Section GG 3-Day Assessment Periods and Algorithm

Effective Oct. 1, 2023, section GG will be required on all OBRA and PPS assessments for all long-term care residents. This results in many different section GG assessment periods depending on the assessment type(s). The Section GG 3-Day Assessment Periods tool (Page 1) will guide the nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) …

Section GG Data Collection Tool

AAPACN has updated the Section GG 3-Day Data Collection Tool to include all of the new self-care and mobility items effective Oct. 1, 2023. This AAPACN resource is copyright protected. AAPACN individual members may download or print one copy for use within their facility only. AAPACN facility organizational members have …

Finalized RAI User’s Manual: Eight Key Points to Know

In preparation for the upcoming Oct. 1, 2023, implementation of the also-just-updated v1.18.11v5 MDS item sets, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the final Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual version 1.18.11 and a draft-to-final change table. Highlights of these revisions include the …

Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Frequency Report Website

Effective August 21, 2023, MDS 3.0 Frequency data will be available from a new location on the data.cms.gov website (https://data.cms.gov/quality-of-care/minimum-data-set-frequency). This new website replaces the previous MDS 3.0 Frequency Report webpage which was decommissioned on August 1, 2023. Users will find very similar information on this new website to that …

CMS iQIES MDS FAQs

Table of Contents 1. Launch/Help Questions 1.1 Will iQIES have the same spec version at launch as QIES (version 3.00.1 including Errata Version3.00.8)? _____________________________________________ 1.2 How do I register for iQIES? 1.3 Whom can I reach out to if I have questions related to iQIES? 2. User Role Questions 2.1 …

Solving the Mystery: How to Document for Section GG

Section GG, Functional Abilities and Goals, will expand to all OBRA assessments starting Oct. 1, 2023, with the retirement of the section G activities of daily living (ADL) items. This change disrupts the long-standing practices and policies facilities have developed to capture episode-level-of-care information from nurse aides on the section …

RAI Manual v1.18.11 Surprises: PPS Discharges Get More Complex

Note: This is the third in a series of articles reviewing key issues in the draft v1.18.11 Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual that could prove to be disruptive for busy nurse assessment coordinators (NACs). The first two articles were “RAI Manual v1.18.11 Surprises: Section M and …

Infusion Therapy: Solve These Clinical and Documentation Issues to Provide Better Care

Infusion therapy services are so inherently complex that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) identifies “intravenous or intramuscular injections and intravenous feeding” and “enteral feeding that comprises at least 26 percent of daily calorie requirements and provides at least 501 milliliters of fluid per day” as two of …

Effective Business Case Development for Budget Wins and Better Care Outcomes

The phrase “budget development time” often elicits moans and groans from facility leadership. During this process, leadership usually asks the director of nursing services (DNS) if he or she has any requests of items to include in the budget. Often, the DNS makes a list of nursing department wants and …