A Biden damaging proposal that’s barely getting noticed
By
John O'Connor
Mar 13, 2022
President Biden sure gave nursing homes the stink eye during his State of the Union address. Care quality is down while charges are up, he alleged. He added that Medicare rules need to be tightened
Fire, rain and the elephant on the 40th floor
By
John O'Connor
Nov 27, 2017
You never know when freak storms or unexpected fires might strike. But you can be sure that if and when one does, angry people will line up to demand that you be held more accountable.
Nursing-home evictions raise bigger questions
By
Liza Berger
Aug 11, 2008
Some disturbing news appeared last week in The Wall Street Journal. The highly respected newspaper found that nursing homes are evicting long-term, frail residents—many on Medicaid—to make room for...
Kicking and screaming: The need to document verbal disputes
By
Elizabeth Newman
May 15, 2014
If I have a favorite quote from this year’s LeadingAge Illinois conference, it’s from Matthew Murer, an attorney at Polsinelli, who said it’s OK for long-term care providers to turn away...
And you thought long-term care operators lived in silos?
By
John O'Connor
Apr 20, 2012
Our Founding Fathers were wise to separate our government’s executive, legislative and judicial branches. As we’ve seen all too often, concentrated power leads to disastrous results.
Want to know what ‘secrets’ you’ll soon be sharing? Buy a car
By
John O'Connor
Aug 01, 2014
As never before, data collection and analytics have become part and parcel of long-term care. Even midsize and smaller operators are sifting through amazingly granular information to document strengths,...
Yoga, baking and the quest for enrichment
By
James M. Berklan
Jun 12, 2020
I wish I could have been there recently when my coworker heard that I had started doing yoga.
Reducing seniors’ drug use, one iPod at a time
By
John O'Connor
Mar 28, 2014
For reasons that are understandable yet hard to countenance, antipsychotic drugs are widely used in nursing homes. Too often over-used, according to government statistics. But it’s beginning to look...
Pave the way for all
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 15, 2011
Eye-opening is the only way to describe results of a new study by Brown University researchers into eldercare usage patterns. In brief, they found that minority residents have been entering nursing homes...
Who invited them?
By
John O'Connor
Sep 07, 2021
After O’Connor family gatherings, it’s always the outrageous attendees who are remembered and later talked about. Nursing home operators can relate, as they’re being reminded yet again after...