What do birthdays have to do with long-term care? Well, I’ve been having them long-term. And at this point, I’ve ceased to care. You probably see that statement for what it is, nothing but bitter bluster....
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. ...
Reason for referral: Documentation tips for therapists
By
Renee Kinder
Mar 14, 2024
If you didn’t document it, it didn’t happen. How many times have we all heard those words? Today, I would like for us all to consider not merely the importance of documenting daily skilled care but...
Back to school: Building LTC career ladders
By
Molly McCullough
Aug 04, 2023
Long-term care is in a pivotal moment. With the senior population growing exponentially as baby boomers require more intensive care, skilled and long-term facilities will require an influx of nurses and...
An insider’s guide to managed care contract exclusions
By
Susie Mix
Dec 18, 2023
There’s a key question more providers need to know the answer to: What is a contract exclusion? A contract exclusion details the medications and treatments that are not included in the levels of a managed...
The hypocrisy of staffing mandates
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 19, 2023
Absorbed as you probably are in fighting through the long-term care staffing crisis while parrying a CMS mandate, I wouldn’t blame you for not noticing. But at airports across America, big planes are...
When you wish upon a star
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
May 09, 2023
When I was a child, I remember watching the movie Pinocchio. For those not familiar with the story or movie, there was a character in it, a talking cricket named “Jiminy Cricket.” In the movie,...
March, the summer solstice, and social determinants of health
By
Joel VanEaton
Mar 21, 2023
Daylight-saving time is finally here! I look forward to the day in March that it arrives starting June 21 every year. What’s June 21 you ask? Why, it’s the summer solstice. The summer solstice is...
Making sense of two approaches to the skilled nursing quality assurance privilege
By
Mario C. Giannettino
Sep 01, 2023
Skilled nursing facilities are required by law to have quality assessment and assurance committees to maintain and improve safety and quality in their facilities. The documents created and used by the...
CNAs: The forgotten soldiers in the war against COVID-19
By
John Booker
Oct 03, 2022
It’s never been more important to listen to your frontline workers in emergencies. Managers need to trust them when they offer advice or concerns, and supervisors need to know what their staff...