Everyone struggles with who they are and their purpose in life. Whatever you do — whether you’re a long-term care administrator, director of nursing, med aide or maintenance associate — you’re...
Are standardized assessment tools our future?
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
May 20, 2014
With therapy documentation being put under the microscope more than ever, you would be wise to make sure standardized assessment tools are at your fingertips. Unbiased views of data and outcomes information...
The value of attending national Open Door Forum calls
By
Steven Littlehale
Apr 23, 2014
I often describe the monthly CMS Open Door Forum call as a monthly staff meeting; if you miss the meeting you better read the minutes to see what projects were assigned to you!
Palliative possibilities: Therein lies the rub
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Apr 22, 2014
When a patient is referred to therapy, and they are receiving hospice care, then therapy needs to seek permission from the hospice company to provide any treatment. Hospice is required to reimburse the...
Pain: An LTC rehab perspective
By
Tara Roberts
Apr 11, 2014
LTC therapists seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to patient pain. Pain management is at the forefront of surveyors and scrutinized as a CMS quality measure.
Ready, set … Just kidding! (ICD-10 adventures continue)
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Apr 08, 2014
Is that how everyone is feeling about the ICD-10 delays? Well, that’s how I’m feeling. We almost got within the six-month window for implementation. Just when we were all geared up and ready...
Spacely Sprockets and the future of medical care
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Apr 02, 2014
So does anyone remember the cartoon “The Jetsons”? You know, George and Jane, daughter Judy, son Elroy and, of course, the dog, Astro. It’s kind of fun to see how their 1960s and 1980s...
Self-esteem, the universe, and checks and balances for all of us
By
Lori Porter
Apr 02, 2014
I have always been a person who never just dips a toe in the water. I jump in whole hog! Most of the time it works very well for me. I’ve been this way as long as I can remember.
Moving beyond the ZIP code
By
Steven Littlehale
Mar 26, 2014
Why is there greater disparity occurring in some states but not all? Is it about the size of the state or the number of survey districts?
The power of words
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Mar 25, 2014
“The pen is mightier than the sword” is an age-old adage that implies that the power of communication — in this case, written communication — is more powerful than a physical weapon. Do...