Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI): a system for client evaluation and documentation in long-term care--an overview

This article describes the interdisciplinary care planning system "Resident Assessment Instrument" (RAI) for nursing homes with its parts, the Health Care Financing Administration mandated "Minimum Data Set" (MDS) and the "Resident Assessment Protocols" (RAPs). The MDS-derived case mix system for resource allocation, the Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs), are mentioned. The prerequisites for an implementation of the F.R.G. are discussed.