Since passage of healthcare reforms in OBRA 1987, the incidence rate of resident restraints has dropped considerably, to less than 5%, with a mantra to lower it further.
Make it a clean sweep
By
John Hall
Aug 06, 2016
Laundry and housekeeping staff are key to survey success; they buff a provider’s record or can be the source of embarrassing, costly survey findings
How to do it … better med management
By
John Hall
Jun 06, 2016
Adverse medication events continue to be numerous and problematic, not only for residents’ health but also for financial and legal reasons. Providers continue to thirst for good ideas and best practices....
Targeting a silent killer
By
John Hall
Jun 06, 2016
Infections may be causing up to 300,000 resident deaths in facilities each year. A new federal program hopes to improve assessments and caregiving practices.
More MDS tweaks coming
By
John Hall
Jun 06, 2016
Providers must ensure accuracy of their own internal databases before the latest iteration of the minimum data set, or MDS 3.0, becomes effective October 1, a prominent coding consultant emphasizes.
Insurers rattled by Medicaid managed care’s big changes
By
John Hall
Jun 06, 2016
The government’s first major overhaul of the Medicaid Managed Care program in 14 years is unlikely to affect provider reimbursements, but insurers continue to take exception with one provision allowing...
‘Illusion’ can raise costs
By
John Hall
May 04, 2016
In an effort to improve the use of medical treatments, a University of Pennsylvania Medical School professor is calling for more research to help doctors recognize and manage what some call a “therapeutic...
Analysis: PAC crucial to joint replacement bundled success
By
John Hall
May 04, 2016
Hospitals participating in a new Medicare bundled payment program for hip and knee replacements should partner with high quality post-acute care providers like nursing homes within the first 90 days following...
How to do it … HUD LEAN mortgages
By
John Hall
May 04, 2016
It’s hard to beat the HUD LEAN mortgage program for heavily leveraged owner-operators looking for the predictability of long-term loans at fixed rates. Here are a few pointers from experts on how...
An uplifting experience
By
John Hall
May 04, 2016
Rising to new standards of care by revising current areas for lifting and bathing units takes time, money and, maybe most of all, understanding of resident mix.