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Long-Term Care Survey Alert

INFECTION CONTROL:
Win The Battle Against The Bugs Without A Battle Of Wills With Residents
Help residents with dementia cooperate with the infection-control plan.Talk about a potent... Read more
CARE PLANNING:
4 Restraint-Free Ways To Keep Residents' Hands Away From Infected And Colonized Wounds
A creative care plan can prevent spread of MRSA and other pathogens.If a resident with dem... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question: If a resident refuses to cooperate no matter what with required isolation for in... Read more
PATIENT SAFETY:
Right Medication + Wrong Patient = Avoidable Med Error And F Tag
Combat patient misidentification with these key strategies.A facility's first mistake in a... Read more
CASE STUDY:
Computer Technology Aims To Error-Proof The Medication Process
Government-funded study focuses on electronic MARs in nursing homes.The federal government... Read more
STAFF MANAGEMENT:
Ditch The Snitch Mentality--Develop A Culture of Commitment And Accountability
Enlist staff as problem-solvers to improve patient care.Does your facility have anyone on ... Read more
Compliance:
Read The Signs That You Have A Whistleblower In Your Midst
Here's how to avert a potential survey disaster--or worse.Even facilities running a tip-to... Read more
DOCUMENTATION TIP:
Do Vocab Rehab--Remove Bias From Your Charting
These common terms can signal staff doesn't like a resident.You may not always like a resi... Read more
COMMUNICATION:
A Little Empathy And 'Active Listening' Can Help Complaint-Proof Your Facility
Here's how to handle an employee whose next call may be to the state.If you're looking to ... Read more
Survey News To Use
Ready for a comeback by the MDS watchdog, DAVE? Pronouncements of DAVE's demise were appar... Read more
SURVEY MANAGEMENT:
Beware Housekeeping Turnoffs That Take Your Survey In The Wrong Direction
Are any of these lapses about to wreak F tags in your facility?The facility floors may be ... Read more
Infection Control:
8 Ways To Keep Flu At Bay Or Contain An Outbreak
Take notes from those who know firsthand what will-and won't-work.Translate hindsight into... Read more
Infection Control Tip:
Before People Say 'Achoo'...Do This
Stop flu and colds where they start.A tissue in hand is worth more than boxes of them in t... Read more
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Follow Droplet Precautions When Caring For Residents With Suspected Or Confirmed Flu
Do you know when to don a mask--or when the resident should?Does the resident have suspect... Read more
Survey Management:
Get Your Immunization Program In Line Before New F Tags Start Flying
Be on the lookout for new survey guidance.If your flu and pneumoccocal immunization progra... Read more
Risk Management:
Prepare Now For An Emerging Liability Dilemma--Residents Who Are Sexual Predators
Background checks and risk assessments may become accepted standard.Do you know if any of ... Read more
Staff Education Tip:
Roll Out The Posters For Infection Control
Engage staff in the battle against the bugs.To inject a little fun into staff education an... Read more
Legal Strategy:
To Win An Appeal, Go To The 'Horse's Mouth'
This strategy can ante up the 'rest of the story.'The CMS 2567 can say one thing but if su... Read more
Case Study:
Check Out This Behavioral Management Model For Cognitively Intact Residents
Maryland LTC group teams up with survey to tackle a growing problem.If the term "nursing h... Read more
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Behavioral Guideline Contract Spells Out Expectations For Resident Conduct
Facilities ask mentally competent residents to sign on the dotted line.Maryland nursing fa... Read more
Resident Assessment:
Use This Checklist To Detect Delirium ASAP
Don't let staff overlook this life-threatening condition.Does your facility's protocols fo... Read more
Survey & Clinical News To Use
Is your nursing home checking the nurse aide registry of other states that might contain i... Read more
Quality of Care:
Don't Let Phone Orders Dial Up IJ Citations
Write off med errors with the right strategies. Phone medication orders can be a liability... Read more
Training Tool:
Share These Phone Order 'Learning Points'
Don't accept phone orders without following these tips: Verbal/Telephone Orders Read Back ... Read more
Quality Assurance:
Stop Common Med Errors In Their Tracks
5 ways to help the medicine go down-safely.Dispensing pills looks relatively simple--and t... Read more
Survey Management:
Fix Your Maintenance Program Before It Turns Into A Broken Survey Record
Use a QA Approach to protect residents from common hazards.Time is not on your side when a... Read more
Infection Control:
Get A Jumpstart On Immunizations Before Flu, F Tags Catch Up With You
Beware: CMS will soon be tracking your immunization track record.CMS is getting serious ab... Read more
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Confused About When To Offer PPV?
