The healthcare reform train is beginning to gather speed, and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging is enjoying the ride. Today, Sen. Ed Kennedy (D-MA) released the much talked-about...
Long-term care reform may have to wait
By
Liza Berger
Jun 04, 2009
There was no battle cry. No calls to storm the halls of Congress. Instead the message at the American Health Care Association’s two-day Congressional Briefing was subtle: You can ask lawmakers...
For long-term care reformers, it’s move it or lose it
By
Liza Berger
Jun 02, 2009
It’s another big week for long-term care providers on Capitol Hill. Starting tomorrow, the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill will be humming with members of the American Health Care Association....
Two satisfaction reports show two sides of long-term care
By
Liza Berger
May 29, 2009
Paying careful attention to our Web news this week, you may have been scratching your heads about the state of resident satisfaction in long-term care facilities. The reason is two differing takes on the...
MedPAC idea could be bad for nursing homes
By
Liza Berger
May 27, 2009
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) recently introduced legislation that would make the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) part of the executive branch. The proposal is at once both logical and worrisome....
Post-acute payment bundling system appears ominous
By
Liza Berger
May 21, 2009
Nursing homes have cause to worry about the prospect of a Medicare post-acute payment bundling system. If it pans out, facilities may end up on the losing side of the equation. That is just one of my takeaways...
Book on eldercare is ‘Nasty, Brutish’ and … excellent
By
James M. Berklan
May 20, 2009
I have to admit that sometimes when I find something I really like, I keep quiet about it. There’s no sense in giving away the location of a prime fishing hole after all. But when it comes to good reading,...
National Nursing Home Week: Mardi Gras for residents
By
Liza Berger
May 13, 2009
Today, residents at Saint Anne Nursing & Rehabilitation Center are “Dancing With the Stars.” Yesterday, they received facials and foot rubs for “Pajama Day.” Tomorrow (Thursday) they will be partaking...
Better to let sleeping nursing-home dogs lie
By
Liza Berger
May 11, 2009
Say it’s not true! Could it really be that dogs, those loving, joyful, drooling creatures, actually can transfer illnesses such as MRSA and C.difficile to residents in nursing homes? Pardon my intellectual...
Nursing homes’ quality campaign shows promise
By
Liza Berger
May 08, 2009
Nursing homes can pat themselves on the back this week. At least, nearly 7,400 can. That is the number of facilities participating in the Advancing Excellence Campaign, an initiative supported by both...