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Issue 12, December 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Restorative nursing and Part A

  Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part series. Continue reading next month when PPSA focuses...

• Uncover the truth about presumption of coverage in your SNF

  Administrative level-of-care presumption, or the presumption of coverage, means that under certain...

• Break down the coding confusion in items K5 and K6 of the MDS

  Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part story on Section K, Oral/nutritional status. A...

• PPS Q&A

  Editor's note: "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-C, founding chair...

Issue 11, November 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Day one: Assessing your resident

  Discharge summary from previous facility? Check. A preadmission questionnaire completed by a...

• Let's communicate: Residents and hearing loss in Section C

  Sometimes those sections of the MDS that seem easiest can be the ones where you most easily go...

• Weighing in on the trickiest items of Section K, Oral/nutritional status

  Editor's note: This is the first of two troubleshooting stories about Section K. Next month, we'll...

• PPS Q&A

  Editor's note: "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-C, founding chair...

Issue 10, October 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• How to lessen your lawsuit risk

  Editor's note: The following story is adapted from the book The Long-Term Care Legal Desk Reference...

• DAVE2: Think chihuahua, not pit bull

  Expect the worst, and hope for the best. That's what two facilities did upon learning that they...

• Everything you ever needed to know about Section J, Health conditions

  What makes bringing the information together for Section J, Health conditions, so...

• PPS Q&A

  Editor's note: "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-C, founding chair...

Issue 9, September 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Making your residents' quality of life a priority to comply with new F-Tags

  Editor's note: Although PPSA briefly covered new surveyor guidelines for activities, quality...

• Proper care planning can prevent resident suicide, deter depression

  Just last week, Renee Jones was an active, social, working woman. At 76 years old, she got up every...

• The ins and outs of Section I, Disease diagnoses

  What makes Section I, Disease diagnoses, a tricky one for MDS coordinators? It could be that it...

• PPS Q&A

  "PPS Q&A" is written by Rena Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-C, past chair of the American...

Issue 8, August 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Incorporate ADL tracking tools in your everyday care planning

  Editor's note: The following article and tools are excerpted from The Big Book of Care Plans: Best...

• The problems of admission assessments

  The admission assessment often contains your critical first comprehensive summary of a new...

• Why MDS errors are costly mistakes

  You know how important the MDS is to Medicare reimbursement-but do you know where the most costly...

• PPS Q&A

  Editor's note: PPSA is sorry to announce that this is the last Q&A from popular columnist Julia...

Issue 7, July 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• The OIG takes aim at MDS problems

  Once again, the government has the MDS in its sights. A new report from the Department of Health...

• Developments abound on CMS front

  CMS offered updates on many of its major projects during its June 6 Skilled Nursing Facility...

• State MDS coordinators sound off on suspect advice

  Editor's note: PPSA is pleased to bring you the first in aselection of articles in which we talk to...

• Significant confusion: Which form where?

  Even the most experienced MDS coordinators make mistakes-either on the MDS itself or during...

• PPS Q&A

  "PPS Q&A" is written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient accounting for the...

Issue 6, June 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Before you send it, triple check it

  You've heard the terms "double check" and "triple check" before: They're about rechecking your work...

• Resident pain is never normal

  Editor's note: The following piece is adapted from the book Resident Assessment and Monitoring for...

• Nine quick paths to more accurate ADLs

  If there's one area of the MDS that proves time and again to be a source of consternation, it's...

• PPS Q&A

  "PPS Q&A" is written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient accounting for the...

Issue 5, May 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• How to reach the restorative solution

  You've probably heard a lot about the importance of restorative care. But have you ever examined...

• Solving expedited determinations

  MDS coordinators should be familiar with the expedited determinations process to help ensure that...

• Understanding resident specifics under the new F-Tags

  F-Tag changes released in March indicate that surveyors will take a closer look at how far your...

• PPS Q&A

  "PPS Q&A" is written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient accounting for the...

Issue 4, April 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Rehab + extensive services = trouble?

  The new RUGs 53 system took effect January 1, but obtaining any of the nine new categories can pose...

• CMS says no rest for the MDS-weary

  DAVE 2, pay-for-performance, MDS 3.0 among updates MDS coordinators are doubtless concerned...

• PPS Q&A

  "PPS Q&A" is written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient accounting for the...

Issue 3, March 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Doctor, doctor, give me the news

  If the idea of physician certification causes your jaw to tighten, you’re not alone. And...

• How to guide the MDS newbie

  Whether you’re a new or veteran MDS coordinator, you probably remember the first time you...

• Cover residents under Medicare Part A with confidence

  When to continue and when to cut skilled services after therapy ends If you’ve worked...

• Homing in on Section H to code continence

  Editor’s note: This is the first of two troubleshooter stories about Section H. Next month...

• PPS Q&A

  "PPS Q&A" is written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient accounting for the...

Issue 2, February 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• What have you done for Part D lately?

  Now that January 1 has come and gone, the buzz hasn’t lessened regarding Medicare Part D-if...

• Do your MDSs have a paper trail?

  It’s easy for MDS coordinators to confuse the different requirements for keeping old...

• What you need for the MDS, when you need it

  As an MDS coordinator, you know the drill: A resident has an MDS assessment due, and you’re...

• Puzzling over Section B, cognitive patterns

  Section B is all about cognitive patterns, but filling it out can be a mind-boggling experience in...

• PPS Q&A

  "PPS Q&A" is written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient accounting for the...

Issue 1, January 1, 2006 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Learn to master the most miscoded items of Section I, disease diagnoses

  When you think about MDS coding woes, your mind likely skips immediately to Section G, physical...

• An MDS transmission policy and procedure

  Your nursing home likely uses a fair number of policies and procedures. After all, these documents...

• PPS Q&A

  "PPS Q&A" is written by Julia Hopp, MS, RN, CNAA, BC, vice president of patient accounting for the...