MDS Alert
MDS, Clinical & Coding News:
Do your residents or their families have questions about returning to the community? CMS has developed a brochure to help people understand the process, said the agency's Janet Miller in the September 15 SNF/LTC Open Door Forum. Entitled "Your Right to Get Information About Returning to the Community," the brochure can be downloaded on the Medicare website at www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11477.pdf. Providers can obtain the brochure at productordering.cms.hhs.gov. If they don't have an account, they have to set one up, but it's relatively simple to do, Miller advised. Providers can customize the brochure, she noted. You can fill in the local contact agency information, the facility's social worker/discharge planner, and the local ombudsman. The brochure says "the nursing home staff is required to ask you questions about your care. One question they will ask is, 'Do you want to talk to someone about the possibility of returning to the community?' Saying 'yes' tells the staff you want more information. It doesn't mean you have to leave the nursing home. The staff will regularly ask this question, since your needs and the services available in the community may change over time." Taking this step at discharge can help prevent postdischarge injuries and rehospitalizations. Give the resident and/or family caregiver tips to prevent falls when the resident goes home. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has a video in which physical therapist Diane Nichols provides some fall-proofing tips: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHzyX356MgM, according to a press release the organization issued for the third annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day on Sept. 23. The release also references an APTA tip sheet on how to use walkers and canes safely: "The walker or cane should be about the height of your wrists when your arms are at your sides. When using a walker, your arms should be slightly bent while holding on, but you shouldn't have to bend forward at the waist to reach it. Periodically check the rubber tips at the bottom of the cane or walker. Be sure to replace them if they are uneven or worn through." Read the press release at www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Media&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=75770. Are you ready to go with the 2011 ICD-9 code updates, which went into effect on Oct. 1? Experts advise you to update your cheat sheets, if you use them, and get rid of old ones. And make sure your information systems vendor has updated your system with the new codes. You should also purchase a new 2011 ICD-9-CMD coding manual. With the flu season approaching, be aware of these six new codes for the 2011 ICD-9 update: Editor's note: The information in the above news item comes from Eli's Home Health ICD-9. To order a free sample, call 1-800-874-9180.
MDS Alert
- Risk Management:
Resident Taking These Meds? Keep This Potential Problem on Your Risk Management List
These behavioral symptoms can be an early warning sign of a serious medication problem. The [...] - MDS 3.0 Coding:
Be Aware of These Mid-September Changes to the MDS 3.0 RAI User's Manual
Revision clarifies when it's OK to code isolation for infection. Wondering whether you can code [...] - Case Study:
Keep Residents' Skin Intact and Put Pressure Ulcers on the Fast Track to Healing
Are your staff or residents' families unwittingly undermining this common pressure-ulcer prevention strategy? The MDS [...] - Section Q:
Don't Miss This Safety Net for Identifying Residents Who May Be Able to Return to the Community
Consider this proactive strategy to help residents access the resources they need. Section Q gives [...] - Compliance:
Be on the Lookout for These 2 Part B Rehab Therapy Issues
Your Medicare and Medicaid payment could be at stake. If these two potential problematic patterns [...] - Care Planning:
Figure Out the Underlying Cause(s) of an Aggressive Episode
This simple approach can provide the solution. Suppose a resident becomes aggressive toward another resident [...] - MDS 3.0 Coding Tipster:
4 Tips for Coding Behavioral Symptoms (E0200)
RAI manual provides parameters for what to capture. To capture a resident's behavioral symptoms accurately, [...] - Tool:
Computerized Tool Allows You to Track Pressure Ulcers and Healing
Monthly pressure Ulcer Tracking Form (with sample date) - What Do You Think?:
Do Nursing Homes and Hospices Need a Single Plan of Care for Residents Receiving Medicare Hospice Care?
Answer: "While the hospice and facility need to develop a coordinated plan of care, it [...] - Stress Management Tip :
Tune Out Work-Related 'To Do' Lists and Ruminations With This Simple Strategy
This works well for some busy nurses, says expert. You have a zillion things to [...] - MDS, Clinical & Coding News:
Do your residents or their families have questions about returning to the community? CMS has [...]
