Demystifying the Discharge Function Score for Post-Acute Care

By Greg Seiple Navigating the complexities of healthcare, especially in post-acute care, can often feel daunting. For professionals involved in skilled nursing facilities, understanding the metrics that influence patient care is crucial. One of these key metrics is the Discharge Function Score (DFS), a valuable tool that helps gauge a …

Why Getting MDS Right Is Non-Negotiable: The Importance of MDS Accuracy

Written by Kristine Martinez BSN, RN, RAC-CTA, QCP Completing a Minimum Data Set (MDS) correctly is no small task. With approximately 510 answers or choices on a comprehensive MDS (not including CAA investigation), and approximately530 answers or choices on a 5-day MDS, the potential for missed or miscoded information on any …

Mastering the Discharge Function Score for Skilled Nursing Facilities

By Greg Seiple Discharge planning is an essential component of patient care in skilled nursing facilities. But how do healthcare professionals determine when a resident is ready to leave and manage daily activities independently? Enter the Discharge Function Score—a critical tool in evaluating a resident’s ability to function outside of …

GG0130 and GG0170: Using Clinical Judgment to Establish Usual Performance

The ability to exercise clinical judgment to define usual performance in MDS items GG0130 (Self-Care) and GG0170 (Mobility) offers nursing homes unprecedented opportunity to impact quality measures (QMs), says Rosanna Benbow, RN, CCM, ICC, IP, DNS-CT, QCP, RAC-CTA, regional director of operations at Proactive LTC Consulting in Evansville, IN. “You …

OIG: Nursing Facility Industry Segment-Specific Compliance Program Guidance

From https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/nursing-facility-icpg/ The Nursing Facility ICPG—together with OIG’s General Compliance Program Guidance (GCPG) that applies to all individuals and entities involved in the health care industry—serves as OIG’s updated and centralized source of voluntary compliance program guidance for nursing facilities. Nursing facilities can use the ICPG to help identify their own risks and …

SNF ABN Update: What Changed and How to Keep the Process Running Smoothly

Effective Oct. 31, 2024, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) now are required to use an updated Skilled Nursing Facility Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (SNF ABN), also known as form CMS-10055, and the corresponding revised instructions to provide financial liability notifications to residents under fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare Part A. Note: The …

Ethics and Ramifications of Backdating the MDS

Backdating, or placing an earlier date than the actual date on a document, is only permissible in limited Minimum Data Set (MDS) scenarios. Has anyone asked the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) to change the assessment reference date (ARD) of a 5-Day prospective payment system (PPS) assessment after day 8? Is …

Break the Bad Data Cycle: Keys to Boosting Accuracy in GG0130 and GG0170

MDS items GG0130 (Self-Care) and GG0170 (Mobility) are a common source of headaches for both the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) and the interdisciplinary team (IDT). While there is no one-size-fits-all approach for obtaining accurate documentation to support functional status coding, there are steps that the NAC can take in conjunction …

Follow-Up Answers to Q&A from ICD-10 Updates Sept. 12, 2024, AAPACN Webinar

In this podcast, AAPACN Curriculum Development Specialists, Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA and Jennifer LaBay RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, discuss a few of the questions asked during the recent AAPACN webinar, “How to Prepare for FY 2025 ICD-10 Updates,” held on Sept. 12, 2024. Additional Resources:

Moving Forward Coalition Guide to Addressing Resident Goals, Preferences, and Priorities

The Moving Forward Coalition, in partnership with A.G. Rhodes, Kansas State University (KSU), Dash Media, and The John A. Hartford Foundation, presents “The Foundation of Our Work: What Matters Most to Residents”! Why do we care so much about residents’ goals, preferences, and priorities? How can we make this deep, …