Post-acute payment bundling system appears ominous
By
Liza Berger
May 21, 2009
Nursing homes have cause to worry about the prospect of a Medicare post-acute payment bundling system. If it pans out, facilities may end up on the losing side of the equation. That is just one of my takeaways...
Nursing homes can’t catch a break in flu fight
By
Liza Berger
May 01, 2009
We should have known better. When the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention said that it was one of the mildest flu seasons in years, we should have been wary. We should have looked askance and commented...
Gotcha! The fine art of nursing home prankster-ism
By
Brett Bakshis
Apr 02, 2009
April Fools’ Day, which was yesterday, has always been one of those “whatever” holidays for me. I enjoy practical jokes as much as the next guy, but I think it’s best to watch other people get...
Spread the word: Long-term care is hiring
By
Liza Berger
Jan 23, 2009
It seems ironic, doesn’t it? Long-term care, often criticized as a financial albatross, may be an engine for economic growth. That is what the American Health Care Association and the Alliance for Quality...
Rough economy hits Erickson
By
Liza Berger
Jan 09, 2009
Well, it seems we are in a financial crisis. I know I’m in the news business and should be up on these things. You might agree, though, that economic trends are hard to grasp unless you’ve felt them...
Thanksgiving turkey troubles
By
Liza Berger
Nov 25, 2008
Phew! You can rest easy. Your Thanksgiving dinners should not kill you, or your residents. That, at least, is what the nonprofit American Council on Science and Health says in a press release titled “Holiday...
Note to states: Don’t take out your problems on Medicaid
By
Liza Berger
Oct 29, 2008
As if it comes as a surprise, things are not looking too good for state Medicaid programs. The July through September statistics from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities tell the story. After adjustment...
Big names, ideas mark AAHSA, AHCA conferences
By
Liza Berger
Oct 24, 2008
Now that the inbox is cleared, and the suitcase is (somewhat) unpacked, there’s time to reflect on the latest national nursing home conferences held by the American Association of Homes and Services...
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...
National Nursing Home Week spoiler
By
Liza Berger
May 16, 2008
Saturday marks the conclusion of National Nursing Home Week – and providers might be breathing a sigh of relief that it is almost over. A week that is supposed to be celebratory was marred this year...