This article was published in Caring for the Ages. 10(3), pp 18-19; 2009.
Since 1995, all nursing facilities have used MDS Version 2.0 as the data-gathering component of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI), a mandatory part of nursing home care for more than two decades. Now, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has revised the MDS to improve its reliability and usefulness, and MDS 3.0 is scheduled for implementation in October. The revised MDS contains major revisions to “Section M: Skin Conditions” that will enhance assessment and documentation of pressure ulcers and align the new tool with accepted best practices.

