For new admits, what is the initial step regarding weight loss in MDS?

• A. Ask resident, family or caregiver about weight loss over 30 and 180 days
• B. Calculate percent weight loss immediately
• C. Compare current admit weight to last year
• D. Schedule a physician appointment

Answer: (A)

The first step is to gather weight change information from the resident, family, or caregiver for specific recent timeframes. For new admits, you need to know if weight has shifted over the last 30 days and over the last 180 days to determine if there is unintentional weight loss and how quickly it occurred. This history establishes a baseline and helps differentiate normal fluctuations from meaningful decline, guiding further nutrition assessment and care planning. Without this information, you wouldn’t know whether a current weight is concerning or how much weight has actually been lost. Calculating a percent loss immediately or comparing to last year isn’t feasible for a new admit because reliable baseline data may not exist yet. Scheduling a physician appointment may be important, but it isn’t the initial data-gathering step.