Happy holidays: ’tis the season for more rehab work
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Dec 08, 2011
It’s that time of year again, the when our hospitals and nursing facilities start to fill up with patients suffering from new fractures, falls, pneumonia and other cardio-pulmonary diseases. However,...
Have we lost our connection to what’s important?
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Aug 15, 2014
We sometimes use high-minded phrases to describe our work and our hopes for our patients. But have we lost our connection to important words? Do they still hold meaning they once did, and if so, how strongly?
What’s on Your PEPPER Report?
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Sep 10, 2013
Have you received your provider-specific PEPPER report yet? The Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) were mailed on August 30 and have been slowly arriving at skilled nursing...
What is therapy? It’s not as simple as it might seem
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Aug 13, 2013
“What is therapy?” sounds like a simple question, but it requires a separate and very complex answer for each discipline.
Home (safety) for the holidays
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Dec 21, 2012
It’s hard to believe the holidays are already here. As I have frantically baked cookies, mailed holiday cards and waited in long lines for the perfect gift, I couldn’t help but people-watch....
Top therapy reimbursement for everyone: here’s how
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jul 18, 2011
If the Ultra High is the highest level of allowable treatment we may seek, it’s our professional obligation to clinically provide these levels of service to every patient.
Increasing length-of-stay
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jan 30, 2012
Length-of-stay — LOS — is one of those management reports that often leaves administrators and upper management bewildered. If you increase LOS, you essentially increase your census.
The resident’s ‘right to refuse’
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Aug 28, 2012
Therapy services can be a tricky business when working with residents with a history of “behavioral issues.”
Effectively screen those residents
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Feb 09, 2012
It’s not much of a surprise that many therapists are excellent at everything in their job — except screening.
Ready or not: The MDS is changing again!
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Sep 25, 2013
On Oct. 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be updating the Minimum Data Set with another round of changes. Most are minor but there will be two changes to the therapy section. Your case-mix...