Aging committee chair delivers another broadside about nursing home surveys
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Jul 28, 2023
A powerful US senator is bringing added firepower in his quest to fix what he sees as major issues with state surveys of nursing homes. It’s an effort that had one leading advocate channeling Alanis...
Start the year smiling
By
Julie Thorson
Jan 03, 2024
Let’s start the year boldly! I, Julie Thorson, the top expert in nothing and a leader who still has a lot to learn, declare 2024 the year of smiles. Not “pleasant, I look nice on LinkedIn”...
If only nursing homes were banks
By
Brendan Williams
Mar 17, 2023
I went to high school in Iowa, where 19 nursing homes closed in 2022 alone. Surely, you might think, this has prompted a federal response.It isn’t. Instead, the federal government has chosen to bail...
MedPAC member: Give Congress more on nursing home staffing mandate implications
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 12, 2024
The likely costs of complying with a federal staffing mandate will affect nursing home margins so “massively” that a Congressional advisory board should offer alternative payment guidance for the sector,...
A crazy way to spend a healthcare fortune
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 01, 2023
I’d like to announce that the folks who run Medicare Advantage plans will be shaking in their boots soon, fearful of what authorities are going to do to them.
LeadingAge staffing mandate cost estimate outpaces AHCA’s; Exec urges Congress to act
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Oct 02, 2023
The proposed federal staffing rule would cost $7.1 billion in the first year alone, according to an analysis from LeadingAge, which sharply criticized the government’s “highly fragmented approach to...
A hidden crisis: Tackling the growing problem of malnutrition in SNFs
By
Emily Fear
Sep 06, 2023
Malnutrition in the elderly is an underrecognized condition that is increasing in prevalence. If left untreated, malnutrition leads to a progressive decline in overall health and reduced physical and cognitive...
Swearing good, drinking bad
By
Gary Tetz
Feb 23, 2023
Last time out here, I gave long-term care professionals official permission to swear, making the case, with strong scientific support, that an occasional obscenity is actually healthy. I assume for most...
Designers with a green thumb: Enhancing high-end senior care with biophilia
By
Blima Ehrentreu
Dec 01, 2022
Recent trends indicate an increase in healthy living and mental well-being in environments with biophilic design elements. However, incorporating nature into interiors is more than just a trend — it...
Extend PHE while updating COVID protocols, nursing home advocate urges feds
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 10, 2022
Safety and quality of life in LTC settings are not mutually exclusive, Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL told federal health officials Tuesday.