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Long-Term Care Survey Alert

Compliance:
Restore Badly Eroded Faith in SNFs as a Priority
Staff with quality checks in mind — or risk big losses under feds’ new rules... Read more
RAI Manual Overhaul:
Don't Overlook These Chapter 2 Revisions
Reminder: Keep track of your facility’s layout. Chapter 3 of RAI Manual vl.12 wa... Read more
Fine Print:
Don't Depend On Self-Reported Data
Your rating could drop unless you let your facility’s strengths shine through. B... Read more
Compliance:
Pay Close Attention To These Important Revisions of the MDS
Take advantage of these helpful definitions to guide your Section G coding. Activities... Read more
Industry Notes:
Don't Let Your Patients' PHI Blow in The Wind
If you needed another reason to ensure that your business associates are HIPAA-compliant... Read more
Antipsychotic Use:
Get Ready: Surveyors Have Set Their Sights on Psychotropic Drug Use
Follow these tips to respond. Get ready to revamp your approach to dementia care &mdas... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Here's What You Need to Know about the Latest RAI Manual Changes
Watch out for updated coding instructions. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Ser... Read more
Further Reading:
Check out these resources.
CMS Survey and Certification Memo 13-35-NH. This is CMS’s updated survey guidance ... Read more
Discharge Assessments:
Don't Forget These Discharge Assessments
Tip: Your Quality Measures could suffer if you miss this assessment opportunity. Did y... Read more
Telemedicine:
Don't Forget About HIPAA Compliance
Policymakers are examining all aspects of telemedicine lately — from promoting imp... Read more
Industry Notes:
SNFs: Check Out Revised CERT Guidance
Don’t fall behind in your compliance with Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) ... Read more
Technology Use:
Get Smart with Dementia Care Innovations
Here’s how technology can help you step up your game, improving care and survey re... Read more
Medicaid:
Don't Miss This Chance To Impact Your Reimbursement
Complete your Preliminary Point In Time Report accurately with these nine steps. If yo... Read more
Don't Forget to INTERACT
Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT) is a quality improvement program... Read more
PASRR:
Follow These Pointers to Master PASRR
Tip: The SNF is responsible for appropriate completion of PASRR. Correctly coding item... Read more
Patient Privacy:
Don't Let Terminated Employees Sneak Out With Patients' PHI
Yet another HIPAA breach reinforces all the crucial reasons why you should encrypt all m... Read more
Industry Notes:
Smoothen Care Transitions For Residents
If you’re looking to improve care transitions for residents in your facility, you&... Read more
Urinary Incontinence:
Avert Costly Survey Citations
Take control of incontinence care using new quality measures. A less-than-stellar appr... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Arm Yourself With The MAR To Avoid Incorrect Reports And F-Tags
Hint: You should have no residents listed on this report. Do you forget to use one of ... Read more
F-Tags:
Determine Whether There Has Been A Significant Change
Fail to recognize an important change related to a resident’s continence and you c... Read more
MDS 3.0:
When Is The Right Time To Conduct MDS Interviews?
The correct answer may surprise you. Should you conduct the resident interview on t... Read more
Section Z:
Avoid Making These Fatal Mistakes In Section Z
5 tips will ensure your facility doesn’t have to face penalties. Keeping your Se... Read more
Patient Privacy:
Make Photography And Recordings Part Of Your HIPAA Policies
Recent class-action lawsuits have highlighted the extremely expensive consequences of he... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Get a Handle On Scheduling For Both PPS And OBRA Assessments
Here’s how to avoid a call from your State RAI Coordinator and increased scrutiny ... Read more
Section G:
Sub-items Hold The Key To Getting 'Rule Of 3' Right Every Time
Learn by example to correctly code ADLs. Looking to get a better grasp on how to apply... Read more
HIPAA Awareness:
Are Sure Your Residents' PHI Isn't in Jeopardy?
Disaster preparedness shouldn’t leave loopholes that could sink your HIPAA complia... Read more
Industry Notes:
Know What Surveyors Will Look for in Dementia Care
You have some new resources to guide you in getting an A-plus on your facility’s d... Read more
Reader Question:
When Can IV Fluids Be Part of Meds?
Question: I’m an MDS nurse and was debating the issue of IV meds with another... Read more
ADLs:
Master The Rule Of 3 Before Using The ADL Algorithm
Be on the lookout for double-lined box and asterisks. The October 2013 revisions to th... Read more
Section M:
Get Your Section M Coding On Track With 6 Expert Tips
Know when an unidentified wound is actually a pressure ulcer. Coding Section M is not ... Read more
Data Security:
Your Risk Exposure Is Even More Expensive
Follow these 6 steps to ensure your facility doesn’t take a hit. The theft of th... Read more
Staffing Strategies:
Supervise Your Supervisor In 4 Simple Steps
"Managing upwards" is not manipulation — it’s cultivating a produc... Read more
Section I:
Differentiate Between Primary and Secondary To Code Section I Smoothly
Tip: Take a close look at the patient’s plan of care. If you are confused about ... Read more
PEPPER:
Get Your PEPPER To Know Where You Stand
State percentiles will differ from the previous PEPPER release. You can download the F... Read more
Steer Clear of Tricky Section I Situations
Look to state laws for directions. Coding for Section I — Active Diagnoses ca... Read more
HIPAA Violations:
Violations of State Privacy Laws Could Leave You Holding the Bill
A breach could violate the standard of care. Even if your SNF has a cut and dried priv... Read more
Give Your BAAs A Spring Cleaning
Be mindful of important terms. Be wary of significant risks if your business associ... Read more
Industry Notes:
Could Functional-Status Quality Measures Be In Your Future?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is pushing hard to develop new fu... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Don't Miss These Section A Changes Come October
Ensure you know which of these options have been removed or modified. Gear up for the ... Read more
Section O:
Use This Guidance from CMS to Code Section O
Learn what to do if your patient receives multiple ventilation devices. If coding the ... Read more
Clear Up Confusion Over O0500 and O0400
Tip: Restorative interventions are nursing services, not therapy services. If you are ... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Implementation Date for ICD-10 Delayed
Tip: Use this breather to make certain you’re ready to transition. The entire he... Read more
Section A:
Are You Certain That Patient's Privacy Is Not Being Violated?
