TeamSTEPPS 3.0: Evidence-Based Teamwork Resources for Healthcare Teams

TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based program designed to optimize the performance of healthcare teams. The Welcome Guides in this section provide an introduction to TeamSTEPPS 3.0 adapted to the needs of various TeamSTEPPS roles, including:   The Welcome Guides provide a general overview of the content and structure of the TeamSTEPPS 3.0 …

Beers Criteria Update and the Impact to SNFs

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Lisa Morris, D.Ph., BCGP, FASCP, executive director of clinical services for Consana, discuss changes to the American Geriatrics Society’s Beers Criteria and its impact on skilled nursing facilities. Additional …

OSA Crash Course: Keys to Navigating this Medicaid-Only Payment Assessment

In a number of Medicaid case-mix states, the MDS v1.18.11 item sets won’t be the only MDS item sets that are implemented on Oct. 1, 2023—a fact that should temper some excitement about certain MDS items, such as section G (Functional Status), “going away,” suggests Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, …

How Will October 2023 MDS Changes Impact PDPM and Medicare Payment?

Many changes are coming to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) effective Oct. 1, 2023. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the draft of the Long-Term Care Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) User’s Manual version 1.18.11 in April with a final manual expected in August. Several of the MDS …

CMS QSO Memo: Posting of Nursing Home Ownership/Operatorship Affiliation Data on Nursing Home Care Compare and data.cms.gov

Memo # QSO-23-18-NH Posting Date 2023-06-28 Fiscal Year 2023 Memorandum Summary • Posting Nursing Home Affiliation on Nursing Home Care Compare: CMS will include ownership and operatorship affiliation information on our Nursing Home Care Compare website. • Posting Aggregate Nursing Home Performance Data on data.cms.gov: CMS will publish combined inspection, …

How to Make the Survey Process Smoother: Tips for the New Director of Nursing Services (DNS)

The director of nursing services (DNS) position is multi-faceted, and a new DNS must learn a lot quickly. Areas such as providing residents quality care and staffing take top priority, and rightfully so. However, another chief priority is on the DNS’s mind daily: survey. Poor survey outcomes can have negative …

Medicare Managed Care Basics: Critical Intel for the DNS

Data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shows that, as of January 2023, half of all Medicare beneficiaries are now enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation report. Additional CMS data released in June 2023 indicates that although the number of …

Extended Q&A from the AAPACN May 18 Live Webinar on Upcoming MDS Changes

In this podcast, Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, and Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, discuss some of the most pressing questions about the draft RAI User’s Manual v1.18.11.

Q&A: Please clarify when a device would or would not be considered a restraint?

Question: Can a winged versus a concave mattress be considered a restraint if it fits the definition? Can a tilt and space wheelchair be considered a restraint? It is being explained to me that it is not a restraint. Can someone please clarify when a device would or would not …

Did COVID-19 Slow Down Restorative Nursing? Learn How to Jumpstart the Program

Restorative nursing took a big hit in many nursing homes during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), says Carol Hill, MSN, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, CPC, president of Hill Educational Services in Warrior, AL. “Dedicated restorative nursing assistants (RNAs) and restorative nurses were often the first staff members to …