August 2018 - HTS Therapy

Good balance is being able to easily control and maintain your body’s position. Maintaining good balance and sense of body position is critical to preventing falls. Falling is the ultimate loss of balance and the leading cause of debilitating injury and premature death in older adults. Good balance is being able to easily control and maintain your body’s position. Maintaining good balance and sense of body position is critical to preventing falls. Falling is the ultimate loss of balance and the leading cause of debilitating injury and premature death in older adults. Each year, 1 in 3 adults over 65 fall each year. With millions of people falling each year, less than half will contact their doctor for help.

Common Risk Factors of Poor Balance:

Lower Body Weakness
Foot Pain / Poor Footwear
Difficulty Walking & Balancing
Vision Issues
Medications Causing Dizziness
Hazards in Your Home

What You Can Do to Prevent Falls?

Falls can be prevented. By following these tips, you can reduce your risk for falling.

Ask your healthcare provider to review your medications.
Begin an exercise program to improve your leg strength and balance.
Get an annual eye exam. Replace eyeglasses as needed.
Make your home safer. Remove clutter and tripping hazards.

Therapy Can Help Reduce Falls & Improve Balance

A physical therapist works with individuals to identify risk factors and designs an individualized program of exercises and activities with an emphasis on strength, flexibility, and proper gait. Balance may be improved with exercises that strengthen the core, back, ankle, knee, and hip muscles along with exercises that improve the function of the balance system. Occupational therapists work with you to discuss changes and modifications that can be made around your home to help prevent falls from occurring.

If you have concerns about your balance, ask your doctor if therapy can help. When you receive a doctor’s order for therapy, our physical therapy team can start immediately to help your balance and fear of falling.

Resource: www.cdc.gov/steadi/; www.healthinaging.org

As anticipated, the change to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) was finalized to go into effect October 1, 2019 (FY 2020). CMS noted that this allows providers one year to prepare for this fundamental change from the RUG-IV case-mix model to the new PDPM methodology which is based on patient condition and care needs. Preparations will involve staff education and training, internal system transitions, software development, and impact analysis. The final version of PDPM is largely the same as proposed earlier this year.

Additionally, the rule finalizes the 2.4% market basket increase for SNFs as required by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 which will result in an overall increase in Medicare payments to SNFs of $820 million (effective 10/1/18). There were no new measures adopted for the SNF Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP); however, CMS is including an added factor to consider for removal of measures for the SNF QRP.

CMS will publicly display the four assessment-based quality measures and increase the number of years of data used to display the two claims-based SNF QRP measures from one year to two years (Discharge to the Community and Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary). The SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program using the one claims-based measure (all cause 30-day hospital readmission measure) continues with updates to policies and an adjustment to the scoring methodology and an Extraordinary Circumstances Exception (ECE) policy.

Links for CMS details:

FY 2019 SNF PPS Final Rule Fact Sheet:
www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2018-Fact-sheets-items/2018-07-31-3.html

FY 2019 Final Rule (pre-publication copy):
https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2018-16570.pdf

This fall HTS will offer extensive education and training for our therapy staff and our partners in multiple locations to prepare for PDPM. Look for upcoming details.