MDS Alert

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Unless you have a photographic memory, it can be difficult to keep sight of each resident's services and clinical status. And that can be important to do at a moment's notice when surveyors ask about Mr. Jones or a physician or other provider wants a quick recap of the resident's overall facility stay.

Clever solution: Consider coming up with a single form that would allow staff to follow what's going on with a resident from admission on, suggests B.J. Roberts, RN, who works on MDSs at Loch Haven nursing facility in Macon, MO. The form could show, for example, whether the resident came from the hospital, has had falls, what types of restorative services and therapies he's received -- and how that's affected his ADLs, Roberts suggests. That way, three months into the stay, you could look at the form and identify the resident's progress, she notes.

"That's harder to do when the staff has so many different forms," says Roberts.

Pass it on: If you have a suggestion or practice that you'd like to share with MDS Alert readers, please e-mail the editor at KarenL@Eliresearch.com.