The long-term care leftovers that earned a warning
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jul 09, 2013
Today in the annals of Nursing Homes That Should Know Better, we turn our attention to a rural part of Tennessee.
Heart failure patients surviving longer
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jul 01, 2013
Mortality rates have declined for patients with advanced heart failure during the past two decades, according to new research from UCLA. Still, a third of patients do not survive more than three years...
A credit to the accreditor
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jul 01, 2013
After more than two decades rising through the ranks at the Joint Commission, Gina Zimmermann’s career can partially be ascribed to ethics instilled by her parents.
Practice sessions can pay off during surveys, expert claims
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jul 01, 2013
Directors of nursing need to lead their employees through survey practice sessions in order to achieve peak success, a long-term care expert said at the annual National Association of Directors of Nursing...
Research grants become available for LTC leadership practices
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jun 21, 2013
There are arguably many areas of long-term care that need more research, but one that is most intriguing is the need for better leadership practices for administrators. Luckily, the Harvey Picker Center...
Practice makes perfect for state surveyor visits
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jun 13, 2013
A visit from state surveyors should be seen as a chance to “put on a show,” a long-term care expert says.
Facilities need better reviews of antibiotic use, expert says
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jun 01, 2013
Skilled nursing facility administrators need to do a complete review of antibiotics to better combat multi-drug resistant organisms, an infection control expert said in May.
There’s no place like the county nursing home
By
Elizabeth Newman
May 16, 2013
Whether you are an employee, resident, citizen or member of another group, you can learn from the lessons I’ve learned while exhaustively investigating a story about running and saving county nursing...
Tackling resident-on-resident abuse
By
Elizabeth Newman
May 09, 2013
While at a post office recently, I watched a woman cut in line to demand the clerk fix the automated posting machine. A fight broke out between her and the man at the front of the line: Voices were raised,...
Stomach acid drugs raise risk of C. diff
By
Elizabeth Newman
May 01, 2013
Stomach acid is often treated with medications such as Pepcid, but that could put long-term care residents or hospitalized patients at risk for Clostridium difficile, according to a new analysis.