Snobbery that skilled care operators can ill afford
By
John O'Connor
Mar 06, 2017
Quite a few skilled care operators tend to look at assisted living as being not quite equal. Many on the skilled side tend to see themselves as being a bit, ahem, more qualified.
Finally, some coverage that puts ‘nursing home’ and ‘great’ in the same headline
By
John O'Connor
Sep 08, 2014
By any standard, much of what’s being reported about nursing homes these days could hardly be considered good news. I could point out many examples, but the point is clear: There’s a lot of...
What’s happening in the Senate is no thing of beauty
By
John O'Connor
Jul 17, 2017
When it comes to the Senate’s latest healthcare bill, providers have unloaded many valid criticisms of it. Sadly, they may be irrelevant. It’s easy to get so caught up in this legislation’s...
Is Donald Trump a friend or foe of long-term care?
By
John O'Connor
Feb 06, 2017
There’s an old saying in Chicago politics: Once you’re bought, stay bought. In other words, if you are being paid to behave a certain way, don’t flip-flop. Those who would like to think...
Getting to the teeth of the matter
By
John O'Connor
Jan 30, 2017
“I have a bone to pick with you,” proclaimed the indignant voice on the other line. In my experience, conversations that begin with that invitation seldom go well.
Will 29-hour workweeks be the new normal in long-term care?
By
John O'Connor
Oct 21, 2013
We’ve been hearing a lot lately about problems uninsured people are having with health exchanges. But not much is being reported about a different kind of exchange many long-term care managers might...
Shamelessly invoice at your own risk
By
John O'Connor
Mar 22, 2013
Here’s the good news for providers: new analytics are making it possible to understand and bill your care in ways that would have been impossible just a few years ago. Here’s the bad news:...
Supervisor decision might torment many nursing home operators
By
John O'Connor
Dec 03, 2012
The Supreme Court last week heard oral arguments on the unpleasant subject of workplace harassment. At issue is whether an employer is responsible when the bully is not strictly a boss. The court’s...
Regardless of fiscal cliff outcome, funding cuts loom
By
John O'Connor
Nov 26, 2012
We’re hearing much out of Washington these days about the looming fiscal cliff. Assessments about its impact run the gamut from no big deal to very big deal. As is usually the case, the truth is...
It’s pretty clear what they’re really committed to
By
John O'Connor
Jul 17, 2015
It was quite a week for ironic juxtaposition in the nation’s capital.