Section M Pressure Ulcer/Injury: Algorithms for Present on Admission

Properly coding pressure ulcers or injuries can be tricky. AAPACN’s Section M Pressure Ulcer/Injury: Algorithms for Present on Admission helps guide the assessor on whether to code present on admission in variety of situations.     This AAPACN resource is copyright protected. AAPACN individual members may download or print one copy …

MDS v1.18.11 Is Here: How to Double-Check Efficiency for Long-Term Success

Now that the MDS version 1.18.11 item sets and the Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual v1.18.11 are in play, there are still steps that nurse assessment coordinators can take to ensure that MDS processes are as efficient as possible under the new system. These include the …

4 Essential MDS Changes Documents NACs May Have Missed

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) 3.0 User’s Manual version 1.18.11, and also a document outlining the draft-to-final changes and updated item sets (v.1.18.11 v5). But the updates and clarifications don’t end there. Nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) need …

Implement the New and Revised Resident Interviews on the MDS: How to Be Ready for Oct. 1

Most of the changes in the MDS version 1.18.11 item sets and the Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual v1.18.11 are resident-driven, says Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, QCP, CRC, a curriculum development specialist with AAPACN. “More than ever, resident interviews are the primary source of MDS …

NACs Like a Reasonable Challenge: 2023 AAPACN NAC Work Study and Salary Report

Over the last few years, nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) are being hired with less long-term care experience, being paid more, and facing a multitude of challenges including stress and burnout, staffing shortages, and increased workloads. The 2023 AAPACN NAC Work Study and Salary Report received responses from 632 NACs. The …

How the Director of Nursing Services Can Support the MDS Process

The Minimum Data Set (MDS) determines Medicare and often state Medicaid reimbursement; prompts initial and MDS-assessment-based care planning; provides data that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) uses to calculate Quality Measures (QMs) included in the Five-Star Quality Rating System, Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) program, …

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 …