Home Health Blogger

Melissa Cott

Recent Posts

Home Health Ethics: Explaining Patient Rights on Admission

In the healthcare setting, ethical behavior includes

      1. respecting patient choice,
      2. protecting patient confidentiality, privacy, and security, and
      3. administering health care services according to professionally-accepted standards of practice.

Posted by Melissa Cott on Nov 9, 2023

OASIS M1720: Help Patients Manage Anxiety

If the patient reports anxiety and its noted on the OASIS assessment, make sure you include anxiety management in your careplan.

Your patient may be anxious and/or depressed because illness prevents participation in activities. While anxiety is an understandable response to illness it...

Posted by Melissa Cott on Nov 7, 2023

OASIS M1330 Stasis Ulcers: Which Type are You Documenting?

There are four (4) common types of skin ulcers: venous stasis ulcers, arterial ulcers, diabetic neuropathic ulcers and pressure ulcers.

Posted by Melissa Cott on Oct 31, 2023

7 Teaching Tips for Patients with Diabetic Neuropathy

Adapted from Dr. Axe: Diabetes affects about one in every three adults in the U.S., and diabetic neuropathy is one of the most likely complications to develop as a side effect because high blood sugar levels affect nerve fibers throughout the body. Diabetic neuropathy (also sometimes...

Posted by Melissa Cott on Oct 30, 2023

OASIS M1860 Ambulation/Locomotion - Answer Indicated GG0170 Only

Just because the patient has a mobility deficit doesn’t mean s/he is a candidate for physical therapy. The patient’s status prior to this current episode is the primary driver that determines if physical therapy is needed or not. If the patient is not a candidate for therapy and will...

Posted by Melissa Cott on Oct 25, 2023

Patient Teaching for OASIS M1610 Urinary Incontinence

Maintaining hygiene and preventing skin breakdown is ESSENTIAL TEACHING for the home health patient with urinary incontinence!

Urinary incontinence is described as the 'involuntary leakage of urine'. (1) The type of urinary incontinence is normally linked to the cause...including...

Posted by Melissa Cott on Oct 3, 2023

OASIS M1830 - Medicare Guidance for Assessing Bathing Ability

Medicare monitors seven (7) OASIS items for improvement between admission and discharge. M1830 Bathing is one of the 7 'process' outcomes tracked for improvement.

Posted by Melissa Cott on Sep 26, 2023

Improve Performance on OASIS M1800 Grooming, M1810/20 Dressing

Occupational therapists frequently combine energy conservation and work simplification techniques to rehabilitation plans for patients with chronic pain conditions and post-CVA. Work simplification and energy conservation techniques can be applied to ADLs such as grooming and upper...

Posted by Melissa Cott on Sep 25, 2023