The International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification, 10th revision (ICD-10-CM), coding system is an essential tool needed to document and bill accurately for healthcare services in the long-term care (LTC) setting. Annual updates to both the coding guidelines and the actual codes reflect updated clinical practices, advancements in medical understanding, …
Working as a nurse in a nursing home can be overwhelming, especially if the director of nursing services (DNS) and executive leadership expect nurses to learn on the job and fail to set up a comprehensive program that includes adequate orientation (short-term training and support) and onboarding (longer-term training and …
The facility has a high number of discharges to the community every month, and the director of nursing services (DNS) feels the discharge process is a good one, as she has received no complaints from residents or staff. However, a review of the facility’s Quality Measures (QMs) tells a different …
Providing residents with the appropriate level of assistance in the activities of daily living (ADLs) is foundational to care in nursing homes, yet the ADLs consistently remain a common citation risk in the survey process. From 2021 to summer 2024, F677 (ADL Care Provided for Dependent Residents) is the eighth most-cited F-tag …
Like care plan management and evaluation and observation and assessment of a resident’s condition, teaching and training activities are a core nonskilled component of resident care that can rise to the level of a skilled service. Another way that these indirect skilled services are alike is that they historically haven’t …
The newest section GG Quality Measure (QM), the Discharge Function Score, has left many nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) with more questions than answers about how it is calculated. This measure estimates the percentage of Medicare Part A skilled nursing facility (SNF) stays that meet or exceed an expected Discharge Function …
Navigating the multifaceted role of the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) can be daunting, especially for those new to the position. Whether titled NAC, MDS coordinator, Medicare case manager, or another variant, the responsibilities are both far reaching and crucial to ensuring quality care in long-term care facilities. As facilities increasingly …
Flexible scheduling, which allows staff members to opt for shorter shifts, longer shifts, add-on shifts, and other staffing flexibilities, can be a strong tool for both recruitment and retention in long-term care, says Jasmine Travers, PhD, MHS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, assistant professor at the New York University Rory Meyers College of …
To implement the minimum nurse staffing standards for registered nurses (RNs) and nurse aides (NAs) and the increased on-site RN requirement in the Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting final rule starting as early as May 2026 on some requirements for urban …
Over 1 million people aged 65 and over live with substance use disorders (SUD) (Alliance for Aging Research, 2022). As with most trends, what is prevalent in the community will also be prevalent in nursing homes. Therefore, the director of nursing services (DNS) should understand the nuances of this disorder …
