MDS section N (Medications)—in particular item N0415 (High-Risk Drug Classes: Use and Indication)— plays a key role in a nursing home’s ability to provide comprehensive, resident-centered care via the care area triggers (CATs) and the care area assessments (CAAs) in the care planning process. N0415 also may affect a facility’s …
Ensuring that nursing staff have the “appropriate competencies and skills sets to provide nursing and related services to assure resident safety and attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident” is embedded at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §483.35. Discussion of staff competencies …
PRN Medication Use is one of the few sections of the revised F605 (Right to Be Free From Chemical Restraints/Unnecessary Psychotropic Medications) in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual that does not have changes that went into effect on April 28, 2025. However, the updated examples of F605 noncompliance …
In the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) and Consolidated Billing Proposed Rule for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) does not reveal any firm proposals for new quality measures (QMs). However, CMS does serve up a simple reminder for nurse …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) does not propose any new quality measures (QMs) for the pay-for-performance Skilled Nursing Value-Based Purchasing program (SNF VBP) in the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) and Consolidated Billing Proposed Rule for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. However, three QMs …
A well-run care conference or care plan meeting can help the interdisciplinary team (IDT) improve the resident’s quality of care and quality of life by establishing a more resident-centered, individualized, culturally competent, and trauma-informed care plan, says Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, IPCO, QCP, ICC, director of reimbursement and …
The nurse assessment coordinator (NAC) brings a unique understanding of facility operations and resident needs that can reap critical benefits for the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program, says Lauren Stenson, MSN, RN, CNDLTC, QCP, DNS-CT, an AAPACN curriculum development specialist. “You keep track of the documentation that is …
The revised surveyor guidance in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual that goes into effect on April 28, 2025, does not include any updates to F-tag 838 (Facility Assessment), says Robin Hillier, CPA, STNA, LNHA, RAC-MT, president of RLH Consulting in Westerville, OH. “Revised F838 guidance already went into …
Some nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) may believe that having a care conference (aka care plan meeting) with the resident and/or their responsible party or family member is a regulatory requirement. “However, no regulations actually use the term care conference,” says Scott Heichel, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-CTA, DNS-CT, IPCO, QCP, ICC, director …
Nurses play a key role in the early identification and treatment of sepsis, assessing the resident and reporting to the physician or nonphysician practitioner (NPP), as well as potentially managing residents with sepsis in-house in some cases. Nurse leaders can take the following steps to help nursing staff effectively assess …
