AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

2005 NH "Dear Administrator" Letters

June 10, 2005

ADSA: NH #2005-013
REVISIONS TO RAI USER’S MANUAL

 Dear Nursing Facility/Home Administrator:

This letter contains important information for facility staff responsible for completing the Minimum Date Set (MDS) assessments.

 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the release of the fourth set of updates to the December 2002 revision of the Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument User’s Manual Version 2.0. The updates are effective June 15, 2005, and include clarifications of existing policy, correction of coding examples, revision of Appendices B, C, E and I and correction of typographical errors.

The updates are available on the CMS website at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/quality/mds20/.

The June Update 2005, Chapters 1 & 3 document is 52 pages in length and includes an 18-page revision table that identifies the chapter, section, page number and description of the revision(s). Also included are the replacement revision pages for Appendices. This document is 25 pages in length and includes a one-page revision table.

The revised LTC RAI User’s Manual Version 2.0, December 2002 with subsequent updates released in August 2003, April and June 2004 and the current 2005 update is the source document for coding the Minimum Data Set (MDS) in Nursing Homes. It is the nursing home’s responsibility to assure that all staff involved in the assessment process have access to the current RAI manual.

If you have questions or need further information, please contact Marjorie Ray, RN, Washington State RAI Coordinator, at (360) 725-2487 or e-mail rayma@dshs.wa.gov

Sincerely,

Joyce Pashley Stockwell, Director
Residential Care Services

Enclosure: Summary of Changes