Stroke is a common issue among residents in long-term care facilities. When caring for this population, staff often focus on physical issues, yet post-stroke residents often have emotional or behavioral changes as well. It is important for staff to understand how a stroke can affect residents’ psychosocial well-being. By recognizing …
Many new nurse assessment coordinators (NACs)—and even some experienced ones—don’t understand what counts as a late MDS assessment, what counts as a missed MDS assessment, or what the financial ramifications are for late vs. missed assessments in the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS), says Robin Hillier, CPA, …
Someone with an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 130 may be considered above average for intelligence but still not understand the complexities of the MDS 3.0 Quality Measures (QMs). This series of articles on QMs will improve the QM IQs of healthcare professionals in long-term care, starting here with two long-stay …
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 …
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, …
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 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 …
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. …
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 …
The director of nursing services (DNS) in a nursing home often is presented with a newly hired nurse practitioner (NP) or other advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) as a fait accompli (i.e., a done deal), but no matter who is hiring the NP, the DNS should get involved and ask …