Follow this chart and you won't be.... Read more
Patient Safety:
Sidestep This Potentially Lethal Medication Related Error
Develop systems to keep residents' coagulation status in the safety zone.A great safety sl... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question: Should your facility take all potentially winnable cases to informal dispute res... Read more
Care Planning:
Shed Light On Depression, Behaviors To Improve Outcomes
Light therapy, other novel remedies can be just what the doctor ordered.A case of the blue... Read more
Survey Appeals:
To Appeal Or Not To Appeal...Answer These Questions Before Rushing To Judgment
Legal experts lead you through the decision-making maze.In the heat of the survey battle w... Read more
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Watch Out For These Abbreviations
Using these shortcuts can short circuit your medication safety.... Read more
Survey & Clinical News
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is solicting input for its Nursing Home P... Read more
Survey Trends:
Buckle Your Seatbelt For Computerized Data-Driven Quality Indicators Survey
Revised survey process would widen net for catching potential deficiencies.Nursing facilit... Read more
Infection Control:
Make Sure You Cross Your T's, Dot Your I's For Diagnosing UTI
Revised F315 survey guidance gets specific about what counts as infection.Nursing faciliti... Read more
Quality of Care:
6 Ways To Keep UTI At Bay
Simple clinical practices can stamp out this common condition.Prevention is not only the b... Read more
What Do You Think?
Does cranberry juice or cran- berry gel caps reduce UTI? Giving the resident these remedie... Read more
Staff Training:
Don't Let Your Pericare Program Impair Your UTI QI
Promote best practices with these training and mentoring tips.Pericare sounds like a simpl... Read more
Survey Guidance:
Read The Signs To Diagnose And Treat UTI
Follow the F315 diagnostic roadmap.You can't cure what you don't detect. And you don't wan... Read more
Quality Improvement:
Use The New QI/QM Reports To Stay A Step Ahead Of The Survey Curve
Don't let the QIs/QMs boomerang on you.If there's a "cheat sheet" in the survey world, the... Read more
Quality Assurance Tip:
Tap Your QIO's Expertise
Vanquish a persistent problem or become a best practice facility.If you're in the market f... Read more
Case Study:
Position Your Facility To Win An Appeal Long Before You Need To Battle F Tags
Find out what constitutes your best defense if you get hit with unfair F tags.Nursing faci... Read more
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Know The Rundown Of New Quality Indicators/Measures
The revamped set includes a combo of the old QIs and the quality measures... Read more
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Check Out This Faxable Assessment Form For Dysuria
Get your data collection in a row before contacting the physician.... Read more
Survey & Clinical News
Heed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' clarification on these three fire s... Read more
Survey Compliance:
Learn The In's And Out's Of Indwelling Catheter Use Under F315
Catheters require one of these medical rationales - and a care planIf you routinely use in... Read more
Quality Improvement:
Connect The Dots Between Incontinence-Related QIs
Otherwise, you'll miss the big survey picture. Remember those quizzes in school that asked... Read more
Clinical Care:
Resident Have Chronic Diarrhea? Target These Common Culprits
These care strategies can turn around even persistent cases.Talk about a tough nursing pro... Read more
Survey Compliance:
Have Foresight: Ward Off F Tags For Shortfalls In Medical Director Oversight
Comply with the new F501 tag before it goes into effect in November.The handwriting is on ... Read more
Information Management:
Hello Doctor, The Facts Are In The Fax
Faxing assessment forms helps meet physician notification requirements. Playing phone tag ... Read more
What Do You Think?
