About

WHAT SETS US APART

- CONTACT HOURS APPROVED BY CA BRN & CA BVN-PT

- PRINTED RAI MANUAL INCLUDED

- LIVE, 3-DAY COURSE

- NOT A GENERIC COURSE: STATE-SPECIFIC ITEMS NOT IN THE RAI MANUAL ARE INCLUDED

MDS/RAI Advisor provides the only live MDS Training (Minimum Data Set Training) approved by both the California Board of Registered Nursing Provider CEP # 16627 and Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians Provider # V10855 as continuing education course provider available to the public for 13 contact hours to RNs and LVNs. (To verify the course approval with the appropriate Board of Nursing, click on links above.)

Even though the course provides 13 CE contact hours, the actual practical class hours equals to a total of 17 hours and 45 minutes! This is more than other MDS classes that say their course is over 6 weeks, but actually, their class hours may be less than 15 hours- spread out over 6 weeks.

The contact hours are also valid for other States who accept State Board-Approved continuing education contact hours.

Others companies are approved by third parties which may not be accepted by the State Boards.

With that in mind, MDS/RAI Advisor's MDS 3.0 Training covers all of the chapters in the RAI (Resident Assessment Instrument) manual, the manual that the whole United States of America is using to code the MDS assessments; therefore, the Certificate of Completion is valid proof that the individual has received a full, formal MDS Training on how to code the MDS and what the RAI process entails for all of the United States.

REASON WHY SEATS ARE LIMITED:

MDS/RAI Advisor's MDS 3.0 Training is a full, comprehensive MDS course covering core essential elements of the RAI manual and also includes items not in the manual- the state-specific items that applies to all states. For example, if the attendee hails from Florida, then MDS/RAI Advisor will include Florida's state-specific information on certain MDS sections. No other MDS training will include this. Why? Because other companies have no seat limitations and can have up to 50 attendees from 50 different states, then it would take too long, too impractical for them to discuss all 50 states about information not in the RAI manual; therefore, those other companies do not include state-specific item. MDS/RAI Advisor, on the other hand, ensures that the attendees' state-specific information is part of the MDS training- by keeping our number of seats limited. We make sure that attendees will be provided with their state-specific MDS items. Basically, MDS/RAI Advisor's MDS 3.0 Training is more comprehensive than any other offered nationally.

PRINTED RAI MANUAL IS INCLUDED:

Another difference is that there is no need to spend another $150 to $200 for the RAI manual! For the 3-day MDS 3.0 Training, a printed RAI manual is already included in the price.

Others only provide a print out of a manual of training materials but NOT the actual official RAI manual from CMS. Others sell the RAI manual separately. With MDS/RAI Advisor, the PRINTED RAI manual and shipping are already included in the course fee.

And if you are currently reading all the way down here, you might as well find out that the last thing that sets us apart is that we try to make our courses NOT boring. We have attended many MDS-related trainings over 30 years. We know how it can be monotonous and not very interesting. We try to make our sessions a little different. Thousands of attendees have taken MDS/RAI Advisor's MDS classes. Many are return attendees or new clients in need of MDS orientation or for an extensive MDS review.

In short: MDS/RAI Advisor delivers the best combination of depth, cost-effectiveness and quality for MDS training.

Here’s why:

Most actual instructional hours: About 13 to 17 hours and 45 minutes of focused training over 3 days, breaks excluded.
Affordable price: Currently around $795, which gives you the best hours-per-dollar value among providers.
Comprehensive content: Covers all core MDS 3.0 topics, with live-stream or in-person interaction and access to up-to-date resources.
Additional state-specific information that is not in the RAI manual is provided
No need to purchase the RAI manual separately. The printed official guidebook, the RAI manual, is included to accompany the MDS training for greater understanding and critical clinical application of key concepts.
Nationally recognized: Provides a Certificate of Completion and state-board approved CE for nursing professionals.

For more details about the upcoming MDS 3.0 Training by MDS/RAI Advisor, click on MDS Training tab on top of page or click here. For other MDS-related courses such as Medicare/PPS: Advanced Course or MDS Refresher, click here.

MISSION: "Discover what no one else knows: How to do a thorough assessment is no secret."

Discover what many leaders in Skilled Nursing Facilities & Long Term Care Facilities do not know. Many Directors of Nursing and Administrators do not know the full definition of "fall" and are in for a surprise when that topic is discussed in our MDS Training. Whether finding out something about your resident that no other staff knows or discovering an error in the MDS manual that CMS will need to clarify, being thorough makes an MDS assessment more accurate.

MDS/RAI Advisor provides full MDS training and MDS-related educational opportunities to accurately assess residents and accurately code the MDS. MDS/RAI Advisor caters to nurses and other Interdisciplinary Team members of Skilled Nursing Facilities, Nursing Homes and Non-Critical Access Swing Bed Facilities to provide the following:

We got answers...

from Sections A through Z.

