Back to PDPM Basics – Part 1: The PT and OT Components

In skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), staff members often find the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) process complex and unfamiliar, especially when determining how Medicare (and, in many states, Medicaid) payment is calculated. PDPM is based on five separate case-mix adjusted components: Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech Language Pathology (SLP), …

Myers and Stauffer Medicaid Links

Myers and Stauffer provides documentation resources and training opportunities for several state Medicaid programs. Learn more below. State Clients  Alabama Iowa North Carolina Arkansas Kentucky Ohio California Louisiana Oregon Colorado Maryland Tennessee Connecticut Minnesota Texas Florida Mississippi Utah Georgia Missouri Vermont Hawaii Montana Wisconsin Idaho Nevada West Virginia Indiana New …

MDS Changes Oct. 2025 – What We Know Right Now

In this LTC NAC Chat podcast episode, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, Jessie McGill, RN, BSN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, senior curriculum development specialist with AAPACN, discuss the MDS changes coming this fall and what we know right now. Additional Resource:

Coding High-Risk Drug Classes: How to Improve N0415 Accuracy

N0415 (High-Risk Drug Classes: Use and Indication) is much more than just paperwork. This MDS item  impacts resident care through the care area triggers (CATs) and the care area assessments (CAAs), as well as facility performance across the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP), the Skilled Nursing Facility …

Out the Door, On a Leave, or Gone for Good? Uncomplicating Discharges

In the fast-paced position of a nurse assessment coordinator (NAC), keeping track of all the residents’ whereabouts can be challenging. The NAC must know who is coming into the facility and if this resident is a new admission or a readmission, as well as who has left—whether on a leave …

CMS Nursing Home Data Sets Updated

Provider Information General information on currently active nursing homes, including number of certified beds, quality measure scores, staffing and other information used in the Five-Star Rating System. Data are presented as one row per nursing home. Last Modified: June 1, 2025 • Released: June 25, 2025 Overview •Data Table •API •Download CSV …

From the CATs to the QMs: Key Impacts of MDS Section N

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 …

Resident Interview Toolkit

The AAPACN Resident Interview Toolkit helps nursing home staff conduct effective resident interviews as part of the MDS 3.0 assessment process. It provides clear guidance and resources for the entire interdisciplinary team—nurses, dietary managers, social services, activities, and others—to ask residents about their mood, memory, daily routines, and care preferences. …

COVID-19 Vaccine “Up to Date” Guidance Tracker

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated the “Staying Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines” guidance several times since requiring COVID-19 vaccinations to be coded on the MDS as of October 2024. Facility teams can track these changes by using AAPACN’s COVID-19 Vaccine “Up to Date” Guidance …