Diminished nurse skill mix is linked to poor outcomes
By
John Hall
Jan 06, 2017
Healthcare settings that substitute lower-level staff for registered nurses do so at their own peril, according to an extensive review of nurse skill mix at more than 240 hospitals in Belgium, England,...
Behavioral and psychiatric challenges in SNFS
By
Mitchell Gelber, Ed.D, PC
Jan 06, 2017
“Bonnie” was admitted to the skilled nursing facility following surgery for a right hip fracture. Prior to her fall, she said she was living by herself, fully independent. Although she claimed...
Want to prevent lawsuits? Talk to us!
By
Kitty Foth-Regner
Jan 02, 2017
I’ve heard a lot of talk lately about suing nursing homes – not only from family members distraught over an elderly loved one’s injury or death in an SNF, but also from the growing chorus...
OIG: Two-midnight policy led to limited access to skilled nursing care
By
Dec 20, 2016
The implementation of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ controversial two-midnight rule has left some “vulnerabilities” in its wake, according to a federal report published...
AHCA’s resident satisfaction surveys endorsed by National Quality Forum
By
Dec 08, 2016
Three resident satisfaction measures developed by the American Health Care Association have received an endorsement from the National Quality Forum, the provider group announced Wednesday.
Three stars will be the new one star
By
Betsy Rust
Dec 07, 2016
Nursing home operators call it low occupancy. Medicare insiders call it a declining census. Economists call it excess capacity.
State News for December 2016
Dec 06, 2016
Vacancy levels nearly doubled at the state’s top healthcare regulatory agency in 2015, shedding light on a staffing drain that goes far beyond Maryland’s long-term care facilities.
A care plan imperative
By
Steven Littlehale
Dec 06, 2016
The new Rules of Participation bring additional meaning to the benefits of data-driven discharge care plans, particularly those that describe and predict challenges facing residents transitioning to lesser...
Ask the Payment Expert about … SNF Value Based Purchasing Program
By
Patricia Boyer
Dec 06, 2016
How does the new Skilled Nursing Facility Value Based Program relate to our Medicare payments?
Medicare appeals backlog to be fixed by 2020, HHS says
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 06, 2016
Federal health officials say tweaks to the system will enable them to eradicate a massive backlog of Medicare decision appeals in 2019. They made the prediction in a court brief filed in U.S. District...