News / Blog
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Meaningful Meetings in LTC
How much of your time is spent in meetings? Depending on your role, time in meetings may take more time than any other task or responsibility you have. Do you sometimes wonder if all these meetings are even necessary (“Could this have been an email?”) Days are busy...
Ask Proactive – While it is the resident’s right to refuse care, what are the responsibilities of the facility when this occurs?
Q: While it is the resident’s right to refuse care, what are the responsibilities of the facility when this occurs? A: As we see in the Federal Regulatory Grouping §483.10 Resident Rights, the resident absolutely has the right to refuse care. This is specified...
Missing the Boat Under Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM)
PDPM has been in place for nearly four years, and with it came the shift from payment based on resource utilization to payment driven by patient characteristics and service provision. PDPM presents with many nuances and complexities that open the door to sinking...
Ask Proactive – What are some tips to determine if the completion of the optional Interim Payment Assessment (IPA) is appropriate to impact reimbursement?
Q: What are some tips to determine if the completion of the optional Interim Payment Assessment (IPA) is appropriate to impact reimbursement? A: The IPA may be completed when a Medicare Part A beneficiary’s condition and/or the care and services provided change...
Infection Preventionist Essentials: Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Nursing Homes
As nursing home professionals, you play a crucial role in caring for vulnerable residents and maintaining a safe and healthy environment. One of the most pressing challenges faced by healthcare facilities is the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant organisms...
Ask Proactive – My facility is going through a Medicare UPIC review and received a significant number of denials followed by a demand letter requiring repayment. What are our options for appealing the decision and what is the interest rate that will apply if we aren’t able to immediately issue repayment?
Q: My facility is going through a Medicare UPIC review and received a significant number of denials followed by a demand letter requiring repayment. What are our options for appealing the decision and what is the interest rate that will apply if we aren’t able to...
QM Insights – Long Stay Weight Loss
There are 3 primary facets to the effective management of the quality measure (QM) Percentage of Long Stay Residents Who Lose too Much Weight: 1. Understanding the ins and outs of the QM calculation2. Ensuring Correct MDS Coding of Weight and Weight Loss 3....
Role of the HIPAA Privacy Officer in LTC
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) plays a critical role in nursing homes by ensuring the protection and privacy of resident’s sensitive medical information. Nursing homes handle vast amounts of personal health data daily including medical...
Ask Proactive – Do you anticipate significant changes in capturing depression end-splits for the nursing CMGs with the October 1st change to PHQ-2 to 9 from PHQ-9?
Q: Do you anticipate significant changes in capturing depression end-splits for the nursing CMGs with the October 1st change to PHQ-2 to 9 from PHQ-9? A: You’re not alone in contemplating the impact of the coming changes to capturing the depression end-splits;...
Ask Proactive – Should facilities include MDS and nurse supervisors in the daily nurse staffing data that we are required to post?
Q: Should facilities include MDS and nurse supervisors in the daily nurse staffing data that we are required to post? A: The requirement for posting staffing information at F732, is for hours worked by licensed and unlicensed nursing staff directly responsible...
Enhancing Medication Error Prevention: Beyond the “6 Rights”
Medication administration staff are well-versed in the "6 Rights" of accurate medication administration: Right Resident Right Medication Right Dose Right Route Right Time Right Documentation While these "6 Rights" form the foundation of safe medication practices, it...
Action Plan for Oct. 1st MDS Changes
The October 1st effective date of the revised MDS 3.0 item set (v1.18.11) is fast approaching. This updated version of the MDS brings with it many significant changes. The implications of these changes affect not just the completion of the MDS, but also will have a...
Ask Proactive – How do you code a Kennedy ulcer in Section M of the MDS?
Q: How do you code a Kennedy ulcer in Section M of the MDS? A: A Kennedy terminal ulcer is not a pressure ulcer. It is believed to be caused by end-of-life organ failure, with skin being the largest organ of the human body. This does not meet any of the skin...
Care Area Assessments – What’s Changing in October?
The Care Area Assessment (CAA) process is one of three components of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI). Another component, the MDS, identifies actual or potential areas of concern, and the remainder of the RAI process supports efforts to further assess Care...
Ask Proactive – In the past, when there have been significant updates/revisions to the RAI Manual, there has been changeover in the MDS Staff in our facility. How do you recommend that we prepare should this occur again?
Q: In the past, when there have been significant updates/revisions to the RAI Manual, there has been changeover in the MDS Staff in our facility. How do you recommend that we prepare should this occur again? A: While expecting change doesn’t make it any easier,...