Long-Term Care Survey Alert
SURVEY & CLINICAL NEWS
Will DAVE 2 be likely to report you for potential survey violations? DAVE will report indication of fraud or "very severe quality problems," said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Sheila Lambowitz in a presentation at the March American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators conference in Las Vegas. "But in general, the DAVE on-site reviews aren't intended to be punitive," Lambowitz emphasized. DAVE reviewers will do on-site reviews looking at MDS accuracy starting in April, visiting 30 facilities quarterly around the nation.
Mark your calendars: On March 13, several fire safety requirements go into effect. The requirements include 1) replacing batteries used in emergency lighting, where required, to provide illumination for a minimum of 90 minutes; and 2) replacing roller latches commonly found in corridor doors with a positive latching device. In directions to state survey agencies and state fire authorities, CMS says that for surveys completed after March 13, deficiencies related to the installation of 90-minute duration batteries used in emergency lighting should be cited at Tag K-46, which deals with emergency lighting requirements. Facilities that haven't replaced roller latches with a positive latching device will be looking at a citation at Tag K18, which includes requirements for corridor doors and latching requirements. "Deficiencies cited at either of these tags shall have a Scope/Severity level of D, E, or F depending on how widespread the deficiency is," according to a CMS survey and cert memo (S&C-06-08).
Does tube feeding prevent aspiration pneumonia? Not according to a retrospective analysis by Kaiser Permanente (Fontanta, CA) reported in a poster session at the American Medical Directors Association's annual meeting in Dallas March 16-19. The study shows that tube feeding does not help in preventing pneumonia, especially aspiration pneumonia. "The data could be extrapolated to show that patients who are on tube feedings will end up more in the hospital/emergency room," which affects their quality of life, according to the poster presentation.
Long-Term Care Survey Alert
- SURVEY UPDATE:
What You Need To Know Now About The New Slate Of Revised F Tags
Surveyors will be ready to roll with new interpretive guidance on June 1.
If you were [...] - SURVEY MANAGEMENT:
Use Revised Survey Guidance To Scope Out Scope and Severity
Find out what CMS considers actual harm and immediate jeopardy.
What's good for the surveyors can [...] - RESIDENT ASSESSMENT:
Sidestep Blame For Skin Breakdown That Occurred In Another Setting
You have some wiggle room at F314 to avoid citations.
Just because your nursing facility "inherits" [...] - SURVEY MANAGEMENT:
Get Your Medical Director Involved At Every Step Of The Survey Process
Here's how to cut off F501 tags at the get-go.
How involved is your medical director [...] - Survey Tip:
Know When To Do A Pre-Exit
Hint: Don't save the worst for last.
A pre-exit interview can help turn around a survey heading [...] - QUALITY OF CARE:
Go On A Quest For The Best--Develop Top-Notch Nursing Policies And Procedures
7 ways to keep a step ahead of the latest evidence-based practices.
You want to do [...] - QUALITY OF CARE:
The Wrong Nursing Policies/Procedures Can Ladle Up A Numeric Soup Of F Tags
Keep your eye on these requirements.
If your policy and procedure manual doesn't spell out how [...] - CLIP 'N' SAVE:
Don't Get Stuck With An F328 Tag For Faulty Injections
Would your facility pass this survey probe?
In evaluating your compliance with F328, surveyors may take [...] - RISK MANAGEMENT:
Master Medication Reconciliation--Or Reconcile Yourself To Survey Citations
Jump on the bandwagon of this safety practice before it's too late.
If your facility thinks [...] - PATIENT SAFETY:
Could This Patient Safety Nightmare Be A Discharge Away?
Failing to reconcile a patient's meds could result in a liability wake-up call.
Picture this: You [...] - MEDICATION MANAGEMENT:
Too Many Of These Drugs Can Add Up To Anticholinergic Toxicity
If a resident develops delirium or confusion, review his meds.
One medication with anticholinergic properties may [...] - CLIP 'N' SAVE:
Check Out This One-Page Form For Medication Reconciliation
Simple is better to ensure staff have time to identify all of a resident's meds. - SURVEY & CLINICAL NEWS
Will DAVE 2 be likely to report you for potential survey violations? DAVE will report [...]
