Q&A: Is there a waiting period to continue therapy services when a resident transitions from Medicare Part A to Medicare Part B therapy services?

Question: Is there a waiting period to continue therapy services when a resident transitions from Medicare Part A to Medicare Part B therapy services? Answer by Kim Steele RN, WCC, RAC-CT, RAC-CTA: There is no waiting period for this transition. However, therapy should complete an evaluation to transition from Medicare …

Q&A: Where can I find the CMS Quality Safety and Oversight (QSO) memos?

Question: Where can I find the CMS Quality Safety and Oversight (QSO) memos? Answer from Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT AAPACN Curriculum Development Specialist: QSO memos issued from CMS can be found on their webpage. Want to read more Q&As? Visit the AAPACN Connect community, where 15,000+ of …

SNF VBP and SNF QRP MUC List Includes VBP Nursing Hours Measure (12/21)

The annual Measures Under Consideration (MUC) List from CMS includes four SNF VBP measures and two SNF QRP measures. 2021 MUC List (PDF) from https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/QualityMeasures/Pre-Rulemaking See Appendix A for measure specifications. MUC ID Measure Title Description Measure Type Measure Steward CMS Program(s) MUC2021 -095 CoreQ: Short Stay Discharge Measure The …

SNF DNS Indicted re: Fraudulent COVID Vaccine Cards and Lying to Federal Investigators (12/21)

Case Marks First Charges Brought in District of South Carolina Related to Fraudulent Vaccine Cards Columbia, South Carolina — Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that a Federal Grand Jury in Columbia returned a multiple-count indictment in connection with the production of fraudulent COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards, the …

Communicating With Residents With Dementia – Nursing Assistant In-service Education

Participants will learn to describe the ways that dementia can affect communication and identify different measures that can assist in effectively communicating with residents who have dementia. Download now. For permission to use or reproduce this tool in full or in part, please complete a permissions form. 

5-Minute Learning Modules for Frontline Staff: Emotional and Organizational Support (12/21)

These brief videos offer self-paced learning for those on the front lines of nursing home care. This includes nursing assistants, housekeeping, dietary, and maintenance staff, and others. Emotional and Organizational Support for Staff Series This series of three learning modules features strategies to help nursing home teams recognize and manage …

AHRQ Resource Helps Nursing Home Staff Fit Respirators (12/21)

Respirators, including N95s and elastomeric respirators, help protect healthcare workers from COVID-19 and other airborne viruses. Making sure these respirators fit the face properly is essential to maximizing their effectiveness. A new AHRQ guide defines respirator fit testing and explains why it’s important, how it works and how often nursing home staff …

Q&A: Is a Significant Change in Status Assessment required for a new stage 3 pressure ulcer?

Question: Is a Significant Change in Status Assessment required for a new stage 3 pressure ulcer? Answer from Janine Cortesa RN, BSN: A stage 3 pressure ulcer may signify the need for a Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA), but not necessarily. The RAI User’s Manual in chapter 2, states …

Q&A: When a Medicare Part A resident discharges to another SNF and will continue skilled Medicare there, what assessments are required and what is the date used in A2400C?

Question: I have a Medicare Part A resident discharging to another SNF and will continue skilled Medicare there. Would I combine the OBRA Discharge with a PPS Part A Discharge assessment?  In A2400, would I put the day she discharged as her Medicare Part A end of stay or would …

OIG: Facility-Initiated Discharges in Nursing Homes Require Further Attention (11/21)

The magnitude of facility-initiated discharges in nursing homes remains unknown. Many challenges exist to identifying and addressing inappropriate facility-initiated discharges, including that neither Administration for Community Living (ACL) nor Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) collect data on the number of facility-initiated discharges, and many State Ombudsmen do not …