When less is more: The role of deprescribing and art of medication management
By
Kurt Merkelz, M.D.
Jul 28, 2021
More prescriptions do not necessarily mean better health outcomes. Deprescribing, which is the planned and supervised process of intentionally stopping a medication or reducing its dose, is a critically...
‘Love hurts’ and sometimes so do averages
By
Steven Littlehale
Jul 23, 2018
Averages can help or hinder your evaluation of performance. Adding a few additional pieces of data can really support your efforts to properly see opportunity and manage risk.
A call for clear, coordinated and manageable expectations of nursing homes
By
Howard L. Sollins
Apr 06, 2022
It falls to individual skilled nursing facilities and caregiving teams to create clear and coordinated expectations of nursing homes.
And so, it begins…
By
Martie Moore
Nov 19, 2021
I will admit that I have never seen “Lord of the Rings.” Yes, I know I am an oddity. Yet, I do know that the words were used by King Théoden for an ominous, foreboding warning of what was coming… ...
Setting up for MDS 3.0 success
By
Steven Littlehale
Jan 06, 2023
Are you a “New Year’s resolution” kind of person? I am not, but I am a strong believer in establishing goals and setting intentions. Whether you prefer to make a resolution or set a goal, January...
Moon landings and the MDS. What gives?
By
Joel VanEaton
Mar 19, 2024
You may be aware that on Feb. 22, Houston-based Intuitive Machines landed a spacecraft on the moon, making history as the first commercial craft to reach the lunar surface and the first U.S. spacecraft...
The credit crisis, competition, increased costs: Tough times for long-term care
By
Michael Sandnes
Oct 03, 2008
Nursing homes are in a precarious situation as they face problems ranging from growing competition from investor-owned chains, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement cuts, and now an economic credit crisis....
Serving older adults: A community outreach example
By
Betsie Sassen
Feb 05, 2016
Effective community outreach to older adults can be done on a much smaller scale, with minimal investment and resources.
Will you pass CMS’s new schizophrenia MDS audits?
By
Steven Littlehale
Mar 31, 2023
In 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services started focused on-site surveys to address the issue of erroneous coding of schizophrenia in nursing homes. More recently, the agency began conducting...
Paris Hilton, supermarket tabloids … and the National Labor Relations Board
By
Woodruff Imberman
Oct 11, 2011
As we predicted in “Labor Pains: Craig Becker’s Troubling Prescription for Long-Term Care Facilities,” in a January 2011 posting at mcknights.com, the National Labor Relations Board is...