Change Management: How to Implement and Sustain Positive Change

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Change Management: How to Implement and Sustain Positive Change A Greek philosopher once pointed out that “change is the only constant in life.” More than 2,500 years later, change remains constant—and it can be a positive force in …

Better Healing, Fewer Citations: The Power of Wound Rounds

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Wounds are a significant clinical, regulatory, and financial concern in nursing homes. One of the most effective strategies to improve wound care is implementing structured wound rounds by an interdisciplinary team (IDT). When conducted consistently and thoroughly, wound …

Preparing for the Next Generation of Tech-Savvy Residents in Long-Term Care

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 Lauren Stenson, MSN, RN, CNDLTC, QCP, DNS-CT, curriculum development specialist for AAPACN discuss how long-term care leaders can prepare for the next generation of residents, one that is more …

Wound Rounds Template

Interdisciplinary wound rounds evaluate the effectiveness, appropriateness, and compliance of wound management. This Wound Rounds Template supports interdisciplinary review, ensures treatments are consistent with physician orders, facility policy, and current standards of practice. It also identifies opportunities for timely intervention to promote wound healing, prevent complications, and reduce the risk …

How to Advance Your Career as a Nurse Assessment Coordinator (NAC) – Part Four: Expert Level

Becoming an expert-level nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of years of experience, continuous learning, and navigating complex clinical, regulatory, and reimbursement challenges with confidence. At this stage, expert NACs are often the go-to leaders in their organizations—trusted for their judgment, relied on for their expertise, …

LTCSP Survey Resources: Surveyor Tools Updated

This ZIP file contains resources for surveyors conducting initial surveys under the Long-term Care Survey Process (LTCSP). It is a one-stop shop containing a multitude of reference materials that are provided to the surveyors going into facilities, including, for example, a document detailing their principles of documentation, a document showing …

Quality Measure IQ Series: The Re-Specified Long-Stay Antipsychotic Measure

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. For years, nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) managed the long-stay (LS) antipsychotic quality measure largely through section N of the Minimum Data Set (MDS). Accurate 7-day look-back coding was the primary lever that facilities could pull to reflect their …

Crack the Code: P0100, Physical Restraints

Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Few Minimum Data Set (MDS) items carry as much regulatory weight and ethical considerations as physical restraints. The decision to use any device that restricts a resident’s movement or access to his or her own body must balance …

TIP: January Five-Star Provider Reports Updated and Reposted

The January Care Compare refresh, scheduled for Jan. 28, 2026, was delayed. In an email response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) BetterCare stated “[they] identified an issue with one of the data files scheduled for the January 28, 2026, Nursing Home Care Compare refresh. As a result, …

TIP: CMS Adds Falls to Special Focus Facility Selection Criteria

In late January, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revised the memo QSO-23-01-NH, changing the selection criteria for the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program from staffing to falls. In the memo, CMS noted: CMS is revising the focus area for selection to emphasize the prevalence of falls among …