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Long-Term Care Survey Alert

Quality of Care:
Protect Residents and Your Survey Record With This Dysphagia Management Plan
5 savvy strategies put you on the right path for addressing this difficult issue. Detecti... Read more
Resident Assessment:
Are You Including This Publicly Available Assessment In Your Risk Management Toolkit?
Nip potential complaints in the bud before they grow into F tags or abuse investigations.... Read more
Survey Hot Tip:
If Your Facility Uses Feeding Assistants, Make Sure You Don't Do This
Avoid this recipe for IJ. Feeding assistants can improve a resident's nutritional status ... Read more
Test Yourself:
What Does the Revised F325 Surveyor Guidance Say About Swallowing Disorders?
See if you're up to speed on what surveyors will consider. Which of the following accurat... Read more
Tool:
Check Out Scripted Resident, Family Interview Questions as a QI Tool
Find out what's really on people's minds in time to turn things around. Here's a sampling... Read more
Risk Management:
Get Families in Your Court to Keep Your Facility Out of Court
Hint: Counter false expectations, respond to this often unrecognized psychosocial reality... Read more
MDS Corner:
How Do Mandatory Patient Lifting Require- ments Affect ADL Coding on the MDS?
Check out the pivotal answer to this reader question. Question: Our facility is thinking ... Read more
Survey & Regulatory Update
A recent OIG report casts nursing homes in a bad light, especially for-profits. "Trends i... Read more
Survey Management:
Expect Surveyors To Scour Your Food Sanitation Practices
Get up to speed to beat serious F371 citations under the tougher survey guidance. If you ... Read more
Psychosocial Care:
Follow These Best-Practice Strategies For Managing The Suicidal Resident
This medical emergency can and does happen in nursing homes -- are you prepared? As part ... Read more
Survey Management:
Immediate Jeopardy Requires Immediate Action: Follow This 4-Prong Plan
Include these tactics in your survey survival toolkit. Hearing that the facility may be h... Read more
Communication:
Prevent Investigations Or Worse: Give The Right Information To Hospitals In Time
This simple advice can avoid a world of trouble for your nursing facility. Suppose your f... Read more
Staffing:
3 Savvy Staff Management Strategies Put Your Facility On A Deficiency-Free Trajectory
It's about attitude and taking action to protect residents. Developing a culture of staff... Read more
MDS Corner:
Check Out This Roundup Of RAI Developments
MDS 2.0 clarifications, MDS 3.0 crosswalk are on the list. If you're not on top of the la... Read more
Tool:
F371 Survey Guidance Provides This Handy Chart To Help Prevent Food-Borne Illness
If you're wondering what causes various types of food-borne illness -- and looking for pre... Read more
Survey & Clinical News To Use
Looking for a way to get attending physicians on board with providing more non-pharmacolo... Read more
Risk Management:
Never Say Hospital 'Never Events' Can't Come Back To Haunt Your SNF
Here's what you need to know and do now. If Medicare's no-payment policy for a list of "... Read more
Medicare:
Check Out The Hospital Never Events Going Into Effect Oct. 1
CMS is also encouraging state Medicaid programs to adopt these. Medicare won't pay the ex... Read more
Beef Up Your Nutritional Care To Improve Resident And Survey Outcomes
This menu of strategies provides a good start for sidestepping F325 tags. Revised F325 su... Read more
Survey Management:
Steer Clear Of These Common IJ Traps
Careful: Some of these occur when facilities are trying hard to do the right thing.... Read more
MDS Corner:
Improve Continence, RAI Compliance And Prevent F315 Tags
Follow these tips and you will likely see a dip in your QI/QMs. Incontinence can lead to ... Read more
Survey & Clinical News
Nursing home residents taking medications for dementia and incontinence may be at risk fo... Read more
Reader Question:
So You're Thinking Of Getting Out Of Medicaid ...
