He says he stumbled. Others think that something happened in his brain to cause the fall. Whatever the cause, he fell and fell hard, hitting the bedroom dresser straight on. He was unconscious, but that...
NY Tough campaign can’t disguise nursing home cuts that worsened COVID-19 struggles
By
Brendan Williams
Mar 10, 2021
No long-term care advocate is surprised by what was hiding behind Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mask of self-congratulatory competence. Indeed, his reckless disregard for the lives of nursing home residents in...
The country line dance of pain management: One step forward, two steps back
By
Steven Littlehale
Mar 05, 2021
“Pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is.” “We just hope that you don’t say it. Oh, and we’ll likely not hear you anyway.” We credit Mary Margo McCaffery, MS, RN-BC, FAAN, a pioneer...
Another COVID-19 symptom: Dueling liability decisions
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Feb 19, 2021
If you thought you had a clear read on how courts would interpret federal COVID-19 liability protections, think again. After a set back last fall, there appears to be some good news for providers after...
Five-Star surveys: Changed forever?
By
Spencer Blackman
Feb 08, 2021
When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services unlocked survey ratings for the first time since April, we analysts dove into the numbers expecting big changes. But as an earlier McKnight’s article...
When the rules change, not everyone wins: Counting IC deficiencies in Five-Star
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 05, 2021
Do you remember how, as you were growing up, there was always another kid who would change the rules mid-game to ensure that he won? I do, and it would always make my blood boil. The Centers for Medicare...
Ethical principles: Respect for those we serve
By
Mary Eleanor Wickersham
Feb 01, 2021
My mother’s name was called, and we left the waiting room to approach the hospital desk to complete paperwork for her outpatient procedure. The clerk immediately began to ask me questions. “What is...
What 2021 has in store on the legal front
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Jan 20, 2021
Everyone has been celebrating that 2020 is over, and who can blame them? Yet, I can’t help think the legal issues facing long term care in 2020 won’t necessarily go away in 2021. Some of the lingering...
What’s really through the looking glass?
By
Brendan Williams
Jan 20, 2021
A recent Washington Post op-ed by Manoj Jain, M.D. an infectious disease consultant, shed light on a healthcare sector where roughly 1.7 million people acquire infections each year, killing roughly 100,000....
It’s time for full transparency
By
Michael Wasserman
Jan 13, 2021
I threw down the gauntlet for the nursing home industry to focus on clinical care two years ago. I warned that in the spring of 2020, providers would “start to hurt because the cost of caring...