MDS Item O0110: Get Ready for Multiple Look-Back Periods on the Same MDS

This Oct. 1, 2023, MDS 3.0 item O0100 (Special Treatments, Procedures, and Programs) will be retired and replaced with O0110 (Special Treatments, Procedures, and Programs) as part of the transition to the v1.18.11 MDS item sets. The revised item includes new columns, many new treatment subitems, and look-back period changes …

Who Is the Infection Preventionist? If It’s the DNS, Reconsider

Nursing homes must designate “one or more individuals as the infection preventionist (IP) who is responsible for assessing, developing, implementing, monitoring, and managing the infection prevention and control program (IPCP),” which includes the requirements at F-tags F880 (Infection Prevention and Control) and F881 (Antibiotic Stewardship Program), according to the new …

How—and Why—to Maximize Your Staff’s Communication Skills

This Oct. 24, surveyors will begin enforcing mandatory communication training requirements to ensure that direct-care staff can communicate effectively with residents under F-tag F941 (Communication Training) in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality, Safety, and Oversight memo QSO-22-19-NH. …

Baseline Care Plan: Connecting the Dots to the Comprehensive

Unlike the baseline care plan, the comprehensive care plan is largely MDS-based and analysis-driven, points out Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP, a long-term care and senior living clinical consultant for Briggs Healthcare in Clive, IA. “It goes beyond the minimal requirements for the baseline. As a result of these differences, some …

Staffing Data Now Posted on Care Compare (1/22)

Jan 26, 2022  As part of its commitment to improve transparency and help families and caregivers find the best quality of nursing home care for their loved ones, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin posting for the first time ever, staff turnover rates and weekend staff …

Care Compare January Refresh of SNF QRP Data Available (1/22)

The January 2022 refresh of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) data is now available on Care Compare and Provider Data Catalog (PDC). The data are based on quality assessment data submitted by SNFs to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from Quarter 3, 2020 through Quarter 1, 2021 (3 …

CISA: Implement Cybersecurity Measures Now to Protect Against Potential Critical Threats (1/22)

This CISA Insights is intended to ensure that senior leaders at every organization in the United States are aware of critical cyber risks and take urgent, near-term steps to reduce the likelihood and impact of a potentially damaging compromise. All organizations, regardless of sector or size, should immediately implement the …

CDC Call Recording: COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Guidelines Review (1/22)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently updated COVID-19 quarantine and isolation recommendations for healthcare and non-healthcare settings. During this COCA Call, presenters discussed the science supporting these changes, the populations and settings to which these changes apply, and additional precautions people should take at the end …

Family Arguments and Grievances: How to Dial down the Tension

Family arguments and grievances can have a negative impact on residents and families if nursing homes don’t employ an organized approach to setting expectations and communicating with families. The following steps can help directors of nursing services (DNSs) focus both staff and families on the need to put the resident …