Tips for a Comprehensive Post-Admission Medical Record Review

Admissions are vital to a facility. They may occur daily, or even multiple times a day, and should be a part of routine operations. However, the admission process can be cumbersome, and it is easy for staff to miss things, especially if the facility receives multiple admissions in a shift. …

Medical Record Audit: New Admission/Readmission

The admission process can be lengthy, and staff can miss important details. Use the Medical Record Audit: New Admission/Readmission checklist to ensure the facility has obtained critical information from newly admitted and readmitted residents and appropriately documented it in the medical record. This AAPACN resource is copyright protected. AAPACN individual …

CMS QSO Memo: Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program Revisions

Memo # QSO-23-23-NHs Posting Date 2023-09-25 Fiscal Year 2023 Title Memorandum Summary CMS is committed to reinvesting civil money penalty (CMP) funds for projects to support the quality of care and life for nursing home residents in a consistent and equitable manner. Therefore, we are revising the structure of the …

Proposed Staffing Rule: CMS Focuses on a Comprehensive Approach

In the long-awaited Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes a three-pronged, comprehensive staffing approach for Medicare- and Medicaid-certified skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and nursing facilities (NFs): “Literature evidence [e.g., here, here, …

2022 Nursing Home Staffing Study Final Report

In February 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at improving quality and safety for residents in nursing homes. One aspect of this initiative was conducting a new Nursing Home Staffing Study to help inform CMS’s approach to developing minimum staffing standards. The 2022 study final …

Behavioral Health: Eight Ways to Boost Compliance—and Help Residents—Under F740

F740 (Behavioral Health Services) is not a frequently cited F-tag so far in calendar year (CY) 2023, according to QCOR data posted on Aug. 13, 2023. However, the consequences can be severe—surveyors often issue this citation at the level of immediate jeopardy (IJ) when it does occur. Specifically, F740 is …

Psychotropic Medications in the Skilled Nursing Facility: How to Manage the Process

The use of psychotropic medications in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) is a controversial issue with implications for resident, regulatory, and financial outcomes. The many requirements can be confusing, especially for a relatively new director of nursing services (DNS). This article reviews psychotropic medication requirements and offers tips to manage …

F609 Abuse/Crime Reporting Obligations: Keys to Success

Nursing homes face significant risk and liability under F-tag 609 (Reporting of Alleged Violations), says Janet Feldkamp, RN, BSN, LNHA, CHC, JD, a partner in the Benesch Healthcare + Practice Group at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff in Columbus, OH. “This risk is more than just regulatory. There may be …

CMS QSO Memo: Posting of Nursing Home Ownership/Operatorship Affiliation Data on Nursing Home Care Compare and data.cms.gov

Memo # QSO-23-18-NH Posting Date 2023-06-28 Fiscal Year 2023 Memorandum Summary • Posting Nursing Home Affiliation on Nursing Home Care Compare: CMS will include ownership and operatorship affiliation information on our Nursing Home Care Compare website. • Posting Aggregate Nursing Home Performance Data on data.cms.gov: CMS will publish combined inspection, …

How to Make the Survey Process Smoother: Tips for the New Director of Nursing Services (DNS)

The director of nursing services (DNS) position is multi-faceted, and a new DNS must learn a lot quickly. Areas such as providing residents quality care and staffing take top priority, and rightfully so. However, another chief priority is on the DNS’s mind daily: survey. Poor survey outcomes can have negative …