It's possible to do, but you have to cover these bases. Question: Our nursing facility is... Read more
Quality & Survey Management:
Rise And Shine: Don't Let CMS' New Star-Rating System Get You Down
Learn the ins and outs of this latest effort to quantify nursing home quality. The Center... Read more
Improving Oral And Dental Health Can Pay Off In Unexpected Ways
Find out why and how to target this important area of care and growing survey focus. Taki... Read more
MDS Corner:
Got Questions About MDS 3.0? Check Out These Key Points About The New Instrument
Could these 2 sentinel events go away with the MDS 2.0? Read on ... Questions abound abou... Read more
Patient Safety:
Ramp Up Now For The Joint Commission's 2009 Patient Safety Goals
If you consider these as being for accredited facilities only, you're missing a huge QI a... Read more
Case Study:
Inside Tips Will Help Get Your Pain Program In Tip-Top Shape
Provider shares lessons learned and quality improvement perspectives. To rein in its pain... Read more
survey & clinical news
More revised F tags are in the wings. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Servi... Read more
Survey Management:
Keep Sight Of What You're Doing Right When Making Quality Improvements
How to save time, money and head off F tags. You know the sayings "Don't fix what isn't b... Read more
Cover These Bases For Background Checks Or Risk Survey Liability
Taking these simple steps can offer more protection than you might think. An apple a day ... Read more
Clinical Management:
Get The Pills Right For This Ill: Stave Off Common Pitfalls In Parkinson's Care
Your facility hasn't tried everything until it's done this. Poorly managed Parkinson's di... Read more
Best Practices:
Climb The Learning Curve For Giving The Shingles Vaccination To Elders: What You Need To Know
Contraindications exist, as does a challenge to administering the vaccine. Not only is sh... Read more
Quality Of life:
Think Outside The Box When Devising Ways To Support Residents' Spirituality
These creative tips can give your programming a fresh perspective. Offering residents opp... Read more
MDS Corner:
Shore Up Assessment, Coding, Care For Unintended Weight Loss
4 strategies will trim down your quality indicator. A high prevalence of unintended weigh... Read more
LTC Trends:
Forewarned Is Forearmed: CMS Action Plan Highlights What's Rolling Down The Survey Pike
Brace yourself for F-tag revisions, beefed-up quality reporting and more. It's not a crys... Read more
7 Simple Things Can Make A Big Difference In Quality Of Life
Don't miss the quality-of-life forest for the clinical trees. In the quality-of-life real... Read more
Infection Control:
Unsafe Injection Practices Can Lead To A Painful Dose Of Survey Consequences
CDC outlines infection control breaches to watch out for. Beware: Improper injection prac... Read more
Informal Dispute Resolution:
Thinking Of Going To IDR? These Tips Can Tip The Balance In Your Favor
5 ways to stack the cards for success. Informal dispute resolution can be part of an effe... Read more
Behavioral Management:
Don't Let Your Body Language Send The Wrong Message To An Aggressive Resident
These moves help you soothe, defuse an escalating situation. If a resident begins acting ... Read more
Clip And Save:
Follow These CDC Infection-Control Recommendations For Blood Glucose Monitoring
CDC directive focuses on diabetes care procedures and techniques. • Prepare medications... Read more
Behavioral Management:
When Is Physical Intervention The Safest Option For Managing Resident Aggression?
Prevent unnecessary 'take downs' and accusations of abuse. When a resident lashes out wit... Read more
Behavioral Management:
Documentation Is Key If Staff Engage In A Resident 'Take Down'
Be prepared to explain your rationale and training for using this last-resort technique. ... Read more
CLINICAL NEWS
Heads-up: Anticholinergic medications may accelerate cognitive decline in older people. T... Read more
Risk Management:
Fight A Rise In IJ Citations With Awareness, The Right Survey Management Plan
Don't get caught in an avoidable nightmare. Brace yourself: Nursing facilities may be get... Read more
Address This Growing Risk Management Challenge:
Residents Who Harass Staff
If your focus is solely on the resident's behaviors and well-being, watch out. Talk about... Read more
Behavioral Management:
Use A Tiered Approach To Preempt Aggression
Tailor interventions to the level of behavior. To care for cognitively intact residents w... Read more
Staffing Management:
The Right Staffing Plan Can Help Prevent Residents From Harassing Certain Caregivers
The key is to be up-front about the approach. Not all residents act out equally or at all... Read more
MDS Corner:
Ensure Your Physical Restraint Coding And Quality Indicator/Measure Are On The Mark
Ready for a quick restraint refresher? Physical restraint use is one of those survey hot ... Read more
Tool:
Tap The Psychosocial Well-Being RAP
Help the resident solve a problem ... support a strength. TRIGGERS A well-being problem ... Read more
SURVEY & CLINICAL NEWS
If residents are taking Singulair, be on the lookout for behavior and mood changes and su... Read more
Reader Question:
Would This Half Bedrail Count As A Restraint?
