Armed intruder and active shooter preparedness in LTC facilities
By
Stan Szpytek
Steve Wilder
Oct 09, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires skilled nursing facilities to plan for emergencies and disasters to protect the vulnerable population they serve. The regulations cited in Appendix...
The HAPPY Concept: Unleashing the power of resident activity programming
By
Tia Hovatter
Oct 04, 2023
In the ever-evolving landscape of the long-term care industry, it’s crucial to constantly seek innovative ways to enhance the quality of life for our residents. Today, we introduce you to a revolutionary...
Trick or treat? MDS changes are in the bag
By
Joel VanEaton
Oct 03, 2023
When I was a kid, I loved getting dressed up for Halloween. I remember especially a clown (funny not scary) costume I got one year. I couldn’t wait to put it on and be transformed into another world....
Feeding the community and the bottom line with an Unconventional service line
Oct 03, 2023
Pittsburgh-based Vincentian has been providing long-term care to its community for nearly 100 years, thanks to an order of Catholic nuns who set out to nourish the souls of 24 residents at the Holy Rosary...
Lest we forget, it’s hardly all bad
By
John O'Connor
Oct 02, 2023
With the AHCA’s 74th convention taking place this week in Denver, you can be sure many attendees will be commiserating about the unfavorable relationship this sector often seems to have with the...
Already losing count of the staffing mandate arguments? You’re not alone
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 29, 2023
For those of you already a bit frustrated or even disgusted with the hullabaloo surrounding the proposed nursing home staffing minimum rule, look out. It’s about to get even uglier.
Helicopter Children… or is it more than that?
By
Teresa Geroulo
Sep 25, 2023
In every facility there is at least one family member who tries to take over the care and decision making for their loved one. The term is “Helicopter Children.” Helicopter Children observe their...
Whose life is it anyway?
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Sep 21, 2023
My family is full of therapists, and most of us work in skilled nursing. My sister, an experienced speech language pathologist, called to commiserate about one of her patients who had difficulty swallowing. ...
A slap in the face for LPNs who keep nursing homes running
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 19, 2023
There are about 175,000 LPNs working in nursing homes — critical staff members who might no longer fit into the SNF job market if the proposed staffing rule is finalized as currently written.
How long must U.S. seniors wait for nursing homes to clean up their act? Congress must step in
By
Devin Jopp
Sep 18, 2023
For years the government has sounded the alarm about infection control lapses in nursing homes, a deficiency underscored at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic when many residents of a Kirkland, WA...