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 …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. The director of nursing services (DNS) faces two key behavioral health issues that have unfolded simultaneously: Residents with behavioral health concerns are increasingly common in nursing homes, and federal and state scrutiny of psychotropic medication use has become …
CMS hosted an PBJ Technical informational Call for Software Vendors and Developers on Thursday, February 26, 2026. Please see the attached minutes. Downloads PBJ Tech Call Minutes 02/26/2026 https://qtso.cms.gov/news-and-updates/pbj-technical-information-call-minutes-qas-february-26-2026
The NEW FileSpecVersion 4.10.0 was originally scheduled to be effective on March 22, 2026. The NEW effective date is April 1, 2026. If you submit files using fileSpecVersion 4.10.0 before April 1st, the file will be rejected. Manual entry of staffing hours will continue to allow up to a maximum …
This job aid outlines the user roles and privileges in iQIES. All users must have a role in iQIES. iQIES User Roles Matrix Job Aid v5.0 (posted 03/03/2026) From https://qtso.cms.gov/software/iqies/reference-manuals
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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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 …
