It’s a loaded question: How good does your data need to be? If we’re honest with ourselves, we must admit that we’re not perfect. Nor are the systems we create to help minimize error...
Lawmakers suspect Kindred of misspending public funds before closures at LTC facilities
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 17, 2018
A group of state legislators is asking Massachusetts’ attorney general to investigate Kindred Healthcare’s plans to close four nursing homes and an assisted living facility in and around Boston,...
Employee engagement: Bringing head and heart to every action, every day
By
Martie Moore
Nov 29, 2017
I shared with the charge nurse my inner joy about filling all our staffing holes completely. She looked at the schedule and mumbled, “Great — you have scheduled nothing but Refrigerator Nurses.”
How to do it … choosing the best bath lifts
By
John Hall
Sep 06, 2017
Lifts and other transfer equipment often get a bad rap with residents and reluctant staff. Misinformation can be rife, initial encounters uncomfortable. Yet these devices can be invaluable for staff and...
When technology fails us: ‘We talk’
By
Steven Littlehale
Dec 19, 2016
Driving my Grandma to one of her favorite restaurants to celebrate a significant birthday (she prefers that I don’t specify which) offered me an important lesson in communication.
Be thankful … for QAPI details?!
By
Steven Littlehale
Nov 25, 2015
t’s the time of year when we reflect and give thanks. With all the rapid changes in post-acute care, providers can be thankful for the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement regulations detailed...
How to do it ..Better staff scheduling
Mar 06, 2015
Electronic staff scheduling programs have become so sophisticated, some wonder how anyone performs the task anymore with paper and pencil. When it comes to managing labor — a facility’s biggest...
Multistate corporations, listen up!
By
Steven Littlehale
May 30, 2014
It is not a numbers game. Well, I guess it kind of is. Let’s face it: It is now common practice to monitor your facilities’ Five Star ratings.
On the job for 6 decades
By
Elizabeth Newman
Feb 02, 2013
Over the past 63 years, 11 presidents have come and gone, wars have been won and lost, and the long-term care industry has experienced a roller-coaster of changes. But one thing has remained consistent:...
Shuffling down the aisle
By
Mary Gustafson
Jan 19, 2012
For anyone who’s in the trenches caring for someone with Alzheimer’s — either in your own home or a long-term care community — the announcement of government initiatives aimed at finding...