OIG: Nursing Homes Inappropriately Diagnosed Residents with Schizophrenia to Mask the Misuse of Antipsychotic Drugs

Report Materials Why OIG Did This Review What OIG Found OIG’s comprehensive review of 40 nursing home inspections completed by CMS found instances of nursing homes inappropriately diagnosing residents with schizophrenia. Specifically, our review of these inspections found instances in which: What OIG Recommends OIG recommends that CMS: CMS did …

From Coding to Compliance: Avoiding Pitfalls in the 2026 MDS Landscape  

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. By: Kristine Martinez BSN, RN, RAC-CT, RAC-CTA, QCP, DNS-CT and Lavatus Donaldson LPN, BPS-HIM, RAC-CT, MBA, QCP With the multiple regulatory bodies that govern long term care (LTC) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), it is easy to feel …

Q&A: If the registered dietitian documents a resident is at risk for malnutrition within the MDS look-back period, can “risk for malnutrition” be coded on the MDS section I5600?

Question: If the registered dietitian documents a resident is at risk for malnutrition within the MDS look-back period, can “risk for malnutrition” be coded on the MDS section I5600? Answer from Jennifer LaBay RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC: Since this is section I, the documentation can ONLY come from a …

Q&A: How do you code discharge status, A2105, when the resident discharged to a hotel?

Question: How do you code discharge status, A2105, when the resident discharged to a hotel? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: A discharge to a homeless shelter, jail, or hotel would be coded as 99, None of the above. This AAPACN resource is copyright protected. AAPACN individual members …

Q&A: If a resident has a diagnosis of “schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type,” how is this coded on the MDS?

Question: If a resident has a diagnosis of “schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type,” how is this coded on the MDS? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: Schizoaffective disorder would be coded at I6000, but ONLY if all of the DSM-5 requirements are met (physician comprehensive assessment present and …

AAPACN 2026 Conference Highlight: The MDS in Court – How Does Yours Standup? with Janine Lehman

In this LTC NAC Chat podcast episode, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Janine Lehmen, director of clinical and legal nursing consulting with Proactive LTC Consulting, discuss Lehman’s AAPACN 2026 Conference session on Wednesday, March 18 at 2 pm ET, “The MDS …

PDPM Admission Documentation Request Tool

Consistency in documentation is vital to code the MDS accurately. Several MDS items use hospital records to support coding, such as diagnoses, recent surgery, IV fluids/feeding, and tube feeding. Use the PDPM Admission Documentation Request tool as a checklist to ensure a comprehensive review of hospital documentation required to support …

ICD-10-CM Coding Spotlight Series – Part 2: Navigating Genitourinary Conditions in Long-Term Care

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. As National Kidney Month arrives in March, so does an important reminder: our kidneys work quietly every day, filtering waste, balancing fluids, and supporting overall health. Now is the perfect time for facility coders in long-term care (LTC) …