In skilled nursing case management, will mental health assessments by the nursing staff (RN) at the start of care increase psychiatric home health nurse referrals?
Background
A report submitted to congress in regards to home health skilled nursing indicates in 2014 3.4 million Medicare beneficiaries received home health care and 17.7 billion dollars was spent on home health services. The affordable care act has enabled millions of to have access to care. Patients preference to convalescence at their place of comfort and familiar surroundings has proven to have good outcomes. The CMS has a criterion to select who qualifies for home health care. The vast majority of patients needing these services have been hospitalized for a medical illness and require further monitoring at home for symptom management. The patient has to be homebound i.e. because of their illness, the patient needs supportive aids for ambulation or due to their illness leaving their residence is medically contraindicated. CMS guidelines state a patient may leave their residence to receive health care treatment, dialysis, medical testing, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or attend adult care centers. The other homebound status qualification is cognitive decline or psychiatric impairments.
A 12-year
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CMS does look at patient readmission rates. Under the new Home health prospective payment system (HH PPS) they are recommending looking further than 30 -day readmission rate. Home health agencies are rated on the number of patient hospital re-admissions. The quality of patient care star rating is what CMS and other private insurance companies use to evaluate the care an agency provides to a patient in a 12-month period. This information is available to the public and It’s to help consumers make an informed health care decision on which agencies to