Restorative nursing is more important now than it has ever been. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) required skilled nursing facilities to identify and act on risk factors to prevent functional decline in residents. OBRA included the legislative mandate for facilities to allow only medically unavoidable declines. Facilities are expected to plan care that will delay any decline in function in the residents. When the Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs) were initiated, restorative nursing programs became part of Medicare reimbursement.
The Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual for 2010 defines restorative nursing as “nursing interventions that promote the resident’s ability to adapt and adjust to living as independently and safely as is possible” (CMS, 2010). The RAI Manual instructs facilities to begin restorative nursing programs when a resident is discharged from therapy, at admission if the resident has restorative needs and is not a therapy candidate, and at any time during the resident’s stay that restorative needs arise. Please Fill Out Form to Download Full Whitepaper >>