Question 1: Does a nursing facility need an active ethics committee?  Question 2: How... Read more
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Check Out This Fax Form For Reporting Diarrhea
Use this data collection form for residents who have three or more consecutive watery stoo... Read more
Survey Management:
Jump On The Physician Credentialing Bandwagon
Ensuring physician accountability can improve your care, survey record.If your facility is... Read more
Survey Tip:
Stay Free Of This Facility's Restraint-Related Survey Snafu
Make sure surveyors don't reach the wrong conclusion about a self restraint.Picture this: ... Read more
Case Study:
Let An Ethics Committee Be Your Guide For Residents' Rights At End Of Life
The time to prevent survey and legal disputes is way before they occur. Are you looking fo... Read more
Survey & Clinical News
Ready for payment for performance or P4P? It may be coming sooner than you thought. The Ce... Read more
Urinary Incontinence:
Take The High And Dry Road To F315 Compliance
Revised survey guidance maps out assessment steps.To manage urinary incontinence under the... Read more
Quality Assessment:
Celebrate Residents' Success In Regaining Bladder Control
View the cup as half full rather than half empty.If staff tends to classify residents as e... Read more
Care Planning:
To Develop The Right Care Plan, Ask The Right Questions And Person
Here's the secret to avoid an 'F' (tag) in care planning for incontinence.If you want to c... Read more
Quality Of Care:
Short Stays May Signal Your Care Has Gone Astray
Get on top of this trend before it leads down a path to F tags.There's short and sweet&nbs... Read more
Risk Management:
Get To The Bottom Of High Rehospitalization Rates
Hint: Sometimes the answer to a problem is 'all of the above.'A high resident re-hospitali... Read more
Patient Care:
To Hospitalize? Pneumonia Risk Score Antes Up An Answer
Assessment tool for pneumonia patients can stave off QA, survey woes.Helping residents wit... Read more
Patient Assessment:
Pay Attention To These Risk Indicators In Pneumonia Patients
Certain assessment parameters may hold more sway over patients' fate.Pre-existing mood dec... Read more
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Check Out Residents' Risk For Pneumonia-Related Morbidity, Mortality
Use this tool to inform your decision to hospitalize residents. ... Read more
Survey Trends:
Look For Revamped Set Of QIs To Drive Surveys
If you've heard the changes are no big deal, you're going to be blindsided.Did you know? Y... Read more
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Cover The Bases In Assessing Urinary Incontinence
If you're missing any of these pieces, watch out.When the Centers for Medicare & Medic... Read more
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All Incontinence Is Not Created Equal
Find out how CMS defines the various types of urinary incontinence.Facilities need to iden... Read more
Survey & Clinical News To Use
-Are you on top of the June 15 RAI manual revisions? The latest update replaced a May 1 ve... Read more
Reader Questions:
Narrowing Window For Correcting Deficiencies Can Head Off CMPs
Question: Can surveyors re-cite a facility for the same problem that the facility is addre... Read more
Survey Management:
Combine Foresight And Hindsight To Avoid Getting Blindsided By Bad Surveys
Here's how to develop a winning offense before, during and after the survey."Be prepared" ... Read more
Risk Management:
Get To The Root Of Problems So The Same Ones Don't Keep Cropping Up
Hint: Know when a puddle of urine on the floor needs far more than a mop.Picture this: You... Read more
Clinical Practice:
Stave Off These 2 Common Causes Of Skin Breakdown
Don't let the road to good intentions end up paved with F314 tags.A toileting and hygiene ... Read more
Quality Assurance:
Get Your Medical Director On Board To Run A Tip-Top Survey Ship
Take advantage of this winning survey management and QA strategy.Facilities that don't giv... Read more
Quality of Care:
Medicare Part D Opens New Door For Medical Director Intervention
Beware: Residents could fall through the formulary without the right assistance. Medicare ... Read more
Medication Management:
Target Atypical Antipsychotic Use Now To Beat Surveyors To The Punch
New FDA forewarning means you need to be forearmed against F329 tags.Using atypical antips... Read more
What Do You Think?
