Webinar
Overview
The State Operations Manual, Appendix PP has undergone extensive revisions that will become effective 4/28/2025. This presentation provides an overview of the most important changes to the Surveyor guidance in Appendix PP. The most important updates include: MDS accuracy, inaccurate MDS diagnoses and coding specifically the unsupported diagnoses of Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder and Schizophreniform disorder. Updates regarding psychotropic medications include what is and is not a psychotropic medication, unnecessary medications, adequate indications for use of psychotropic medications, when a psychoactive medication is a chemical restraint, unnecessary medications and the need for informed consent before beginning or changing any medication, new guidance related to chemical restraints, staffing, discharges. Updates related to Infection Prevention and Control—specifically barrier precautions will be discussed as well as updated requirements for the Medical Director and pain management.
Instructor
Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC
Carol Maher is a Board Certified Gerontological Registered Nurse with over 30 years of long term care experience and has worked in long term care in many roles. She worked as the MDS Coordinator in a 300 bed SNF in Pennsylvania for 8 years before moving to CA to become the MDS Coordinator/Director for a 1200 bed SNF in San Francisco. She has also worked as the MDS Coordinator in a SNF that typically had 60-75 residents on Medicare in addition to 160 long-term care residents. Most recently she was the Senior VP of Utilization Services and Director of Reimbursement for large multi-facility organizations.
Carol has worked as one of the Gold Standard nurses for MDS 3.0, serving on the RAP workgroup to prepare the way for the CAAs for MDS 3.0, and participating on a number of Technical Expert Panels related to MDS, Quality Measures and care planning. A sought-after speaker, she has given presentations at AANAC, AHCA and Leading Age national conferences as well as many state organization presentations. She is also a frequent author of articles related to the RAI process and PPS. Carol served as a member of the AANAC Board of Directors for 9 years. She is presently serving as the chair of the AANAC Expert Advisory Panel and as an AANAC Master Teacher of the RAC-CT and RAC-CTA certification courses. Ms. Maher is the Director of Education for Hansen Hunter, providing MDS and Medicare classes across the country, presenting monthly educational webinars and completing compliance audits. She is the author of Long-Term Care MDS Coordinator’s Field Guide (HCPRO 2016).
Credit Hours
- 1.75 NAB hours for Nursing Home Administrators