I seem to recall a Q&A last
year...maybe 2 years ago. You code chewing problem on MDS if on
a mechanically altered diet, regardless. Anybody out there, please
correct me...... Of course I keep all that at work.
Your director needs to talk with a
speech therapist. Mechanically altered diets include Mech Soft,
Pureed, etc. and can be as much for swallowing problems as for
chewing. I would not code chewing unless there was a chewing
problem. This would be like assuming just because a resident has
difficulty lying flat they have copd.
