MDS section N (Medications)—in particular item N0415 (High-Risk Drug Classes: Use and Indication)— plays a key role in a nursing home’s ability to provide comprehensive, resident-centered care via the care area triggers (CATs) and the care area assessments (CAAs) in the care planning process. N0415 also may affect a facility’s …
Navigating Medicare Part A coverage in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) is a matter of regulatory compliance. But it’s also a daily ethical test for facility staff and administrators. In many ways it depends on the honor system, and those responsible for billing and care case management must understand and apply …
Ensuring that nursing staff have the “appropriate competencies and skills sets to provide nursing and related services to assure resident safety and attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident” is embedded at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §483.35. Discussion of staff competencies …
PRN Medication Use is one of the few sections of the revised F605 (Right to Be Free From Chemical Restraints/Unnecessary Psychotropic Medications) in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual that does not have changes that went into effect on April 28, 2025. However, the updated examples of F605 noncompliance …
Sensory impairments, such as loss of vision, hearing, taste, smell, or touch, are common among older adults, and significantly affect their quality of life. These impairments often go unnoticed or may be mistaken for cognitive decline, leading to missed opportunities for interventions, or worse, a decline in function. Residents with …
In the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) and Consolidated Billing Proposed Rule for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) does not reveal any firm proposals for new quality measures (QMs). However, CMS does serve up a simple reminder for nurse …
The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code assignment continues to be a bit of an enigma in the long-term care setting. Members regularly ask questions about ICD-10-CM coding in AAPACN’s online communities, as well as in post-education surveys, often confused about how to order the codes. …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) does not propose any new quality measures (QMs) for the pay-for-performance Skilled Nursing Value-Based Purchasing program (SNF VBP) in the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) and Consolidated Billing Proposed Rule for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. However, three QMs …
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain significant concerns in long-term care settings. They contribute to increased morbidity, extended hospital stays, higher healthcare costs, and reduced quality of life for residents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 75% of UTIs in hospitalized patients …
The long-stay Quality Measures (QMs), Percent of Residents with a Urinary Tract Infection and Percent of Residents Who Have/Had a Catheter Inserted and Left in Their Bladder, have straightforward methodology but complex underlying implications. Managing these QMs and achieving desired outcomes requires the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) and the interdisciplinary …
