanned discharge? Answer from Jessie McGill RN, BSN, RAC-MTA, RAC-CTA: There is a distinct difference between being able to prepare for a …

Q&A: The RAI User’s Manual guidance for mechanically altered diet mentions “soft solids.” Would that include solids that are naturally soft or solids that we would “soften”?

MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC / Q&A

Question: The RAI User’s Manual guidance for mechanically altered diet mentions “soft solids.” Would that include solids that are naturally soft or solids that we would “soften”? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: The diet needs to be mechanically altered to facilitate eating/swallowing in order to code …

Coding High-Risk Drug Classes: How to Improve N0415 Accuracy

Article / MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC

N0415 (High-Risk Drug Classes: Use and Indication) is much more than just paperwork. This MDS item  impacts resident care through the care area triggers (CATs) and the care area assessments (CAAs), as well as facility performance across the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP), the Skilled Nursing Facility …

Out the Door, On a Leave, or Gone for Good? Uncomplicating Discharges

Article / MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC

In the fast-paced position of a nurse assessment coordinator (NAC), keeping track of all the residents’ whereabouts can be challenging. The NAC must know who is coming into the facility and if this resident is a new admission or a readmission, as well as who has left—whether on a leave …

From the CATs to the QMs: Key Impacts of MDS Section N

Article / MDS 3.0 and the RAI Process / NAC

MDS section N (Medications)—in particular item N0415 (High-Risk Drug Classes: Use and Indication)— plays a key role in a nursing home’s ability to provide comprehensive, resident-centered care via the care area triggers (CATs) and the care area assessments (CAAs) in the care planning process. N0415 also may affect a facility’s …