Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Showing appreciation for nursing staff doesn’t have to be defined by the size of an organization’s budget. What’s important is the thoughtfulness behind the recognition. In a profession characterized by long shifts, emotional demands, and constant change, meaningful …
Resident care observations and staff interviews are both core components of the long-term care survey process, so surveyors have multiple opportunities to interact with all levels of nursing staff, says Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, NHA-MT, director of education and certification strategy for AAPACN. “Teaching staff the survey …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. A newly admitted resident with dementia exhibits some challenging behaviors: exit seeking, refusing care, and lashing out at caregivers when approached. Helping this resident has become so problematic that some staff suggested sending him to the hospital for …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. In the complex world of Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment scheduling, discharge scenarios can often confuse even experienced interdisciplinary team (IDT) members. When a resident’s stay changes, due to either leaving the facility or a shift in payer …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) releases a proposed Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) rule, outlining potential payment updates, quality reporting changes, and regulatory revisions that will affect SNFs nationwide. The …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. The OBRA Significant Correction to Prior Assessment (SCPA), which includes the Significant Correction to Prior Quarterly Assessment and the Significant Correction to Prior Comprehensive Assessment, is one of the most misunderstood parts of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. As summer approaches, many people begin thinking about health goals, wellness check-ins, and how to prepare for more outdoor activities in the warmer months. In the long-term care ICD-10 realm, preparation takes a different form: ensuring documentation and …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. In the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) and Consolidated Billing Proposed Rule for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, officially published on April 7, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes some earth-shaking …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. In September 2025, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) rang the alarm bell on MDS coding inaccuracies involving falls with major injury, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took actions that every director of nursing …
Psychotropic medication use continues to be one of the most heavily scrutinized areas in long-term care, for good reason. At this juncture, clinical decision-making, resident quality of life, and regulatory compliance all come together. The goal is not just to avoid unnecessary medications. Rather it’s to show clearly that every …
