--- title: Performance Improvement Plan for M1400 Dyspnea/Shortness of Breath description: The 'silent' nature of hypertension reinforces the need for patients to regularly monitor their blood pressure, or get blood pressure checked regularly. image: https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/hubfs/pursed-lip-breathing.jpg --- [![PowerPath.ai](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Power-Path-copy.ai_-2048x263.png?width=2000&height=256&name=Power-Path-copy.ai_-2048x263.png "PowerPath.ai")](https://powerpath.ai/) - [How It Works](https://powerpath.ai/how-it-works/) - [Tools for Growth](https://powerpath.ai/tools-for-growth/) - [Meet Pattii](https://powerpath.ai/meet-pattii/) - [Resources](https://powerpath.ai/resources/) - [Blog](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog) - [About](https://powerpath.ai/about/) - [Contact](https://powerpath.ai/contact/) [My Account](https://secure.myhomecarebiz.com/) [Get Demo](https://melissa-myhomecarebiz.youcanbook.me/) ![BlogHeaderImg](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogHeaderImg.png?width=2000&height=666&name=BlogHeaderImg.png "BlogHeaderImg") # Home Health Insights Stay informed with the latest news in home health. ## Browse by Topic - [Regulatory News for Home Health & Hospice (173)](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/regulatory-news-for-home-health-hospice) - [Clinical Best Practices for Home Health & Hospice (22)](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/clinical-best-practices-for-home-health-hospice) - [Home Health Billing & Coding (21)](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/home-health-billing-coding) - [Home Health Marketing (18)](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/home-health-marketing) ## Performance Improvement Plan for M1400 Dyspnea/Shortness of Breath Performance Improvement Plan for M1400 Dyspnea/Shortness of Breath Posted by Melissa Cott on Sep 16, 2025 # Performance Improvement Plan for M1400 Dyspnea/Shortness of Breath Posted by [Melissa Cott](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/author/melissa-cott) on Sep 16, 2025 A patient's strong respiratory and endurance condition is important to Medicare because it helps the patient continue to live at home. Its because of this that Medicare tracks and scores HHAs ability to improve respiratory and endurance function on [Quality of Patient Care Star Rating](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/resources/home-health/quality-of-patient-care). ## Patients often decline in endurance, respiratory function because of homebound status. A condition of receiving home health care - [required homebound status](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2379624/) - can exacerbate complications already[![Download Performance Improvement Plan for M1400 Dyspnea/Shortness of Breath](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/375308/a21837d9-c1fc-47b4-a823-b45aca67b059.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/375308/a21837d9-c1fc-47b4-a823-b45aca67b059) associated with immobility: loss of muscle strength and endurance, decreased respiratory capacity, increased heart rate, etc. ## Recommended Policy: Any patient with cardio-respiratory or mobility deficit receives teaching on one or more breathing exercises. ## 1. Coughing & Deep Breathing Post surgery patients risk developing lung conditions because of immobility. Also, surgical anesthetics can weaken lung function after surgery.  Instructions for Deep Breathing - Find a comfortable position - Take a deep breath through your nose, feeling your chest expand fully - Hold the breath for 5 seconds - Slowly breathe out through pursed lips, as if you were blowing out a candle - Take rests between breaths if you get lightheaded Instructions for Coughing - Find a comfortable position - Take a few deep breaths to relax - Take a deep breath in, feeling your chest fully expand - Cough firmly, and focus on clearing all the air out of your chest - Use a tissue to clear any mucus in your mouth - Repeat several times, until there is no mucus coming up ## 2. Incentive Spirometry Use of [incentive spirometry](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/4302-incentive-spirometer) helps prevent lung infections by expanding, strengthening, and keeping lungs inflated. Incentive spirometry also helps to clear mucus from chest and lungs and to achieve normal oxygen levels. ## 3. Pursed Lip Breathing • Relax your neck and shoulder muscles. • Breathe in (inhale) slowly through your nose for two counts, keeping your mouth closed. Don't take a deep breath; a normal breath will do. It may help to count to yourself: inhale, one, two. • Pucker or purse your lips as if you were going to whistle or gently flicker the flame of a candle. • Breathe out (exhale) slowly and gently through your pursed lips while counting to four. It may help to count to yourself: exhale, one, two, three, four. • Do not force the air out. • Always breathe out for longer than you breathe in. • Breathe slowly, easily, and relaxed... in and out... until you are in complete control. ## [![Download Teaching Sheet for Diaphragmatic & Pursed-Lipped Breathing](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/375308/094c545a-1acd-4ca2-b4cd-695e594903b4.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/375308/094c545a-1acd-4ca2-b4cd-695e594903b4) ## 4. Diaphragmatic Breathing • Sit in a comfortable position or lie flat on the floor, your bed, or another comfortable, flat surface. • Relax your shoulders. • Put a hand on your chest and a hand on your stomach. • Breathe in through your nose for about two seconds. You should experience the air moving through your nostrils into your abdomen, making your stomach expand. During this type of breathing, make sure your stomach is moving outward while your chest remains relatively still. • Purse your lips (as if you're about to drink through a straw), press gently on your stomach, and exhale slowly for about two seconds. • Repeat these steps several times for best results. [The 12 Best In-Services for Field Clinicians](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/the-12-best-in-services-for-home-health-clinicians) [COVID-19 Home Health Assessment & Careplan (English - United States)](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/covid-19-home-health-assessment-careplan-1)   [5 Procedures Every Home Health Patient Should Know](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/5-procedures-every-patient-should-practice)     Tags: [Clinical Best Practices for Home Health & Hospice](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/clinical-best-practices-for-home-health-hospice), [OASIS M1400 Shortness of breath](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/oasis-m1400-shortness-of-breath), [DX COPD](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/dx-copd) [![you will make Medicare happy](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/375308/98f7e1e7-1e9a-44ed-994f-96665cf71930.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/375308/98f7e1e7-1e9a-44ed-994f-96665cf71930) ### Topics - [Clinical Best Practices for Home Health & Hospice (22)](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/clinical-best-practices-for-home-health-hospice) - [CMS News for Billing (6)](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/cms-news-for-billing) - [Conditions of Participation (16)](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/conditions-of-participation) - [COVID-19 (11)](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/covid-19) - [DX Alzheimers/Dementia (3)](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog/topic/dx-alzheimers-dementia) ### Recent Posts [![Power-Path-copy.ai_-2048x263](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Power-Path-copy.ai_-2048x263.png?width=2000&height=256&name=Power-Path-copy.ai_-2048x263.png "Power-Path-copy.ai_-2048x263")](https://powerpath.ai/) ## AI-powered EMR and outcomes-based marketing tools that help home health agencies operate smarter, improve patient results, and grow referrals—all in one HIPAA-compliant platform. - [How It Works](https://powerpath.ai/how-it-works/) - [Tools for Growth](https://powerpath.ai/tools-for-growth/) - [Meet Pattii](https://powerpath.ai/meet-pattii/) - [Resources](https://powerpath.ai/resources/) - [Blog](https://go.myhomecarebiz.com/blog) - [About](https://powerpath.ai/about/) - [Contact](https://powerpath.ai/contact/) [Get Demo](https://melissa-myhomecarebiz.youcanbook.me/) ## © 2026 PowerPath.ai. 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