Everything You Need to Know About the AAPACN Podcasts—LTC DON Chat and LTC NAC Chat

The AAPACN Podcasts—LTC DON Chat and LTC NAC Chat—offer tips, strategies, updates, advice, and breaking news on the most important topics in long-term and post-acute care. Regular hosts and AAPACN staff members provide their own best practices and insights, as well as a breakdown of updates and regulations. They also …

Cross-Setting: Falls with Major Injury (FMI) QM Respecification Training

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a Web-Based Training that provides the latest information about the respecification of the Falls with Major Injury (FMI) Quality Measure (QM) for the Post-Acute Care (PAC) Settings. The training provides an overview of the legacy and respecified FMI Measure, discusses …

Five-Star Technical User’s Guide Plus Claims-Based Measures Appendix (Updated)

CMS created the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily. The Nursing Home Compare Web site features a quality rating system that gives each nursing home a rating of between 1 and 5 stars. Nursing homes with 5 stars are considered …

CMS Maps Out Four Years of Big Changes and Forecasts Even More

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. In the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) and Consolidated Billing Proposed Rule for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, officially published on April 7, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes some earth-shaking …

QSO Memo on Nurse Aide Training Competencies

Clarification regarding Nurse Aide Training Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) and Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation Program (CEP) requirements and allowable flexibilities Memo # QSO-26-08-NH Posting Date 2026-04-08 Fiscal Year 2026 Memorandum Summary Clarification of NATCEP Requirements and allowable flexibilities: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is clarifying NATCEP/CEP requirements and permissible flexibilities …

FY 2027 SNF PPS Proposed Rule: Associated Resources

From https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/prospective-payment-systems/skilled-nursing-facility-snf/list-federal-regulations/cms-1843-p DRAFT SNF QRP New and Modified Items with a Proposed Effective Date of October 1, 2031: FY27_Proposed_Rule_SNF_All_Payer_draft_mockups_MDS__508.pdf (PDF) From https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/snf-quality-reporting-program/measures-and-technical-information Draft MDS re: proposed removal of MDS item O0350 on Oct. 1, 2027: CMS-10387 from https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/legislation/paperworkreductionactof1995/pra-listing-items/cms-10387

Falls with Major Injury: New CMS Guidance, Coding Clarity, and QAPI Strategies for SNFs

In this LTC NAC Chat podcast episode, Sarah Becker, RN, Director of Clinical Reimbursement for Proactive LTC Consulting, and Christine Twombly, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, CQP, CRC, break down the updated CMS guidance on Falls with Major Injury and what it means for MDS coding, Quality Measures, survey outcomes, and resident …

How to Discuss Your SNF’s Quality Measure Outcomes with External Parties

In this LTC DON Chat podcast episode, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, director of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, discuss how to have a conversation about your quality measure outcomes with external parties. …

Sustainable DNS Leadership: How to Lead Without Losing Yourself

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. The role of leadership can’t be turned on and off at the end of a shift. For the director of nursing services (DNS), the work can feel continuous, intense, and deeply personal. Regulatory pressure, staffing challenges, resident acuity, …

Incentive Spirometry: A Win-Win for Residents, Nursing Teams, and PDPM Accuracy

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Article contributed by AAPACN Solution Provider Limitlessli By Mary-Beth Newell, RN, BSN, MS, SVP of Clinical Reimbursement at Limitlessli In skilled nursing facilities, the most effective clinical interventions are not always the most complex. Often, they are the …