Healthcare fraud rampant, but OIG refines its focus on nursing homes
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Feb 19, 2024
For 2024, healthcare fraud has already been rampant, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. But on Jan. 19, the OIG took a specific stance with...
Staffing shortages forcing closures… why does the government turn a blind eye?
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Aug 03, 2022
I would like to let you in on something: Survey enforcement against nursing homes across the country is on the rise. For the last few years, we have seen our post-acute care clients suffer a marked increase...
Ring out the old, ring in the new
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Jan 03, 2023
I am having a hard time believing another year has gone by. Lord, it’s scary how fast time flies the older I get. Though to be honest, I sure want to put COVID, a zillion surveys, and negative government...
Fasten your seatbelts: It MIGHT be a bumpy ride
By
Steven Littlehale
Oct 13, 2023
It’s been a flurry of activity leading up to the implementation of the “new MDS.” For months our industry has been doing what we do best — rising to the occasion. Countless MDS training sessions,...
Justice delayed is justice denied — especially in skilled nursing
By
Alan C. Horowitz, Esq., RN
Aug 09, 2022
Let’s try a little thought experiment. Imagine you are the owner or operator of a skilled nursing facility. Or, you are the director of nursing, administrator, therapist, nurse aide or physician. ...
Conducting and documenting meaningful fire drills in LTC facilities
By
Stan Szpytek
Apr 16, 2024
From some of our earliest memories in elementary school as little kids, we all recall participating in fire drills on a periodic basis. Of course, the purpose of those fire drills was to train students,...
Staff retention today, staff retention tomorrow
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Apr 04, 2023
A recent Washington Post article caught me where I live. It wasn’t about the impact of inflation, the current geopolitical climate in Europe, or the role of microplastics in our food. This article...
Doctoral research doesn’t support the need for CMS proposed staffing mandates
By
Melissa Reed
Nov 15, 2023
Quality of care in long-term care settings has been perceived as an ongoing concern that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) aims to solve with its proposed staffing mandate. The proposed...
Life is like a Ferris wheel
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Sep 27, 2022
When comparing life to amusement park rides, many people say that life is like a roller-coaster. Lots of ups and downs and bumps around the bends. But I think that life is a lot more like a Ferris wheel....
Caregiver training CPT codes proposed for CY 2024
By
Renee Kinder
Jul 20, 2023
The newly released CY 2024 Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule holds exciting news for therapists and caregivers. We have three new codes to be used for reporting the total duration...