How long must U.S. seniors wait for nursing homes to clean up their act? Congress must step in
By
Devin Jopp
Sep 18, 2023
For years the government has sounded the alarm about infection control lapses in nursing homes, a deficiency underscored at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic when many residents of a Kirkland, WA...
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...
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...
Private equity: not just for nursing homes
By
Brendan Williams
Jul 05, 2023
You may think you know the story: Private equity firms buying up healthcare businesses and sticking it to payers.
New nursing home inspection reporting creates questions for facilities
By
Christine Burke Worthen
Lily Shannon
Mar 06, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services implemented a new policy on Jan. 25, 2023, which requires the nursing home industry to publicly post “disputed facility inspection results” on a government...
Breaking news that hopefully won’t break us
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Oct 20, 2022
By now, we’ve all heard how the CDC has lowered requirements for infection control in the new world of endemic COVID-19. But here’s an abridged list anyway: Vaccination status is no longer used to...
Paying the price of political ransomware
By
Brendan Williams
Mar 20, 2024
Perspective is too often lacking when it comes to our healthcare system. Policymakers will, for example, generalize from every alleged transgression by a nursing home provider and paint the entire...
Embracing end-of-life choices: A journey with Grandma
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 02, 2024
At the beginning of the year, my grandmother found herself in an acute-care hospital, addressing blood clots in her legs and lungs. Having just recovered from COVID-19 at the age of 100, uncertainty loomed...
Hopeful aging: Does it exist?
By
Julie Thorson
Dec 07, 2023
As we grow older, does our capacity to be hopeful diminish? Turning 50 this year opened many doors for me. Turning 40 seemed confusing and somewhat depressing. Looking back, I wasn’t ready to accept...