Long-Term Care Survey Alert

Fail to recognize an important change related to a resident’s continence and you could face a spin-off citation: F 274 and F 272.

Surveyors are trained to determine whether there was a “significant change” in the resident’s condition and whether the facility conducted a significant change comprehensive assessment within 14 days. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a “significant change” is a decline or improvement in a resident’s status that:

1. Will not normally resolve itself without intervention by staff or by implementing standard disease-related clinical interventions, is not “self-limiting;”
2. Impacts more than one area of the resident’s health status; and
3. Requires interdisciplinary review and/or revision of the care plan. 

If there was a “significant change” in the resident’s condition and the facility did not conduct a significant change comprehensive assessment within 14 days, the surveyor is likely to initiate F274 Resident Assessment When Required. If a comprehensive assessment was not conducted, the surveyor may add a citation for F272 Resident Assessment.