Question: Would you count a half rail as a restraint if the resident uses it to pull up i... Read more
Quality of Care:
Move Your Skin Care Program To The Head Of The Class
To correct a problem, you have to identify, address and monitor it -- here's how. To rein... Read more
Balance Culture Change Efforts With Regulatory Realities
This framework will help citation-proof your facility. Everyone's talking about the benef... Read more
Survey Management:
Create Solutions Rather Than Citations: Collaborate With Surveyors On Culture Change
Follow this long-term care provider's lead. Giving survey agencies and surveyors a heads ... Read more
Staffing Management:
Try This CNA Staffing Model For Better Outcomes In Multiple Areas
Find out why you should try this approach -- and tips to make it work. Looking for a way ... Read more
Quality Reporting Trends:
Heads Up: Nursing Facilities Targeted For Help With High-Risk Pressure Ulcer Quality Measures
This is a list you could end up on no matter what -- what to do now. The Centers for Medi... Read more
Survey News
Trends in survey appeals outcomes show a disquieting pattern. If 2007 was any indication,... Read more
Medication Safety:
Rein In Inappropriate Antibiotic Use To Ensure These Meds Help Rather Than Harm
Check out 5 components of an effective oversight program. Too much of a good thing can tu... Read more
Survey Management:
Let OSCAR 3 And 4 Help You Provide A Top-Notch Survey Performance
Here's how these reports can help you know what surveyors know about the facility. There'... Read more
Audits Can Uncover, Target Problems With Antibiotic Use
These steps can provide key QA information. Looking to improve antibiotic prescribing and... Read more
Quality of Care:
Resident Shedding Pounds Due To Poor Appetite? Target These 2 Often-Overlooked Causes
The answer to why a resident isn't eating may be easier than you think. When a resident s... Read more
Quality of Life:
Boost A Resident's Enjoyment Of Food: Avoid A 'Cookie Cutter' Approach To Meals
Keep your weight loss QI/QM in the healthy range. Food can provide not only physical nour... Read more
Risk Management:
Cut To The Chase In Promoting Fire Safety: An Expert Explains How
Make sure this plan becomes second nature for all staff. When a fire occurs, the race is ... Read more
MDS Corner:
Know When To Do An SCSA For Palliative Care Residents
A terminally ill resident receiving palliative care has a decline in condition that affec... Read more
Resident care:
Ramp Up Your Infection Control Patrol To Battle Clostridium Difficile
Beware: C. difficile-associated diarrhea has become increasingly lethal. Clostridium diff... Read more
Clinical Care:
Pull Out All The Stops To Stop The Spread Of C. Difficile
3 good practices help you rein in infection before it's too late. To contain C. difficil... Read more
Survey Management:
Have A Plan To Manage These Critical Aspects Of The Survey
Failing to do this can land you a failing survey. Facility staff may not be the ones hand... Read more
Quality Improvement:
3 Must-Do Survey Tactics Can Shoo Away F Tags
This three-pronged approach will keep the facility on its toes and in the know before, dur... Read more
MDS CODING CORNER:
Is Your Facility Overcoding Urinary Tract Infection In Section I2?
It may be if you haven't incorporated the January 2008 RAI manual update. The Centers for... Read more
Risk Management:
Head Off Abuse And Neglect By Identifying, Addressing Physical And Behavioral Care Burden
This systematic, creative approach will earn you kudos from surveyors. You don't need a c... Read more
Quality of Life:
Reframe Cognitive Impairment To Help CNAs Provide Better Dementia Care
These simple steps can improve quality of life for residents and staff. Perception is eve... Read more
Survey News
The HHS secretary could end up being the final arbiter in departmental survey appeals. Th... Read more
Clinical Management:
4 Strategies Target Top Causes Of Avoidable Rehospitalizations
It's time to get on this bandwagon. Preventing avoidable rehospitalizations protects resi... Read more
Communication:
Check Out This 'Calling The Family' Script For Residents With Changes In Condition
Review what to say and ask before picking up the phone. Talk about backtracking: That's w... Read more
Quality Improvement:
Calling The Doctor--Guidance for Nurses
Medical director provides suggested format for getting info in a row. Nurses who prepare ... Read more
Survey Management:
Don't Let Residents Flagging On The Low-Risk Pressure Ulcer QI/QM Heighten F-Tag Risk
How to analyze residents experiencing this sentinel event. Scenario: A facility's latest ... Read more
You Be The Surveyor:
Which F Tag Would You Hand Out In These Scenarios?
Read the following case examples and circle the F tag you think best applies. 1. Resident... Read more
Psychosocial Care:
Try this Combo Of Strategies To Improve Psychosocial And Survey Outcomes
Tap this winning trio of care planning, protocols and survey management. Looking for some... Read more
Survey Trends:
CMS--Publicly Releases List Of Worst Performing Facilities
Here's what you need to know about the 'special focus facility' program. The Centers for ... Read more
Process Improvement:
Short On Time And Staff? Lean On This Novel Quality Improvement Approach
These process improvement strategies help you truly work smarter. If you're tired of doin... Read more
SPECIAL FOCUS:
Survey Management: Meet PASRR Requirements, Residents' Mental Health Needs Or Risk Survey Scrutiny
Real-life survey tale provides cautionary lessons for NFs. The Centers for Medicare &... Read more
SPECIAL FOCUS:
Survey Compliance: Follow These Key Pointers About PASRR And Mental Illness
Ignore the requirements at your own peril. Knowing the ins and outs of OBRA-required Prea... Read more
Clinical Care:
Improve Bone Health, Reduce Fractures With Osteoporosis Medications
3 strategies can head off this stealthy disease. Treating residents for osteoporosis can ... Read more
Care Planning:
The RAPs Can Keep Your Care In Tune With Residents' Needs
These strategies will keep you from singing the survey blues. The Resident Assessment Pro... Read more
Resident Assessment:
Easy Dietary Strategies Combat Lactose Intolerance
Resident got milk issues? Help him avoid GI distress. Lactose intolerance can be a big pr... Read more
Resident Assessment:
Recognize Potential Sx Of Lactose Intolerance
Look for this big clue. In assessing someone for potential lactose intolerance, timing is... Read more
Survey & Clinical News
If your facility uses disinfectants on electronic patient care equipment or even computer... Read more
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