In the previous post, our Illinois nursing home negligence lawyer described the first of three key components to the RAI, or the Resident Assessment Instrument, which helps nursing home facilities adequately monitor its patients upon intake and throughout the course of their stay.  This component is called the Minimum Data Set (MDS), which is a standardized set of essential clinical and functional status measures.

Specific responses to MDS items alert the nursing home to potential problems for the resident, and are referred to as “triggers“.  These “triggers” are associated with specific questions on the MDS. If one or any of MDS elements is triggered, the resident is identified as someone who has or may develop specific functional or clinical problems.

These triggers help identify conditions for additional assessment and review, and prompt the nursing home to further evaluate a resident using Resident Assessment Protocols (RAPs). Triggers indicate that specific clinical factors are present that may or may not represent a condition that should be addressed in the plan of care. The MDS responses that define triggers are specified in each RAP.

The RAPs assist in the development of plans of care and aid in preventing Illinois nursing home neglect.  There are 18 RAPs in Version 2.0 of the Resident Assessment Instrument. They include items such as cognitive loss/dementia, ADL function/rehabilitation, psychosocial well- being, nutritional status, dehydration/fluid maintenance, and pressure ulcers.

If you believe you or someone you love were the victim of Illinois nursing home neglect, or your rights were violated, contact a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney as soon as possible. A competent Illinois nursing home negligence lawyer can help ensure your loved one is being given the care he or she most certainly deserves.

Popularity: 52% [?]

Share This