A nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) has many important qualities; however, there are a few that you should really keep in mind if you want to be successful in your job. 1. Learner/adaptable – The long-term care nursing environment is always changing. New government regulations are updated and changed every year (the RAI User’s Manual, Quality …
Nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) are required to understand the extensive and complex regulatory body surrounding the RAI/MDS process and regulations are always changing. Coding correctly and having keen assessment skills are also very important parts of a NAC’s job, which lead to the best care possible for residents and accurate Medicare …
Achieving your Resident Assessment Coordinator—Certified (RAC-CT®) certification is a tremendous accomplishment for a nurse assessment coordinator in long-term care; however, the road isn’t easy. It takes hours of studying, in-depth learning and critical thinking, and focus to complete the 10 courses and pass the exams. If you are considering embarking on your …
Question: Does anyone have an ‘International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative’ policy? Answer: The IDDSI framework has many resources and guidance on how to implement the framework. https://iddsi.org/framework/ Consider convening a meeting with the dietitian, ST, dietary manager, and the rep from your food service company to discuss use and implementation. …
By Jessica Kunkler, MA Staff turnover is everyone’s problem, and in facilities across the United States, it’s a big one. One in four nursing assistants and one in five home health aides report that they are actively looking for another job, according to the Recruitment and Retention Guide For Employers by …
With the rush to understand the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS), it’s easy to get caught up in meeting the technical criteria for payment—and not pay enough attention to the clinical criteria for meeting a Medicare skilled level of care, says …
In 2019, the Nurse Leader Blog brought you the excitement of the year’s events, inspiring stories, leadership advice, tips for culture change, and much more. Revisit the most popular posts on the Nurse Leader Blog from 2019 below. Looking Forward to the 2019 AANAC and AADNS Conference What a …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) makes clear that nursing homes should have a sexual expression/intimacy program that supports sexually intimate relationships when possible. Specifically, F607 (Develop/Implement Abuse/Neglect, etc. Policies) in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual states: The facility must have and implement written policies and procedures to prevent …
Question: When I received training for ICD-10 coding as it relates to billing, I was taught that the primary diagnosis code for long term SNF residents on a UB-04 claim would be their primary diagnosis for why they remain in the nursing facility. Therefore, if the primary diagnosis code was …
For staff, the holidays can be a busy time full of family gatherings and holiday celebrations, but for our residents, the holidays can be an especially lonely time. Our residents must adjust to so many different circumstances as they age — issues such as physical disability, loss of independence, social …
