F677: How to De-Risk ADL Care for Dependent Residents

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 …

Skilled Teaching and Training: Benefit From the Care Team’s Expertise

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 …

Quality Measure IQ Series: Discharge Function Score Measure

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 …

Revised SNF ABN (Form CMS-10055) Mandatory Oct. 31, 2024

With the help of contractors, CMS revised the SNF ABN, Form CMS-10055, and the form instructions.  The SNF ABN form and instructions are located in the download section and are available for immediate use, but will be mandatory for use on 10/31/2024.     Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) must issue a notice …

From Data Elements to Quality Measures: CMS Training

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course that provides a high-level overview of how data elements within CMS patient/resident assessment instruments are used to construct quality measures (QMs) across post-acute care (PAC) settings. The course also discusses the relationship between these data elements …

Section GG Web-based Training Series From CMS

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering an updated series of web-based training courses that provide an overview of the assessment and guidance to promote accurate coding of the post-acute care (PAC) cross-setting Section GG data elements. Each course contains interactive exercises to test your understanding. To …

How to Advance Your Career as a Nurse Assessment Coordinator (NAC) – Part One: Novice Level

Long-term care nurses who follow the path of becoming nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) can advance their careers and skill levels through experience and gained knowledge over time. At every stage of professional development, NACs can take steps to boost their knowledge to be prepared and access resources for success. Part …

Documentation and Monitoring for a Skilled Stay

In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, discuss documentation and monitoring for a skilled stay. Additional Resources: