Two privately held nursing home chains went public this week with smart quality and resident care initiatives. The moves are worth touting – particularly in light of the scrutiny and bad press that have...
Some unsolicited advice to Genesis: Good luck with the new ‘owners’
By
John O'Connor
Aug 22, 2014
This week’s blockbuster deal has private equity-backed Genesis HealthCare combining with Skilled Healthcare Group.In some ways, these sorts of marriages seem all but inevitable. After all, in the...
Promising signs on the regulatory front
By
John O'Connor
Oct 16, 2017
President Trump is no fan of regulations, and long-term care operators have more than their fair share to contend with. So it’s a welcome breeze when Trump says he wants to start eliminating some...
Settlement teaches lessons on resident monitoring
By
Elizabeth Newman
Oct 16, 2015
After awhile in this business, it’s easy to become skeptical of family members suing after a loved one dies. Many times, these relatives have no understanding of underlying health conditions — or...
Did OSHA just tell nursing homes to cut back on care?
By
John O'Connor
Feb 12, 2018
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration dropped the hammer on a Colorado facility last week. Given what’s happened, OSHA’s response might seem reasonable. At least on paper.
Implant provides hope for the limping
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jul 29, 2016
In one of the sadder coincidences of my life, news of an FDA-approved cartilage implant made me more excited than it would have a year ago. That’s because this particular synthetic cartilage implant...
Singing the baby boomer blues
By
Liza Berger
Aug 26, 2008
So you think you’re a baby boomer? Try these characteristics on for size: -Being a boomer means 60 is the new 40.-You’ll probably live longer than your parents, only you’ll still be on a diet in...
A clever idea for a skilled care tax break. But there might be one little problem ….
By
John O'Connor
May 21, 2018
Our new tax law gives some of the largest companies in America a substantial tax break. The American Health Care Association wouldn’t mind snapping off a similar reduction for many of its members.
Wall Street bailout shouldn’t be a mulligan
By
John O'Connor
Sep 23, 2008
As this is being written, Congress is under pressure to immediately pass an unprecedented financial bailout plan for financial firms. These companies have been on a years-long real estate binge. The i-bankers...
A bedbug problem that really bites
By
John O'Connor
Aug 10, 2012
Bedbugs are small, reddish brown creatures. In addition to beds, these smaller-scale vampires can live in picture frames, doormats or almost any crevice they can crawl into. And by all accounts, their...