We all know that political and notable figures of all kinds have the ultimate “out” available when being asked questions of substance by authorities. They can just invoke the Fifth Amendment. That’s...
Trying to reason with hurricane season
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Aug 29, 2023
I’m here in Florida trying to prepare for this hurricane we are supposed to get as I write this. You know, you can do your best to prepare but as you’re scurrying about, knowing it’s hurricane season,...
Confidence, plus 1
By
Martie Moore
Jun 02, 2023
I belong to a group on social media that posts pictures of nature, animals, birds and the occasional unidentified print left in the dirt/sand. This day a question was poised, “Can you identify what animal...
OIG signals new focus on nursing homes
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Feb 17, 2023
The federal Office of Inspector General recently published its “OIG’s Top Unimplemented Recommendations: Solutions To Reduce Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in HHS Programs.” In the 94-page document,...
The elephant in the room: Are you prepared for the next emergency?
By
Angela Rinehart
Norris Cunningham
Sep 30, 2022
Historically, emergency preparedness programs in long-term care facilities have been less prioritized, with facilities understandably focusing on patient care and operations. But with the pandemic...
Bad survey? Call your medical director
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Mar 20, 2023
I recently won a case against state surveyors and I learned something new… again. The surveyors were adamant that the facility neglected a resident, and cited violations of policies, and criticized...
Time to get rid of the nurse-aide training prohibition, CMS!
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Dec 19, 2022
I’ve written a lot in the past few years about increased enforcement against nursing homes when it comes to health surveys by state departments of public health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
From talk to action: Moving forward with nursing home quality improvement
By
Isaac Longobardi
Alice Bonner
Jasmine Travers, Ph.D., R.N.,
Aug 30, 2023
This May, the Senate Special Committee on Aging released a report on the shortcomings of nursing home oversight in the U.S. “Uninspected and Neglected” found that nearly one-third of nursing homes...
Supreme Court levels the playing field for SNFs
By
Alan C. Horowitz, Esq., RN
May 01, 2023
As part of its survey process, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is authorized to take several enforcement actions, including but not limited to imposing civil money penalties (CMP), denials...
Revamping CMS survey data integration amid regulatory lag in nursing home oversight
By
Steven Littlehale
Dec 08, 2023
The report titled “Uninspected and Neglected” by the majority staff of the US Senate Special Committee on Aging brings attention to a pressing issue: the severe understaffing of inspection agencies...