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reporting

2025 NHSN Reporting Changes for Nursing Homes

Scheduled to take effect January 1, 2025, National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) plans to make permanent more time-consuming data collection from SNFs. Although Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a boost of 1.3% in 2025 Medicare payments to skilled nursing facilities, that same proposed home health pay rule will also make permanent…
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Are you ready?

Revised Long-Term Care (LTC) Surveyor Guidance for 2025

Significant Revisions to Enhance Quality and Oversight of the LTC Survey Process – Summary of Revised Surveyor Guidance – Admission, Transfer, and Discharge:  Chemical Restraints/Unnecessary Psychotropic Medication:  Professional Standards and Medical Director: Accuracy/Coordination/Certification: Other areas of change include: Coretactics recommends you review of the QSO memo for complete details. An Advance copy of Appendix PP and the…
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compliance

Medicaid Reimbursement Update

NYS Nursing Home CMI Project – Due to recent federal changes to the MDS 3.0, Resource Utilization Group (RUG) based case mix adjustment is no longer feasible. The NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) held an initial briefing on October 30, 2024 to discuss that change. The consulting firm, Myers and Stauffer has been contracted by…
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bed rail

NYSDOH Reports a Rise in Bed Rail Citations

Although a bed rail is not a QM consideration, it is a potentially serious survey issue under entrapment and quality of life. A facility must attempt to use appropriate alternatives prior to installing a side or bed rail and have this clearly documented. If a bedside rail is used, the facility must ensure the correct installation, use…
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medication handling

Proper Handling of Medication

As SNF consultants, we often see medication mis-handling and storage issues that can lead to non-compliance. For example, nurses handling medications with bare hands and expired stock in med rooms and supply closets. We share a few basic competencies below. If you see violations to the following, so will the surveyor on your next survey!…
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Resident w/Care giver

Understanding CMS Latest Five Star Quality Rating Methodology

With the recent July 2024 refresh to Care Compare, CMS has changed the staffing case mix adjustment to a model based on the PDPM, essentially using the nursing case mix groups to adjust for acuity. Other important changes include: The gap period used in defining termed staff has increased from 60 days to 90 days…
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fall risk bracelet

Survey Readiness…More Important Than Ever!

Published: April 9, 2024 April 2024 Update: CMS Survey Process Notice: Testing Risk-Based Survey Approach By modifying some surveys based on compliance and quality history, CMS will be able to devote more time and resources to nursing homes with lower quality whose residents are at higher risk of harm. This effort to prioritize resources for…
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compliance policies

CMS Seeks Greater Enforcement Power in Proposed SNF PPS Rule FY 2025

Published April 5, 2024 With the changes proposed by CMS for FY 2025, a SNF survey finding of noncompliance will become more burdensome. In this new rule, issued on March 28, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed several revisions to policies and payment rates used under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)…
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ppe

CDC: Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes

Published April 3, 2024 On March 20, 2024, the CDC released a memorandum updating the Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes. In summary, the memo stated: CMS is issuing new guidance for State Survey Agencies and long term care (LTC) facilities on the use of enhanced barrier precautions (EBP) to align with nationally accepted standards.…
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Resident w/Care giver

Quality Measures Update!

Published March 6, 2024
October 2023 brought the long-term care industry many changes, specifically with the release of MDS 1.18.11. One of the most impactful changes has been the removal of Section G and updates to Section GG. The update to the MDS resulted in updates needing to be made to the Quality Measures (QMs). The following QMs were updated/replaced due to the change from Section G to Section GG: