In the complex landscape of post-acute care, timely and effective therapy services are critical to the success of a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Therapy plays a vital role in improving residents’ clinical outcomes and significantly influences a facility’s financial performance, quality metrics, and overall operational success.
The Impact of Timely Therapy
Timely PT, OT, and ST services are essential for achieving optimal resident and facility outcomes.
- Timely assessments establish a plan of care and initiate treatment early, preventing complications and functional decline related to residents’ diagnoses and conditions.
- Prompt therapy admissions support efficient progress toward discharge goals and reduce the risk of hospital readmission by equipping residents to better manage their conditions upon discharge.
- Early therapy involvement before the Assessment Reference Date (ARD) ensures evaluation findings are communicated effectively to the physician and RNAC. This supports accurate diagnosis documentation, timely orders, and the development of a comprehensive care plan. For Speech Therapy in particular, early evaluation and treatment can influence PDPM reimbursement tied to dysphagia, mechanically altered diets, and key speech-related comorbidities.
- Timely PT and OT engagement allows therapists to contribute to interdisciplinary GG coding assessments. Their expertise in evaluating self-care and mobility helps ensure accurate documentation and supports a strong Discharge Functional Score, which is driven by high-quality and timely therapy planning and execution.
The Value of High-Quality Therapy
Beyond timeliness, the quality of therapy services directly correlates with measurable resident outcomes. Key components of high-quality therapy include:
- Individualized Therapy Care Plans – Resident-specific plans of care should reflect the resident’s prior and current level of function, clinical findings, personal preferences, and clearly defined goals. Personalized interventions improve rehabilitation outcomes and enhance the resident experience.
- Adequate Therapy Utilization – Under PDPM, therapy no longer targets a set number of minutes, but appropriate intensity and frequency remain essential. PT, OT, and ST should address each resident’s deficits and comorbidities with goal-oriented treatment. Speech Therapy plays a vital role for residents with cognitive deficits, ensuring safe participation in therapy and care, and promoting independence across SNF and discharge settings.
- Improving GG Discharge Functional Scores – These scores measure how well an SNF helps residents improve their self-care and mobility before discharge. They directly influence the SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP), Five-Star Ratings, and the Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program. Strong scores enhance a facility’s public image and contracting opportunities.
Optimizing GG Scores and Outcomes
Therapists play a key role in helping residents improve in self-care and mobility, areas that are directly reflected in the GG scores. Ways to optimize GG scores:
- Plan treatment with discharge timelines in mind and align goals with GG coding requirements.
- Focus on helping residents improve in areas such as eating, grooming, toileting, transferring, and walking.
- Provide focused, consistent therapy near the ARD to optimize the level of resident independence.
- Adjust treatment strategies when residents plateau to address problem areas effectively.
- Deliver regular training to residents and caregivers.
- Collaborate with nursing and other staff, and align with PDPM meetings to ensure you are all working on the same functional goals.
- Motivate residents by keeping them engaged with their therapy goals and regularly monitor/document progress throughout their stay.
Final Thoughts
Timely, high-quality therapy services are not only essential for delivering effective clinical care in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) setting—they are also critical to the facility’s overall success. By investing in ongoing training for therapy staff, SNFs can strengthen their teams’ understanding of reimbursement systems, quality measures, and the strategic delivery of therapy. When this is combined with a strong culture of interdisciplinary collaboration, facilities are better positioned to achieve higher quality scores, improved star ratings, greater resident satisfaction, and a stronger reputation as leaders in post-acute care.
Let Polaris Group Help You Elevate Your Therapy Program
Polaris Group offers expert guidance to evaluate your therapy services, transition to in-house care if needed, and implement a strategic plan to improve both quality outcomes and financial performance. Our experienced consultants provide the training, support, and tools your rehab team needs to succeed in today’s value-based environment.
Ready to learn more? Contact Us to schedule a consultation or request more information about our therapy consulting services.
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