What is the MDS (Minimum Data Set) in a nursing home?

What it measures

The MDS is organized into sections, including cognition (often a short memory test called the BIMS), mood, behavior, ability to perform daily activities such as eating, toileting and walking, bladder and bowel continence, weight and nutrition, skin condition including pressure injuries, falls since the last assessment, and certain medications such as antipsychotics.

When it is done

• Within 14 days of admission
• A quarterly review at least every three months
• A full reassessment at least once a year
• Within 14 days after a significant change in condition, for better or worse

A registered nurse must conduct or coordinate each assessment. Many facilities employ an "MDS coordinator" for this.

Why it matters to families

• It drives the care plan. Problems identified on the MDS should appear in the care plan with specific interventions.
• It shows decline over time. Comparing MDS assessments shows changes in weight, mobility, continence and skin.
• It feeds public ratings. Medicare's quality measures for each facility, shown in our directory, are calculated largely from MDS data.
• It should match the chart. An MDS that reports no falls or no pressure injury when the nursing notes say otherwise is a serious documentation problem.

You can ask for copies of the MDS assessments as part of the resident's records. Our records request kit includes them.