Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) MDS Coding Explainer Video

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is offering a 4-minute, animated explainer video, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Items: Using Sources Other Than the Resident to Code for SNF providers. This video is intended to assist providers in accurately determining when the use of other sources is allowed for SDOH items: A1005. …

PDPM Clinically Complex Nursing Qualifiers: Coding and Documentation Refresher

The Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) includes four ways for a resident to classify into the Clinically Complex category of the Nursing payment component. If a resident has conditions or is receiving services that qualify for Extensive Services, Special Care High, or Special Care Low, but does not have a PDPM …

Tricky NAC Issues Even Some Experts Miss

Nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) definitely experience variety in their jobs, to state the obvious. Management and completion of the Minimum Data Set/Resident Assessment Instrument (MDS/RAI) process, Medicare management, and ICD-10-CM coding are just a few of the areas they are expected to master in their role. With these responsibilities alone, …

CDC: Implementation of PPE in Nursing Homes to Prevent Spread of MDROs

https://www.cdc.gov/long-term-care-facilities/hcp/prevent-mdro/PPE.html KEY POINTS How to implement personal protective equipment (PPE) use in nursing homes to prevent spread of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs). Summary of recent changes Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes – Video, Posters, Pocket Guide Videos Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes …

Physician Services: How to Level Up From F-Tag Compliance to Better Quality of Care

In calendar year 2023, F712 (Physician Visits – Frequency/Timeliness/Alternate Nonphysician Practitioners (NPPs)) was the most frequently cited F-tag among the six physician services citations—and only 0.8 percent of nursing homes received that citation, according to QCOR data released April 10, 2024. For immediate jeopardy citations, F710 (Resident’s Care Supervised by …

Improving Resident Outcomes Through Collaboration

Improving resident outcomes is a top priority for nursing home teams. Outcomes, good or bad, not only affect the residents and their families but also influence the facility’s Quality Measures (QMs), Five-Star ratings, and regulatory results. Collaboration is key to achieving improvement, or at the very least, preventing decline. This …

Prepare for a Collaboration with Therapy Using SBAR

Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual states that every resident must receive treatment and care to promote the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. This optimal treatment and care requires collaboration. When the nursing department involves therapy in discussions about changes in residents’ conditions, they can improve resident …

The Importance of Facility Culture

In this podcast, Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, curriculum development specialist for AAPACN, and Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, discuss facility culture—what it is, why it’s important, and how listeners can assess and implement strategies to improve their culture. Additional …

Seven Ways NACs Can Be Proactive With New Medicare Advantage Plan Rules

A skilled nursing facility (SNF) accepts a resident in a Medicare Advantage plan for admission after the plan provides a prior authorization. The resident receives skilled services for the allotted amount of time, and the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) and the rest of the interdisciplinary team follow the plan’s rules. …

SNF QRP: Where Is It? Where Is It Going?

Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) today must manage more than 40 Quality Measures (QMs) from several different programs: the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 QMs, Five-Star Quality Rating System, SNF Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program, and SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP). The scope of quality management and improvement can be overwhelming, and …