A2300: Assessment Reference Date

Item Rationale

Designates the end of the observation period so that all assessment items refer to the resident’s status during the same period of time.

As the last day of the observation period, the ARD serves as the reference point for determining the care and services captured on the MDS assessment. Anything that happens after the ARD will not be captured on that MDS. For example, for an MDS item with a 7-day observation period, assessment information is collected for a 7-day period ending on and including the ARD which is the 7th day of this observation period. For an item with a 14-day observation period, the information is collected for a 14-day period ending on and including the ARD. The observation period includes observations and events through the end of the day (midnight) of the ARD.

Steps for Assessment

Interdisciplinary team members should select the ARD based on the reason for the assessment and compliance with all timing and scheduling requirements outlined in

Chapter 2.

Coding Instructions

Enter the appropriate date on the lines provided. Do not leave any spaces blank. If the month or day contains only a single digit, enter a “0” in the first space. Use four digits for the year. For example, October 2, 2010, should be entered as: 10-02-2010.

For detailed information on the timing of the assessments, see Chapter 2 on assessment schedules.

For discharge assessments, the discharge date item (A2000) and the ARD item (A2300) must contain the same date.

Coding Tips and Special Populations

When the resident dies or is discharged prior to the end of the observation period for a required assessment, the ARD must be adjusted to equal the discharge date.

The observation period may not be extended simply because a resident was out of the nursing home during part of the observation period (e.g., a home visit, therapeutic leave, or hospital observation stay less than 24 hours when resident is not admitted). For example, if the ARD is set at day 13 and there is a 2-day temporary leave during the observation period, the 2 leave days are still considered part of the observation period.

When collecting assessment information, data from the time period of the leave of absence is captured as long as the particular MDS item permits. For example, if the family takes the resident to their home for a holiday and the resident falls, the assessor will capture the fall in J1900: Number of Falls Since Admission/Entry or Reentry or Prior Assessment (OBRA or Scheduled PPS), whichever is more recent. This requirement applies to all assessments, regardless of whether they are being completed for clinical or payment purposes.