Today’s growing concerns surrounding infectious risks such as Ebola, EVD-68, and flu are excellent examples of why proactive horizontal approaches to infection prevention and implementing proven...
Fixing the empathy gene, Part II
By
Mary Gustafson
Sep 13, 2012
If Bill Clinton added “M.D.” after his name, slung a stethoscope around his neck and started visiting the residents in your nursing facility, there’s a chance that your residents might...
CMS is not terribly interested in hearing about your staffing woes
By
John O'Connor
May 06, 2019
It’s no secret that finding and keeping nurses is one of the skilled care sector’s biggest headaches. But it would appear that the folks who regulate this field don’t want to hear it any more.
Will the new mantra for nursing home operators be ‘quality over quantity’? Yes and no
By
John O'Connor
Apr 16, 2018
A new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation confirms a shift that most skilled care operators can relate to. While resident occupancy levels continue to bottom out, the new arrivals are in worse shape...
The Alzheimer’s investment that’s not being made
By
John O'Connor
Jun 13, 2016
Our best hope to make progress against Alzheimer’s disease probably lies in the form of increased research funding.
When Father’s Day arrives in December
By
John O'Connor
Dec 08, 2014
I have enjoyed a life largely free of the misfortune that time and circumstance can bring. All things considered, it’s been a pretty good ride so far. But even the most fortunate among us does not...
Deal cut by Senate Republicans likely to cause labor pains
By
John O'Connor
Jul 22, 2013
For many long-term care operators, labor relations might soon get even more challenging. And Senate Republicans are to blame, er, thank.
CMS not saying much about a payment deal that could be a game changer
By
John O'Connor
Jul 08, 2013
In recent years, many skilled care operators have nervously watched the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reduce and sometimes eliminate payments for physical, occupational and speech therapy services....
Message from the White House: Don’t trust nursing homes
By
John O'Connor
Mar 08, 2013
Ever wonder how much regard the White House has for long-term care operators? A brief filed last week makes the answer abundantly clear: very little.
Don’t like the new ratings system? Welcome to our world
By
John O'Connor
Jun 19, 2017
The content in the angry letter sounded all-too familiar. “Flawed methodology” and “substantive errors” in CMS’s “chosen methodology.” Another nursing home organization...