The Diagnosis Dilemma and Timely Documentation Needs for MDS Accuracy
Aprescriber, who has been asked by the nurse to address diagnoses on admission for several residents, replies, “I will get to that when I have time.” But the nurse explains that prompt, accurate diagnosis coding helps to ensure accurate care planning and payment under Medicare’s Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM). To be included on the Minimum Data Set (MDS), any supporting documentation must be done within a very short window of time, ranging from one to eight days. Additionally, federal regulations require a baseline plan of care, including diagnoses, be in place in the first 48 hours of a resident’s stay. (Sour...
Source: Caring for the Ages - September 29, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Amy Stewart Source Type: news
Critical Shortage of Nursing Home Medical Directors: What Can Be Done to Solve the Staffing Crisis?
It ’s no secret that the United States is in the midst of a health care workforce crisis. The severe shortage of physicians, nurses, and other health care providers can be felt across the care continuum, from hospitals and primary care providers to specialty offices and long-term care settings such a s nursing homes. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - September 29, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Victoria Walker Source Type: news
Protecting Older Adults from Harm Takes Vigilance
Back in 2007, an old friend called me for some advice about his father. I have known Brian since college. We were roommates in graduate school. He got his MBA at Wharton while I was in medical school. Our kids are the same age. He lives in my old hometown of Baltimore, MD. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - September 29, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Jerald Winakur Tags: Meditations on Geriatric Medicine Source Type: news
Together We Are Making a Better PALTC
As gardens and farms produce their last fruits and we move into autumn, we enter a season of giving thanks and gratitude. This year, I have seen the generosity of the members of AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine and so many other donors committed to PALTC and find myself in awe of what has been accomplished through your efforts. As we start the “Giving Thanks Campaign,” the Foundation for PALTC Medicine board and tireless committee members thoug ht it important to remind readers of the recent impact of your Foundation. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Heidi White Tags: Our Foundation Source Type: news
AMDA ’s New Executive Director Settles in With Her Professional Family
Michelle Zinnert, CAE, has the skills and experience that are much in demand in the corporate world, but don ’t expect to find her in the office of a Fortune 500 company. “I have worked in nonprofit management my whole career. I’ve always sought work that has more meaning and a bigger purpose. That is what has motivated me from the beginning,” she said. This passion is what brought her to AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, where she is the new executive director. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Joanne Kaldy Tags: News From the Society Source Type: news
Recommendations for Medical and Mental Health Care in Assisted Living: The Be Well in AL Coalition
Dating back to the inception of Medicare and Medicaid in the United States, older adults who required health and supportive care beyond what could be provided in a private home had little choice other than to move to a nursing home. In the ensuing decades, numerous forces led to an evolution in residential care options. These forces included an increasing number of people who required care, a shortage of nursing home beds, rising costs of nursing home care, recognition that many people living in nursing homes did not in fact require skilled nursing care, dissatisfaction with nursing homes, and awareness of a gap between in...
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Sheryl Zimmerman Source Type: news
Free Trainings for the DEA ’s Eight-Hour Opioid Treatment Training Requirement
Many of our readers may have heard about the new one-time, eight-hour training requirement focused on opioid treatment and management for all practitioners registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which came into effect on June 27, 2023. This is part of the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act, which was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act enacted in December 2022. Practitioners interested in keeping their DEA registration must complete this requirement before their next DEA registration submission. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
In This Issue
Addressing Gender Identity in PALTC Settings (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Source Type: news
Addressing Gender Identity in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care
Question: As a post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) clinician, I have received pushback from my facility leadership around asking my residents about their pronouns and around trying to educate our nursing staff on gender identity and health issues impacting the transgender community. How do I make a better impact in my facilities? (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Diane Sanders-Cepeda Tags: Dear Dr. Diane Source Type: news
CMS Announces Multistate Initiative for Primary Care
The Centers for Medicare& Medicaid Services announced the Making Care Primary (MCP) model which aims to provide high-quality primary care through better coordination across care providers, including primary care, specialists, social services, and behavioral health clinicians. Participants will receive additional resources (including prospective payments to reduce reliance on fee-for-service), data, tools, and support to build infrastructures that support the goals of the MCP model. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Tags: Spotlight on Policy Source Type: news
The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists Partners With Its Student Chapters
The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) has always valued its student members, encouraging students to volunteer and participate in any of the multiple committees within the society. Currently, there are 65 ASCP student chapters in all eight regions of the United States and Puerto Rico, which is equal to 46% of all the U.S.-based colleges and schools of pharmacy with accredited (full or candidate status) professional degree programs. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Jeanne Manzi, Lauren Zaets, Carmen Witsken Tags: Partner Perspective Source Type: news
Occupational Therapy ’s Role in Promoting Safe Sexual Activity in Residents: An Interview
Sexual activity can be an integral part of people ’s lives, and this does not necessarily change when people enter a long-term care facility. Occupational therapists (OTs) have a critical role in the adaptation of sexual activity to meet the desires and safety needs of clients interested in sexual activity. In this interview, Benjamin Canter, BA, OT/s talks with Zoe Loitz, BA, OT/s, an occupational therapy doctoral candidate at Boston University, about sexual activity as an activity of daily living (ADL) and how occupational therapy can help meet resident’s needs in this area. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Zoe M. Loitz, Benjamin E. Canter Source Type: news
Older Adults Are at Growing Risk for Sexually Transmitted Infections
When older adults are sexually active, they are at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the age 65-plus population STIs have more than doubled in the last decade. Post-acute and long-term care practitioners and staff need to know what signs and symptoms to watch for, how to prevent STIs in their residents, how to treat them when they happen, and how to talk to residents and families about this sensitive topic. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Joanne Kaldy Source Type: news
The Pandora ’s Box of Addressing Sexual Expression in Nursing Homes
There is an old saying: “Just because there’s snow on the roof doesn’t mean there’s not fire in the furnace.” The idea that older adults, even those in a nursing home, continue to have sexual desires and urges isn’t new, but there continue to be some stigmas attached to it. Staff and families often aren’t com fortable discussing sexual expression, and this can be problematic when a resident is behaving in a way that is offensive or distressing to others or even potentially harmful. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Authors: Joanne Kaldy Source Type: news
Dementia Can Change Personalities, but Happy Relationships Are Still Possible
Senior contributing writer Joanne Kaldy spoke to Daniel Haimowitz, MD, FACP, CMD, about personality changes in loved ones with dementia and what to do if your loved one develops a romantic relationship with someone new. (Source: Caring for the Ages)
Source: Caring for the Ages - August 1, 2023 Category: Health Management Tags: Caregiver ’s Corner Source Type: news