Check out legal experts' answers to last month's questions.Question: Can facilities use OS... Read more
Survey & Clinical News To Use
-Hold the RAI manual training ... CMS plans to post revisions to the revisions on May 23 w... Read more
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If You Want To Win At IDR, Know The Rules
Here's what the State Operations Manual says states and facilities should do for informal... Read more
Best Practices:
4 Steps To Flush Away Urinary And Bowel Incontinence
These simple strategies can do more for your QIs than you might think.Improve residents' b... Read more
Best Practices:
Root Out Constipation With A Pharmacy Review
Eliminate constipating meds - or care plan to prevent problems.There's a pill for every il... Read more
Survey Management:
Think Like Surveyors- Or How CMS Says They Should
Recent surveyor training provides roadmap out of F tags.When in a survey, do as the survey... Read more
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Cover These Bases As Part Of Your Incontinence Work-Up
Incorporate this checklist into your assessment.Perform an incontinence evaluation upon ad... Read more
Survey Training:
CMS to Surveyors- Don't Rush to Judgment About Pressure Ulcer Culpability
Surveyor training example could be good news for providers.Are multiple residents with pre... Read more
Survey Appeals:
Target Surveyors' Powers Of Observation And Analysis
Surveyors' decision-making is fair game at appeals. Good news: Recent Centers for Medicare... Read more
RAI Compliance:
Keep A Clean Survey Slate With The Latest
Beware: CMS has dished up a full plate of changes.Throw out the old coding instructions an... Read more
Survey Management:
Know When To Fire Up The Copier For MDSs
RAI update clarifies requirement to maintain hard copies for surveyors.Facilities that mai... Read more
Survey Trends:
Sidestep An 'OSCAR' Award For Worst Survey Performance
Study data show disturbing survey trends ... here's how to combat them.What's the best pre... Read more
Test Yourself :
Abuse Investigation Requirements
Could your facility get an F (tag that is) for not knowing the answers to these questions?... Read more
What Do You Think?
Can facilities use OSCAR data to make a case at IDR or upon appeal that its state has a mu... Read more
Survey News To Use
Watch out for MDS Section W before CMS starts watching your flu/pneumonia immunization rat... Read more
Survey Compliance:
Conduct Abuse Investigations That Cut To The Chase
4 ways to protect residents - and keep surveyors off your case.A resident alleges abuse or... Read more
Abuse Investigations:
Stop F Tags- Cross Your T's, Dot Your I's
Documentation holds the key to being deficiency free. You know the old saw: If you don't d... Read more
Abuse Investigations:
Every Wound Tells A Story ... Make Sure It's Not One Of Abuse
Hint: A picture is worth a thousand words in sizing up wounds. Ferreting out benign bruise... Read more
Test Yourself:
Abuse Investigation Requirements
Could your facility get an F (tag that is) for not knowing the answers to these questions?... Read more
Risk Management:
Does Your Medical Director Make The Grade In Today's Regulatory And Litigation Arena?
Here's how to make sure.Gone are the days when facilities can hire just any doctor for the... Read more
Case Study:
Nip Pressure Ulcers - And F314 Tags - In The Bud
Portable ultrasound scans provide an early warning system for wounds.Prevention is always ... Read more
Care Planning:
A Step In Time Prevents Heel Breakdown In An Ambulatory Resident
Care planning stops a pressure ulcer in its tracks. Who would have known an ambulatory res... Read more
Survey Update:
CMS Presses Ahead With F Tag Revisions, Collaboration With QIOs
Here's what's rolling down the survey runway.Change may become the only constant in the su... Read more
Survey Management:
2 Survey Management Tips Can Prevent Survey Snafus Down The Line
HHS attorney offers helpful hints. If you're wondering what surveyors will be targeting ne... Read more
Survey News To Use
-Don't count on state nurse aide registries to identify CNAs who have substantiated findin... Read more
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Push Come To Shove ... Could Your Facility Pass The Surveyors' Abuse Prohibition Review?
