Are you ready to streamline patient care and elevate your CMS quality ratings? At HTS, we’ve developed an exclusive, one-of-a-kind calculator designed specifically for expert MDS Coordinators. This tool calculates the complex formula CMS uses to determine the Expected Discharge Function Score. With this insight, your team can align patient care strategies, ensure compliance, and optimize outcomes for higher-quality ratings.

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Quality Rating Implications

The discharge function score isn’t just a number in a chart; it is the cornerstone of how CMS determines if patient function is progressing in a manner that is expected and is used in the SNF Quality Reporting Program. The final Discharge Function Score for a given SNF is the proportion of that SNF’s stays where a resident’s observed discharge score meets or exceeds their expected discharge score. According to CMS, SNFs with low scores are “not producing the functional gains they could be for a larger share of their patients.”

 

Ready to See this Tool in Action?

Our calculator is available exclusively to HTS partners. If you’re not an HTS partner yet, let’s remedy that! We’re committed to supporting our partners well beyond the delivery of therapy services, delivering cutting-edge tools and insights that drive financial and clinical success.

Good posture is more than just how we sit or stand; it plays a big role in how we feel. Maintaining a straight position helps our bodies function better. But what exactly happens when we neglect our posture, and how can we prevent these issues as we age?

Adults often experience stiffness in their muscles and joints, making it harder to stay upright. Slouching puts extra pressure on the spine, leading to neck and back pain. It can also restrict lung expansion, making it difficult to take deep breaths. Additionally, improper body alignment can impact balance and increase the risk of falls.

Improving your posture doesn’t require drastic changes.
Small adjustments can make a big difference.

 

Here are a few simple tips:

• Check-ins: Check your posture throughout the day. Roll your shoulders back, keep your spine straight, and ensure your chin is leveled. Stretching can relieve tightness and improve flexibility.
• Move Regularly: Avoid sitting for too long. Take breaks to stretch and walk around.
• Watch Your Weight: Excess will strain your back muscles and impact your posture.
• Sleep Smart: A supportive mattress and a pillow helps your neck’s natural curve.
• Supportive Shoes: Choose comfortable footwear to maintain balance and alignment.

 

How Physical Therapy Can Help

If you have trouble with your posture, Physical Therapy can help! A Physical Therapist can assess your posture and determine what muscle weaknesses might be causing issues. Therapy will focus on exercises for core strength, flexibility, and balance. Ask your doctor about Physical Therapy.

When we talk about providing excellent care, it’s important to understand the deeper layers of what that truly means. Abraham Maslow developed a theory that represents the progression of human needs starting with basic physiological requirements all the way up to self-actualization. Essentially, it’s telling us that before individuals can focus on pursuing personal growth and fulfillment, their fundamental needs must be met.

 

 

As a health care provider, whether you are a clinician or in admissions, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs plays a large role. How our patients, partners, and stakeholders place value and perceive the delivery of care and experiences they have with us, their doctor, hair stylist, grocery store, etc. You get the picture. The lenses of our world are colored individually and driven by what we need for fulfillment consciously or subconsciously.

 

Wait…doesn’t the ‘care’ come first?

You’re absolutely right — care should always come first! But let’s face it, “care” can be highly subjective and can mean different things to different people. It’s a bit like love languages. For example, I tell my husband all I need is food, water, and compliments, while he expresses his love through acts of service.

When a new patient is admitted, the first 72 hours are crucial. This is the window in which they form their initial impressions and start to gauge the quality of care they will receive. The timing of their admission might not be ideal (such as 4:40 pm on a Friday), but that’s when they rely on you the most to ensure their transition is smooth and their environment feels safe and welcoming. As they navigate their new environment, they’re not just looking for medical care; they’re also seeking emotional reassurance and a sense of belonging.

They might not fully grasp the intricacies of what it takes to make their care effective, but they know if you are attentive, kind, and hospitable — because then you are checking all of the boxes in their “love, belonging, and esteem category”. Making time to be genuinely welcoming and considerate is not just a courtesy; it’s a fundamental part of providing high-quality care. It’s more about just being “nice”. Making our patients and families feel involved, informed, and goal-oriented is essential to coming full circle in the “CX” or Customer Experience. This ensures that patients feel seen, heard, and valued from the very start of their journey with us.

The Facility Assessment required as of August 8, 2024 was at § 483.70(e) is now moved to § 483.71.

Question: Do therapists and assistants have anything to do with the facility assessment?

Answer: Yes, therapists and assistants count as services provided which are required to be part of the facility assessment. Contracted services also count towards the requirement.

Please also note the definition of direct care staff for the Minimum Staffing Rule is different than the one used for PBJ purposes.

 

Section from the CFR:

 

Additional details to enhance our understanding of the requirements:

• Requires each LTC facility to conduct and document a facility-wide assessment to determine what resources are necessary to care for its resident population competently during both day-to-day operations and emergencies.
• The assessment must address or include an evaluation of the resident population, the facility’s resources, and a facility-based and community-based risk assessment that utilizes the all-hazards approach.
• Requires an Annual Update

 

Goals:

• Advanced equitable, safe, and quality care sufficient to meet the nursing needs of all residents and greater consistency across facilities.
• Facility assessment allows the staff to provide meaningful input regarding the facility’s operations, which has the potential to lead to a better working environment that complements retention and hiring efforts.
• Facilities are tasked with developing their facility assessments to determine the personnel needed to meet residents’ needs.

 

Definitions of Direct Care Workers and Support Staff

At § 442.43(a)(2), for the purposes of the proposed reporting provision at § 442.43(b), we proposed to define direct care workers to include: nurses (registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, or clinical nurse specialists) who provide nursing services to Medicaid-eligible individuals receiving nursing facility and ICF/IID services; certified nurse aides who provide such services under the supervision of one of the foregoing nurse provider types; licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and respiratory therapists; certified physical therapy assistants, occupational therapy assistants, speech-language therapy assistants, and respiratory therapy assistants or technicians; social workers; personal care aides; medication assistants, aides, and technicians; feeding assistants; activities staff; and other individuals who are paid to provide clinical services, behavioral supports, active treatment (as defined at § 483.440), or address activities of daily living (such as those described in § 483.24(b), which includes activities related to mobility, personal hygiene, eating, elimination, and communication), for individuals receiving Medicaid-covered nursing facility and ICF/IID services.

 

Our proposed definition of direct care worker differs from the definition of direct care staff in LTC facilities at § 483.70(q)(1), which was established for the PBJ reporting program at § 483.70(q).