Warning: Your coding of A0410 hinges on the resident’s status on the target date f... Read more
Tool:
Make Screening For Pain As Easy As ABCDE
Empower your residents to participate in defining goals. The Centers for Medicare &... Read more
Industry News:
Hurrah! Most Residents Are Participating In Interviews
You’re doing some great work in ensuring that your residents’ voices are hea... Read more
Survey Strategies:
Care Planning and Medication Missteps: Expect Renewed Surveyor Scrutiny in 2014
New OIG report highlights preventable adverse events and hospital readmissions. Will a... Read more
Regulations:
Expect Revisions to Medicare Benefit Policy Manual
Necessity, not improvement, will be the criterion for therapy reimbursement. The landm... Read more
Documentation:
Ensure No Conflicting Information in Clinical Record While Documenting ADLs
Tip: Identifying patient’s problems and needs is crucial when recording treatment ... Read more
Technology Tactics:
Overlooking a Small Security Measure Could Be Costly For Your Facility
Do you keep track of when it’s time to upgrade? There is far more to preserving ... Read more
Clip and Save:
Identify 10 Signs You May Have a Security Issue
Circulate this list of red flags to watch for. You know the importance of staying on t... Read more
Industry Notes:
Improve Dementia Care With These New Tools
Improving dementia care has become a hot topic in many facilities, especially nursing ho... Read more
Pain Management:
Help Residents Who Hurt: Here's How
Surefire ways to improve your pain assessment program — and be rewarded at su... Read more
Tool:
Make Screening for Pain as Easy as ABCDE
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released this tool to he... Read more
Citation Risk:
Learn From the Case of the Missing Fentynal Patch
Take preventive measures before the surveyors hand you a citation. Proper assessment o... Read more
Resources:
Stay Up-To-Date on Pain and Related Survey Concerns
Use these resources to improve quality of care given to residents, especially the elderl... Read more
MDS 3.0:
Lock In the Correct Assessment Reference Date
Tip: The ARD drives the due date of the next assessment. There are so many kinds of as... Read more
Section L:
Watch for Potential Problems During Dental Assessment
Tip: Remember to look for mouth tissue abnormalities. When performing the assessment f... Read more
Industry Notes:
What the OIG Has in Store for SNFs This Year
Beware: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be cracking down on ... Read more
Patient Privacy:
Hidden Cameras: Protect Residents' Privacy -- And Your Reputation -- In The YouTube Era
Electronic monitoring could spell trouble at survey time. Headlines these days are lad... Read more
MDS Section Q:
Here's How to Ensure a Compliant Return To Community
Your resident’s individual rights come first. Coding a resident’s desire t... Read more
Cover The Bases With This Electronic Monitoring Checklist
Does the facility want to provide for electronic monitoring? If so, what devices will th... Read more
Are Cameras a Good Idea in Your Facility?
Weigh these video surveillance pros and cons. Consider these pros and cons as you grap... Read more
Care Area Assessment:
Delve Deeper Into Those CATs
Don’t expect your MDS software to do all the work for you. Being able to underst... Read more
Change Management:
Prepare Employees For Change With 6 Strategies
Change is inevitable in any organization. So is resistance to change. Getting your nur... Read more
Industry News
Nix Your Facility-Wide ‘No CPR’ Policy You’ll end up in hot water wi... Read more
SNF Coverage Determinations:
Landmark Legal Case Favors Nursing Homes' Ability To Provide "Skilled Care"
Be in-the-know in 2014 — or risk sanctions and denied claims. Last January long-... Read more
Discharges:
Learn The Difference Between 'Unplanned Discharge' And 'Return Not Anticipated'
Tip: If you anticipate your patient returning within 30 days, consider it a ‘Plann... Read more
Resources
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a related MLN Matters articl... Read more
Documentation Checklist:
Essentials for Supporting the Need for Skilled Services
The feds provide this cheat sheet for what to include in documentation for skilled nursi... Read more
D0200:
Avoid These Common Pitfalls When Conducting The Mood Interview
Underestimating certain signs and symptoms can be fraught with danger. You can expect ... Read more
File Management:
Is It Time To Rethink Your File Audit Process?
HR experts suggest adapting systems to keep up. New survey processes and unannounced ... Read more
Industry News
Get Ready For Heavy Scrutiny Of Your Hospital Transfers You may soon have a new qualit... Read more
Available Years:  2014  2013  2012  2011  2010  2009  2008  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002