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Information, education, and guidance on complex topics such as MDS and care planning help long-term care administrators and managers, reimbursement professionals, and clinical staff members break down confusing regulations into easy-to-understand processes and procedures.
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Top Stories
- Trainer’s tip: Measuring joint mobility
Assess joint range of motion on the initial (admission) assessment and quarterly thereafter. For accuracy, a therapist should measure joint mobility with a goniometer.
- Range of motion and contractures
Assessment of joint range of motion is an important part of restorative nursing. You must have some type of baseline knowledge of the resident’s joint motion to show you have maintained or improved function.
- Trainer's tip: Prevention and treatment of prerenal azotemia
Prerenal azotemia is a very serious condition that can cause permanent renal damage and failure. Being aware of the resident's risk factors, prevention of dehydration, and close monitoring are always best.
- Prerenal Azotemia: Causes, signs, and symptoms
Prerenal azotemia is the most common form of kidney failure seen in hospitalized patients.
- Trainer's tip: Using food thickeners
The speech language pathologist will work with the resident and nursing personnel to teach the individualized approaches for eating and drinking to prevent aspiration and ensure proper intake. Liquids are usually the most difficult to swallow. The speech professional may recommend using food thickeners to slow the movement of fluid through the esophagus. He or she will prescribe thickening liquids to nectar, honey, or pudding consistency.
- Diet textures and food acceptance
Nursing and dietary personnel must work closely with the speech language pathologist and dietitian to ensure food acceptance. Attractive appearance and proper temperature are essential. For example, adults may be resistant to eating pureed food because it resembles baby food. The goal is to ensure that the food is the proper consistency to meet the resident’s needs and reduce the risk of aspiration.
Long-Term Care Blog
MDSCentral gives long-term care professionals MDS 3.0 news and resources to prepare for the new assessment system.
Recent Posts:
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Are there any qualifications for the person doing the MDS interview or can anyone provide this for the resident, as long as the facility approves of them doing the interview?
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The latest RAI changes: April 1 implementation
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The role of prayer and spirituality in healthcare
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On Section O0250 of the MDS 3.0, is it possible to dash through the months that are not “during the current flu season”?
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We are a hospital-based SNF and are not Medicaid licensed. Are PPS assessments required to be completed for nontraditional Medicare products? Is this dependent on whether we receive payment by levels or RUGs?