When is face-to-face contact with a resident not such a good idea? When an avatar can do better. That’s just one lesson researchers like Timothy Bickmore, Ph.D., are proving. Bickmore is an assistant...
The BIG picture: Nursing homes are not long-term care’s embarrasing relatives
By
John O'Connor
Apr 01, 2009
When the Senate Special Committee on Aging decided to hold a hearing on future directions for long-term care, it seemed as though the nursing home industry was quickly walked down the stairs.
The real labor problem
By
John O'Connor
May 01, 2013
Long-term care operators are understandably giddy about the sudden prospect of immigration reform. Such a change holds the promise of a larger labor pool at a time of rampant worker shortages. Add in the...
No Way To Sugarcoat This
By
John O'Connor
Nov 02, 2007
As bombshells go, this one is pretty bad. The New York Times recently ran a front-page story detailing the unseemly ways many private equity firms appear to treat newly purchased nursing homes.
Finding long-term solutions
Jun 01, 2008
There’s a famous scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy is urged to ignore “that man behind the curtain.” At that point, we realize the jig is up. It has become obvious that the “great...
Small steps trump big plans
By
John O'Connor
Jul 01, 2008
It’s a rare week in Washington when there isn’t a conference of experts tackling one or more of our most troubling policy matters.
Time to take the plunge?
By
John O'Connor
Jun 01, 2014
I’ll never forget my first encounter with the high diving board at Sherman Park pool.
Our quiet revolution
By
John O'Connor
Nov 05, 2016
The CommonWell Health Alliance recently announced that members soon will be giving patients instant access to virtually all their health data.
A Trump success story
By
John O'Connor
Sep 06, 2017
President Trump may have struggled mightily to kill Obamacare. But he is clearly enjoying early success in at least one area: labor policy.
Silly season in full bloom
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2012
The Democrats and Republicans have wrapped up their conventions. Labor Day has passed. Cable TV is on a 24/7 news cycle. And unprecedented funding is flowing into this year’s campaigns.