Therapy utilization will be as scrutinized as much as it ever has been, even though the “improvement standard” has once again been deemed deceased.
What’s all this about PBJ?
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Aug 30, 2016
Why are they keeping track of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? I appreciate their concern that residents might have our lunches served late, but what about the tuna fish sandwiches? And the chicken?...
Treatment: Consistency in care too often missing
By
Martie Moore
Feb 18, 2015
Finding — and using — a standard method of assessment for both wound and pain management is critically important, as my experience with a friend with diabetes recently illustrated.
Stop thinking — and eat a mango
By
Gary Tetz
May 22, 2014
Everyone struggles with who they are and their purpose in life. Whatever you do — whether you’re a long-term care administrator, director of nursing, med aide or maintenance associate — you’re...
The value of attending national Open Door Forum calls
By
Steven Littlehale
Apr 23, 2014
I often describe the monthly CMS Open Door Forum call as a monthly staff meeting; if you miss the meeting you better read the minutes to see what projects were assigned to you!
Grandma has an iPad, what now?
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Aug 07, 2012
Yes, it’s true: Our seniors are tech-savvy and love their gadgets. But where does this leave us as clinicians and caregivers? Hopefully, not in the dark.
Analytically Speaking: CMS Quality Measures for MDS 3.0
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 17, 2012
At first, the MDS 3.0 Quality Measures do not appear to be very different from those based on MDS 2.0. But “the devil is in the details” and nearly every measure that seems familiar is different...
Medical necessity — slippery for some
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Dec 02, 2011
Medical necessity has become a common phrase in healthcare terminology, but what exactly does it mean? Unfortunately, this term has become very subjective and is the primary reason we have been denied...
The DON’s Christmas
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Dec 21, 2018
A new twist on an old Christmas favorite, in honor of hard-working directors of nursing everywhere.
Observation overload
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Sep 05, 2017
OK, so any nurse reading this will probably relate, but we are so used to observing our patients/residents that we tend to “over observe” when not at work.