Our message for SNFs & NFs Administrators + Director of Nursing:

"Help them help you."

Help your staff know the MDS process and, in turn, they will help provide the best plan of care, documentation and reimbursement for your facility. Private, in-house training in your facility can be arranged. One-time facility review of the MDS process can be arranged depending on location and schedule. A follow-up visit or quarterly visits are additional options- the choice is yours. Please contact us for rates.

MDS (Minimum Data Set)/RAI (Resident Assessment Instrument) Advisor provides consultant services to the MDS Nurse and Interdisciplinary Team in Skilled Nursing and Long Term Care Facilities regarding the MDS according to CMS guidelines for better quality of care and proper Medicare reimbursement.

Improve quality of care: In 2010, MDS had a major revision to what is now known as MDS 3.0. The MDS 3.0 has interviews that were added to allow the resident's voice- to include expression of the resident's personal preference.

Avoid losing revenue from miscoding: Having started more than 30 years ago in SNF/Long-Term Care, the lead MDS Advisor utilizes that experience to find areas in each chart to improve the resident's care and to code for optimal reimbursement. An MDS Advisor is instrumental in finding areas of improvement and to provide solutions thereby minimizing costly scenarios.

Improve 5-Star Rating: MDS/RAI Advisor reviews Quality Measure reports, audits charts and develops plan of action to improve the facility's 5-Star rating, if applicable.

Lower staff turn-over: MDS/RAI Advisor understands that many facets of the RAI need clarification. MDS Nurses, Social Services, Activity Department and Dietary Services will be provided support and guidance so that they can focus on caring for the residents and staying in the facility for continuity of care.

Contact us if you need further information of the services. Private, in-house training and facility visits to review the facility's MDS process can be arranged for most of Southern California. Special arrangements can be made for other locations in California.

For more details about the upcoming MDS Courses by MDS/RAI Advisor, click here.

WHO DOES MDS ASSESSMENTS

IDT

Who Can Do MDS Assessments?

Some websites have WRONG information about who can do MDS assessments. A BSN degree is NOT required to do an MDS assessment. There are many awesome, expert lead MDS nurses who are LVNs/LPNs! One does NOT have to be MDS certified to start doing MDS assessments. Licensed nurses are NOT the only ones that can input MDS data! Talk to your facility's MDS coordinator or MDS nurse and you can confirm all of these. Better yet, read on. Find out below what the actual regulation says...

The RAI (Resident Assessment Instrument) consists of the MDS (Minimum Data Set) and the CAA (Care Area Assessment). Members of the IDT (Interdisciplinary Team) are usually assigned to answer certain sections of the MDS and the CAA portions, depending on the facility's policy and procedure, depending on the job descriptions and depending on your State.

These IDT members who have been trained on how to answer (code) the MDS can input data on the MDS: Social Service Designee, Dietary Supervisor/Designee, Therapists, Activity Directors or Activity Assistants, CNAs, DON, Administrator, LVNs and RNs. These IDT members may fill out the CAA as well. Therapists (PT/OT/ST) who are not in-house usually do not sign the MDS but provide answers to sections pertaining therapy treatments. The Business Office and/or Admission Department input resident demographics into the facility's software that sometimes automatically transfers into the MDS assessment. BUT one thing is for sure: An RN must sign the MDS as complete when all the sections are completed.

Want a simple answer? IDT members can answer sections of the MDS forms and a Registered Nurse must certify the MDS as complete.

Want the legal, long-form answer verbatim? Below are the regulations regarding completion of the MDS from the MDS manual, also known as the RAI (Resident Assessment Instrument) manual. The manual is currently entitled Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Long Term Care Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User's Manual version 1.20.1:

The RAI process Federal regulations at 42 CFR 483.20 (b)(1)(xviii), (g), and (h) require that

(1) the assessment accurately reflects the resident’s status

(2) a registered nurse conducts or coordinates each assessment with the appropriate participation of health professionals

(3) the assessment process includes direct observation, as well as communication with the resident and direct care staff on all shifts.

Nursing homes are left to determine

(1) who should participate in the assessment process

(2) how the assessment process is completed

(3) how the assessment information is documented while remaining in compliance with the requirements of the Federal regulations and the instructions contained within the manual.

Given the requirements of participation of appropriate health professionals and direct care staff, completion of the RAI is best accomplished by an interdisciplinary team (IDT) that includes nursing home staff with varied clinical backgrounds, including nursing staff and the resident’s physician. Such a team brings their combined experience and knowledge to the table in providing an understanding of the strengths, needs and preferences of a resident to ensure the best possible quality of care and quality of life.

If you want to find out a little bit more, like what an MDS nurse does, check out our free articles here.

If you want to check out some MDS-related resources, check out our Free Forms & Resources page here.

If you are interested in taking an MDS class, check out the list of MDS courses here.