Make sure you're covering the bases that surveyors will.Abuse Prohibition Review (Subtask ... Read more
Quality of Care:
Check The Fifth Vital Sign In Wound Assessment
Stay on top of wound pain - or your facility will be in pain on its next survey.Just as yo... Read more
Quality Reporting:
Don't Inflate Your Pain Quality Measures
Take credit where credit's due on the MDS. If a resident's pain management regimen control... Read more
Survey Management:
6 Mistakes You Never Want To Make With Advance Directives
These shortfalls offer advance warning of survey and legal woesAdvance directives help hea... Read more
Care Planning:
Advance Directives No 'Get Out Of F314 Tags
Using this excuse for a decubitus ulcer is like telling surveyors the dog ate the care pla... Read more
Abuse and Neglect Prevention:
Stop Unintentional Resident Injuries In Their Tracks
The underlying cause of residents' bruises or skin tears may lie in your staffing ratios o... Read more
End-of-Life Care:
Stay Out Of The Fray With A These Lessons From Survey Battle
Case chronicles facility's struggle with a resident's end-of-life instructions  - and... Read more
Survey News To Use
-The whole is greater than the sum of its parts ... and CMS' internal long-term care task ... Read more
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Does Your Facility's Pain Management Program Pass Muster?
Use  this chart to find out.... Read more
Reader Question:
Ward Off This Potential Patient Safety Disaster: Validate Nursing Licensure
Question: We are aware of a facility in our region that hired an LPN whose license had exp... Read more
Survey Management:
Ditch Tag-Along Tags For Pressure Ulcers
Prepare now for surveyors to do more 'root cause' analysis of wounds.No one likes a tag-al... Read more
Survey Appeals:
Use IDR, Appeals To Cut Loose Tag-Along Tags
Know when and how to defend your record.Call it quadruple jeopardy: Your facility has one ... Read more
Staffing Management:
Cure Survey And Fiscal Ills With These 4 Systemic Staffing Strategies
Follow this staffing path to stellar resident - and survey - outcomes.Expert staffing mana... Read more
What Do You Think?
Under the revised F314 tag, can facilities still make a viable argument to convince survey... Read more
Abuse Reporting:
Beware Federal Stance On Abuse Reporting Requirements
CMS clarification ignites new survey worries ... here's how to navigate the uncertainty.To... Read more
Regulatory Monitoring:
Check Out CMS' Definitions Of Abuse
Definitions offer a little wiggle room for injuries of unknown origin. Get on the same pag... Read more
Test Yourself:
What's Your Informal Dispute Resolution IQ?
True or False? 1. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services doesn't have to accept ... Read more
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When Can Your Facility Request IDR Based On Survey Revisit Results Or Previous IDR Outcome?
This handy chart provides the answers.A facility may request informal dispute resolution f... Read more
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Use This Handy Checklist To Cover The Bases
Pressure Ulcers: Essential Systems for Quality Care The following information suggests are... Read more
Survey & Clinical News To Use
CMS plans to get tougher with its Special Focus Facility Program for substandard nursing f... Read more
Survey Compliance:
Revamp Your Pressure Ulcer Program Now To Avoid Getting Burned
New F314 tag provides a cookbook formula for care - and recipe for IJ.If your facility isn... Read more
Survey Management:
Take Credit For Healing Wounds
The resident's skin may not be clear ... but your survey record can be. In the survey and ... Read more
Pressure Ulcer Care:
Stay A Step Ahead Of Heel Ulcers
Here's what surveyors will expect to see.Heels up, nursing homes: Surveyors will be honing... Read more
What Do You Think?
 Under the revised F314 tag can facilities still make a viable argument to convince s... Read more
Survey Regulations:
Don't Get Blindsided By These Changes To The State Operations Manual's Appendix PP
Beware: The revisions go way beyond new survey guidance at F314.In the electronic age, you... Read more
Regulatory Monitoring:
Step To The Beat Of Real-Time Compliance Or Dance Yourself Into F Tags
Good luck surviving today's regulatory milieu offline. If you've had trouble staying on to... Read more
Case Study:
Get CNAs On The QA Bandwagon And Watch QIs Fall In Line
Tap frontline caregivers' real-world expertise and commitment to care.To win the war again... Read more
Test Yourself:
F Tags For Antipsychotic Drugs- Assess Your Regulatory Prowess
True or False? To avoid a citation at F329 (unnecessary drugs), the facility must show the... Read more
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F314 Isn't The Only Tag In Town For Pressure Ulcers
Watch out for these 'tag along' tags.Shortfalls in preventing or treating pressure ulcers ... Read more
Survey & Clinical News To Use
If you had hoped DAVE was going away, you're out of luck.The government's MDS watchdog has... Read more
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