I am constantly reminded how the complexities of nature astound me. Recently, I became aware of the impending cicada invasion that will happen this year in various regions of the United States. According...
Six years after mandate, most of state’s nursing home residents had POLST forms
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
Mar 14, 2022
By 2016, 81% of California’s long-stay residents and 68% of short-stay residents had physician orders for life-sustaining treatment recorded in the MDS.
Feds update Section GG training series for assessment, coding
By
Danielle Brown
Oct 28, 2021
A federal training series on the assessment and coding of Section GG of the Minimum Data Set has been updated, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Wednesday.
CMS must refine data on antipsychotic drug use in nursing homes, OIG says
By
Alicia Lasek
May 07, 2021
The Minimum Data Set should not be CMS’ sole source for determining the number of nursing home residents using antipsychotic drugs, according to a new report from HHS’ Office of the Inspector General.
Valid dementia verdict? Nursing home and hospital diagnoses now better aligned, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
May 03, 2021
Medicare’s dementia claim measures appear to have become more sensitive in recent years, agreeing more closely with hospital-based measures overall and for certain populations than in the past, investigators...
Antibiotics remain overprescribed in nursing homes — despite stewardship efforts, MDS study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 02, 2020
An analysis of Minimum Data Set assessments has found that overall antibiotic use in nursing homes did not change from 2012 to 2016. There was also an increase in use where no infection was reported.
Cognitively healthy residents over-diagnosed with dementia at intake: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 24, 2020
Positive delirium screenings in new SNF residents often lead to inappropriate dementia diagnoses — even in those who are cognitively healthy, investigators contend.
Success without silos
By
Julie Williamson
Sep 01, 2014
Minimum data set coordinators should get as much support as possible from colleagues as they navigate data set changes and ever-evolving requirements
House and Senate take on bills that would standardize post-acute care data collection
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 30, 2014
Both houses of Congress now officially are considering bills to standardize assessments across various post-acute care provider types. The House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees introduced...
Aggression strongly signals pain only when dementia reaches advanced stages, researchers find
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 21, 2014
For a person with dementia, the link between aggressive behavior and physical pain is strong only in the condition’s advanced stages, University of Florida researchers have found.