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Home Health News: Ins & Outs of Medicare Certification for Your Home Health Agency
Ins & Outs of Medicare Certification for Your Home Health Agency Becoming a Medicare-certified home health agency (HHA) opens the door to serving a wider range of patients and securing reimbursement for covered home health services. However, the path to...
Ask Proactive – Coding a Pressure Injury That Worsened During Hospitalization
Q: I have a resident with an in-house acquired Stage 2 pressure injury. He went out to the hospital for three days and upon return, it was documented as Stage 4. How should this be coded on the MDS? A: The RAI User’s Manual (v1.18.11, effective Oct. 1, 2025)...
Unreported Falls in Nursing Homes: OIG Study Findings
Unreported Falls in Nursing Homes: OIG Study Findings In September 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a concerning report related to a study with findings indicating that falls with major injury were...
Ask Proactive – What are best practices for developing a facility cannabis policy, and can staff administer medical marijuana to residents?
Q: What are best practices for developing a facility cannabis policy, and can staff administer medical marijuana to residents? A: As more states legalize medical and recreational cannabis, long-term care facilities are increasingly faced with questions about...
Major Changes to SNF VBP Program: What You Need to Know to be Successful
Major Changes to SNF VBP Program: What You Need to Know to be Successful The Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program continues to evolve, with CMS expanding the scope of this quality incentive program beyond the hospital readmission measure...
Mastering the Home Health Plan of Care: Building the Foundation for Quality and Compliance
Mastering the Home Health Plan of Care: Building the Foundation for Quality and Compliance In home health care, the Plan of Care (POC) is more than just paperwork, it’s the blueprint that guides every aspect of patient care. A well-developed POC ensures that care is...
Ask Proactive – Your MDS Coordinator could come to you at any time needing an emergency medical leave, giving notice, or simply deciding that the role is no longer a good fit. What potential challenges could arise if you don’t have an experienced person to fill the position, and what can you do to prevent issues?
Q: Your MDS Coordinator could come to you at any time needing an emergency medical leave, giving notice, or simply deciding that the role is no longer a good fit. What potential challenges could arise if you don’t have an experienced person to fill the position, and...
5 Minute Staff Retention Strategies for the Busy DON
5 Minute Staff Retention Strategies for the Busy DON Most experts agree that the main reasons for high turnover in all areas of healthcare, especially nurses and nursing assistants, include burnout, aging of the workforce and fierce competition to attract...
Home Health News: Mastering Home Health PDGM – A Guide to Thriving Under the New Payment Model
Mastering Home Health PDGM: A Guide to Thriving Under the New Payment Model The Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) has reshaped the landscape of home health reimbursement. Designed by CMS to improve accuracy and reduce overreliance on therapy treatment...
Stepping into Infection Prevention: Key Questions Every New IP Should Ask
Stepping into Infection Prevention: Key Questions Every New IP Should Ask Starting as an Infection Preventionist (IP) may feel overwhelming – balancing surveillance, education, data tracking, and compliance all at once. This Q&A highlights common questions...
Hot Topics in F550 Resident Rights: Real-World Challenges and Practical Solutions
Hot Topics in F550 Resident Rights: Real-World Challenges and Practical Solutions Ensuring residents are treated with respect, dignity, and compassion is the foundation of quality care. But in the fast-paced environment of long-term care, even the best...
Home Health News: The Impact of an Effective Intake Process in Home Health
The Impact of an Effective Intake Process in Home Health In home health care, the intake process is much more than paperwork. A strong intake process sets the tone for the patient’s experience, ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, and streamlines...
Ask Proactive – I have recently been directed, when completing the PHQ-2 to 9, that if a resident acknowledges a symptom, but is unable to give a frequency, I should dash both questions (column 1 and 2). Is this correct?
Q: I have recently been directed, when completing the PHQ-2 to 9, that if a resident acknowledges a symptom, but is unable to give a frequency, I should dash both questions (column 1 and 2). Is this correct? A: No, this is incorrect. If a resident answers “yes”...
Rounding for Outcomes for Nurse Leaders
Rounding for Outcomes for Nurse Leaders Compliance rounds can be instrumental to ensuring accountability, improving resident outcomes, and supporting QAPI initiatives. Rounding consistently and with purpose ensures that care processes meet regulatory standards...
SNF ADR Update
SNF ADR Management: Prepare for Post-Probe Surge The SNF 5-Claim Probe & Educate officially ended on June 30, 2025, but for many providers, the scrutiny is just beginning. While CMS guidance indicates that providers with 100% error rates (5/5 claims in...