susanthomas1954

Yes, you can set it any time in the first 14 days. Most people like to use day 8 just in case there is a skilled payor source. OBRA MDS coordinators like to use day 14 because it gives you a better picture for a comprehensive plan of care. Sometim...

I guess my first question is why do you want the job? Administration needs to keep a close relationship with the MDS people because it is closely tied with re-imbursement. If the administrator does not know you well, or consider you to have the ski...

Just FYI, always do your admission MDS by day 8, because when this happens, you usually have a rehab rug. Even the long term care admits, because you never know who might have missed a payor source on admission. ST

Only MDS should open the assessment in the computer, early in the look back period if possible.

The COC required for a hospice admit has up to ten days look back. If he died the second day no COC needed.

Nursing school didn't teach me the 4,000 regulations that regulate SNF's and nursing homes. Since my job as an MDS Nurse addresses over 3,000 of these regs, quality indicators and RUG levels for re-imbursement, the new grad needs to be someone who i...

You could offer to go salaried. Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger. That's too much skilled for one person, much less expecting you to do LTC. The MDS 3.0 increased time by no less than 25% per nurse. You need two full time nurses to do what ...

Andy3k: Let me know if there is a charge for this. There should be! ST ([email protected]) Thanks

Could you send me one too please? My old one is worthless now. Thanks so much. [email protected]

Our facility has a great Restorative CNA who was trained to do all our interviews for section C, and the G section for 0300 to the end. Soc svc. does section D and Q, so the only interview I have to do is the pain interview. She does all the schedu...

BTW, gotta keep an eye on the ADL charting, too, because that can change the rehab RUG as well. ST

You only do a EOT/CoT, etc if the rehab RUG level changes. If your patient has 720 minutes on the 5 day, done on day 8, and only has 719 minutes on day 15, then you gotta do the CoT to reflect that it went from Ultra to Very in that period. You gott...

Yes, tell me the logic of cutting the MDS staff when we are your only lifeline to payment for Med A patients, and that represents over 30% of your income if you are average. I am hearing the same things around town. ST

Thank you for posting this, missed the open door forum today, but got the notes from a colleague. Completely eliminates the concept of grace days, as far as I'm concerned. What's anybody else think?

Believe me, I hearby declare as law that no one misses three days of therapy while skilled for therapy. End of story.

Oh, yes, and if the Big K and others still try to get a > 40 day length of stay they will have mutiny on their hands. My administrator took one look at it and said, "Well, if they are cutting our pay by 11%, I don't see how I can get you any help...

Per the open door forum notes I received today, I believe that it will first of all, eliminate the consideration of grace days. Just do the 5 day on day 8, the 14 day on day 15, the 30 day on day 22 (each of these resets the 7 day period) then one o...

Note: When applying for other jobs, you will have to explain how the Minimum Data Set is crucial to re-imbursement and Quality improvement. No one out in the other world understands. You will have third party payer knowledge that nurses rarely get...

Do not believe for one minute that you will never go in on a weekend. Why did the last person leave? ST

Too funny, I worked for them too. It makes you really marketable on your resume though. Everyone wants the nickels you learned to earn. They just don't have the weasels teaching for them.

Well...........10 days into the job, the other RN in my office was in a serious motorcycle crash. My staff is in their mid-sixties to late seventies. The job is still humanly possible, but it is so hard to fit into a new place where a huge number o...

Hey colleagues, Recently a colleague took a position outside the MDS field, which opened our community for the "sidestep dance" of several of us moving to other facilities. I applied for and received his job, and corporate sent someone into my depar...

I carry a salt packet in my pocket to demonstrate weight bearing, and explain that "extensive" doesn't mean you are dead tired after you do it. I also ask, "If you have this many patients that are zero's, how on earth can you say you are overworked?...

Do you have any experience herding feral cats? That's always a plus as well.

And my husband always wants to know why I consider a 4 day week end a vacation..................