Mds-rugs

[RondaS]

Help! Does anyone know where I can get a book on RUGS? I need to know What triggers what RUG score. Thanks:confused:

[Talino]

I would love to have someone to bounce things off of. I am the only one in my facility that knows this stuff. So its lonely and fustrating.

There is a very active listserver which engages in ALL aspects relating to the MDS and PPS process. All you need is an email address. This listserver is a "must have" in your situation. Be forwarned 'tho since this listserver can swarm your mail box. You can, however, subscribe and unsubscribe anytime. PM me if you want the address since posting it here may be construed as an advertisement.

It would indeed be nice if a separate forum be designated for this purpose as jamiemds suggested.

[looking4help]

Hi And THanks for the info

looking 4 help appreciates the help!

[MDSnursing]

There is a very active listserver which engages in ALL aspects relating to the MDS and PPS process. All you need is an email address. This listserver is a "must have" in your situation. Be forwarned 'tho since this listserver can swarm your mail box. You can, however, subscribe and unsubscribe anytime. PM me if you want the address since posting it here may be construed as an advertisement.

It would indeed be nice if a separate forum be designated for this purpose as jamiemds suggested.

Hello All-

New to this forum as well. Sorry to bring up an old thread-was wondering if I could get some information no the list serve as well Rhonda.

Also-does any one here use generic templates for Rap's? Been thinking that there must be a more efficient way to write Rap, using a template with house protocols in it already, so you would end up customizing it to the individual resident. Kinda like using a Master care plan from the MDS software, and individualizing it. Any one have any idea's? I am swarmed, and end up getting pulled to the floor quite often. Love direct care, however once weekly is causing me to fall behind. We have 65 beds, with 28 skilled beds. Averaging 5 Medicare, and 55 long termers (OBRA).

Any help would be a lifesaver. Would love to see a an MDS forum.

Thanks All!

[evalesco]

I can't believe the MDS nurse is pulled to the floor where you work, I guess your company don't care too much about the money the MDS brings in. Anyways, you only need to indicate why the rap triggered, you don't need to put a big long summary. For example a dehydration rap that triggered due to a patient taking lasix, only needs to say....

Rap triggered due to use of 40mg lasix po BID, proceed to care plan.

That came directly from the NASPAC training I went to. Diane Brown (editor of the MDS briggs 2.0 manual) told me that herself. I used to write a paragraph or 2 in my rap summarys. But she explained that everything you put in the rap will be in the care plan and why write it twice. Hope this helps.

[MDSnursing]

No Way!!!

It cant be that easy. So your saying that its ok to not address whether they have symptoms of dehydration? Or house protocol to address fluid maintenence, such as routine water passes, etc? Amazing. I have been writing essays. Maybe need to start a new thread-have so many questions as to how everyone else is doing certain things-like are your resident being placed on alert status during your assessment period. What assessment tools do you use., etc. Job responsibilities. Will start one later. Thank you all for your help.

Struggling in Seattle.

[evalesco]

The rap just indicates risk factors for dehydration, delirium, falls etc. But if you have a resident who is actuall showing s/s of dehydration that would be in your nrsg. notes, right? And your care plan should outline what your interventions would be for fall prevention, dehydration, etc.

I'm thinking if I hit that someone was dehydrated I would have labs nrsg. notes, MD intervention, etc. all which would be in the chart. To make the rap simple I would write...........

Resident was at risk for dehydration due to UTI and use of lasix BID, labs indicate a BUN of 65, MD was notified and orders are in the POS dated 10-19-06. Proceed to care plan.

Simple and it just tells you to find the information in the POS. Your care plan has the problem....at risk for dehydration r/t..............

then your goal---------------will be hydrated by evidence of blah, blah, blah,........

and then all your interventions...........

provide H2O, labs, MD etc etc.

Does that make sense?????

Maybe your state is different? But I was told by NASPAC and a state surveyor that the rap should be short and simple.

[JPR12]

You might want to contact a company we use at my home called Harmony-Healthcare. They came in and did an audit and found over $30k in one month of revenue due to different RUG levels and MDS coding and then taught our staff on skilled nursing and MDS

[ociannrs]

I ran across that situation. Discharge the day after being admitted, they were a late admit & therapy was not there to eval. They leave (hospital, home) & therapy misses the eval. You have to code yes for ordered therapies, but where therapy would enter projected minutes, they can't because they didn't eval. You have to enter zeros & you will get a non-rehab rug. Hopefully, you can get IV's, etc. to capture extensive services for a higher rug. They cannot be projected into a RM because they were not eval'd.

The facility that I work for has a regional MDS nurse that is available for questions & does certification courses for my companies MDS coordinators. When I had that situation just a week or so ago, that is what she advised me to do.