The Care Area Assessment (CAA) Trigger Checker helps your interdisciplinary team quickly identify which of the 20 CMS-defined care areas require further assessment based on MDS 3.0 item values. Enter the resident’s coded MDS responses below, and the tool will instantly flag any triggered care areas, display the specific items driving each trigger, and generate a printable summary for your Section V documentation workflow.
CAA Trigger Checker
MDS 3.0 v1.20.1 · All 20 care areas · Chapter 4.10 trigger logic
This tool supports — but does not replace — clinical judgment. Always verify trigger results against your facility MDS system and the CMS RAI Manual v1.20.1 Chapter 4.10.
How to use this tool
Work through each MDS section using the form above. Sections are collapsed by default — click any section header to expand it and enter the resident’s coded values. The results panel on the right updates in real time as you enter data.
When you’re finished, click Print / save summary to generate a formatted reference document showing all triggered care areas, the specific MDS items that fired each trigger, and the Chapter 4.10 citation. This summary can accompany your Section V CAA documentation in the resident’s record.
A few things to keep in mind as you work through the form. For Section GG, select the worst (most dependent) item coded across all self-care or mobility activities — this is the value that drives the ADL Function / Rehabilitation Potential trigger. For Section C, the BIMS summary score defaults to 15 (intact cognition); update it to reflect the resident’s actual assessed score. For mood, the tool checks both the resident interview PHQ-9 (D0300) and the staff assessment score (D0600) — either score reaching 10 or above will trigger the Mood State CAA.