“Stand up, Dad,” my daughter kept insisting. But there was simply no way that was going to happen. The setting was a major league baseball stadium. As part of a pregame tribute, the public...
The family secrets that hold back long-term care
By
John O'Connor
May 21, 2012
Several years ago I called some industry experts with a simple request. I asked if there was a place where I could find some basic benchmarks about industry spending. Didn’t think I was looking for...
Senior living operators can choose happiness — which really annoys some economists
By
John O'Connor
May 17, 2013
In recent times, federal deficit spending has only gotten worse. But now that it appears there are some bright spots, it’s a bad thing? Depends on whom you talk to.
Why are more RAC audits happening? There are trillions of reasons
By
John O'Connor
Sep 10, 2012
Recovery audit contractors are stepping up their efforts to review Medicare billings. This appears to be a classic case of auditors gone wild.
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...
This cliffhanger shows few signs of a happy ending
By
John O'Connor
Oct 19, 2012
If you are hoping to learn before the Nov. 6 election whether planned federal budget cuts might be avoided, I have some advice: forget about it.
A pro-union move that will put ‘democracy’ to the test
By
John O'Connor
May 14, 2018
A newly proposed bill could give unions quite a boost. At your expense. Called the “Workplace Democracy Act,” don’t let the name fool you. From an operator’s perspective, there’s...
Immigration reform won’t solve long-term care’s fundamental staffing challenge
By
John O'Connor
Apr 05, 2013
Long-term care operators are understandably giddy about the sudden prospect of immigration reform. But they might want to curb their enthusiasm.
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.
Why more long-term care operators are being nudged upstream
By
John O'Connor
Jun 12, 2022
There is continuing debate in long-term care about whether future success lies in upstream (increasingly healthcare focused) or downstream (increasingly service focused) services.