News for MDS Experts
Check out our insightful articles and current social feed of news that’s important to MDS Coordinators.
Our Latest Articles
RAI and MDS Compliance: The Importance of the Administrator in the Lineup
With the Minimum Data Set (MDS), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) created a standardized, reliable, reproducible framework for assessing long term care resident status. As a result, MDS...
Laying the Foundation – Care Area Assessments to Care Plans
Because Care Area Assessments (CAAs) are not submitted to CMS, and the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) manual offers little guidance on how to complete a CAA when compared to the Minimum Data...
Navigating the 2025 Winds of Change: New Survey Guidance
The 2025 new year has begun with a whirlwind of changes in Long-Term Care – starting with New Surveyor Guidance. CMS released an advanced copy of these State Operations Manual Appendix PP (Guidance...
🚨 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲 🚨
Missouri lawmakers are considering new legislation aimed at long-term care facilities, including a state-specific staffing mandate modeled after the federal CMS rule. The proposed bill would increase staffing requirements and tighten oversight of facility ownership.
𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀:
• Mandated minimum staffing levels in nursing homes
• 24-hour correction window for violations before they become public
• Increased accountability for facility owners
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲:
Providers are calling the mandates “ill-conceived and unrealistic” due to ongoing workforce shortages, while resident advocates argue that adequate staffing is non-negotiable for delivering high-quality care.
𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀:
• Lowest care hours per resident/day in the U.S. (3.24 vs. 3.71 national avg.)
• 68 troubled facilities identified for poor care and compliance violations
“Residents in Missouri deserve high-quality care, which cannot be achieved without greater staffing levels,” says Marjorie Moore, Executive Director of VOYCE.
𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲?
📰 Article by Zee Johnson, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News
Read more: cstu.io/70c722
#LongTermCare #NursingHomes #LTCNews #HealthcarePolicy #MedicareMedicaid #StaffingCrisis #MissouriHealthcare #SNFReform #McKnightsNews ... See MoreSee Less
State considers introducing its own nursing home staffing rule and other bills aimed at LTC providers
cstu.io
Missouri has a handful of proposed bills on the table aimed directly at long-term care facilities' staffing levels and compliance guidelines.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
This year, we’re heading to Louisville, KY for the #AAPACN2025 Conference! What would be your ideal day spent exploring the vibrant culture of Louisville? From bourbon tastings to riverfront walks, there's something for everyone.
Register now: ow.ly/wbTg50V5rw4 #LTPAC #nursingconference #RN ... See MoreSee Less
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The Office of Inspector General (OIG) Report on State Survey Agencies Need Additional Guidance to Assess Nursing Home Emergency Preparedness Programs focused on the "nursing home failures, such as resident deaths during Hurricane Ida, demonstrate continued challenges in nursing home emergency preparedness. These failures raise questions about how effective the survey process is in overseeing nursing home emergency preparedness." OIG reported their findings and recommendations in the full report. cstu.io/0f0226
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📢The draft Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Item Sets version (v)1.20.1v2 and Item Matrix are now available in the Downloads section on the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual page. The MDS Item Sets v1.20.1 will be effective beginning October 1, 2025.
This version of the item sets includes the removal of item A0800: Gender and the addition of new item A0810: Sex. The final data specs for these item sets will also include these changes.
cstu.io/2b6166 ... See MoreSee Less
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Is your team prepared for the upcoming changes to Appendix PP in the State Operations Manual?
“They all need to know who will do what and when their deadlines are. Then, they should work through their sections in a comprehensive manner to compare what is currently happening in the facility against what needs to happen to achieve compliance. "Linda Winston, RN, MSN, BS, QCP-MT, DNS-MT, RAC-CT, Senior Advisor and Executive Trainer was quoted in Carolyn Davis's AAPACN article, Appendix PP Revisions How to Create a Workable Game Plan. View the strategies for a SNF team and recommendations noted in this article to get a head start on compliance in your organization. ... See MoreSee Less
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𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗠𝗗𝗦 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀? Kristine Martinez BSN, RN, RAC-CT, RAC-CTA, QCP, DNS-CT remastered this article written on What is an MDS Coordinator published in AAPACN's LTC Partner's Perspectives. www.aapacn.org/solution-providers/what-is-an-mds-coordinator/?_cldee=3qWmNSA14yXCTu4Sq35r55bVqYAg... ... See MoreSee Less
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🎉 Fun Fact Friday: LTC Administrator Edition! 🎉
Did you know that skilled nursing facility administrators must meet rigorous state licensing requirements that often include education, exams, and ongoing professional development? 💡
Being an LTC Administrator isn’t just a job—it’s a calling to serve residents, families, and healthcare teams. To all the incredible LTC Administrators: We see you, we appreciate you, and we celebrate you! 👏
#LTCLeadership #ThankYouAdmins #FunFactFriday #HealthcareHeroes ... See MoreSee Less
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𝗞𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗸, 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗸…
Who’s there?
𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Documentation who?
𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻!😆
Accurate documentation is no joke—it keeps everything on track!
#MDSLife #StayCompliant #LongTermCare ... See MoreSee Less
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"Administrators have the opportunity to be a game changer at their facility when it comes to supporting RAI compliance and accurate MDS completion while assisting their team in making a Grand Slam. " Check out the rest of the blog to see how, written by our Assistant Director of Education Kristine Martinez. www.mds-consultants.com/rai-and-mds-compliance-the-importance-of-the-administrator-in-the-lineup/... ... See MoreSee Less
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