If you want to live dangerously, work in a nursing home
By
John O'Connor
Nov 25, 2013
When you buy a pack of cigarettes in this country, you also get an admonition from the Surgeon General. Why? To point out how dangerous going near tobacco products can be.
As a boss, are you providing good guidance, or ‘good’ stories?
By
John O'Connor
Nov 22, 2013
Say what you will about bad bosses: They always seem to create great stories. But not usually as intended.
It’s time frivolous lawsuit filers were held more accountable
By
John O'Connor
Nov 18, 2013
Not all the news out of Congress these days is bad. Last week, the House passed long-overdue legislation that fines plaintiffs who file frivolous lawsuits.
Strange ways to deal with long-term care’s staffing challenge
By
John O'Connor
Nov 15, 2013
It’s no secret that our nation’s long-term care facilities need additional caregivers. More than 43,000 direct care staff positions remain unfilled, according to figures from the American Health...
Newly unveiled artificial leg uses mind control to function
By
John O'Connor
Nov 01, 2013
Nursing home residents with an amputated leg might soon gain new walking independence, thanks to a motorcycle accident victim and researchers at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
An expensive doorstop
By
John O'Connor
Nov 01, 2013
It’s hard to reflect on the Commission on Long-Term Care’s recently submitted report without getting hacked off. To call it a fool’s errand would be to insult misdirected dimwits.
Maybe long-term care isn’t such a laggard after all
By
John O'Connor
Oct 28, 2013
If we’ve seen anything this month, it’s this: Changing a healthcare system is no easy task. Just ask the White House.
Will 29-hour workweeks be the new normal in long-term care?
By
John O'Connor
Oct 21, 2013
We’ve been hearing a lot lately about problems uninsured people are having with health exchanges. But not much is being reported about a different kind of exchange many long-term care managers might...
Bizarre decision shows that when it comes to 3-day stay rule, there ought to be a law
By
John O'Connor
Oct 11, 2013
There are many odd animals roaming our healthcare industrial complex. But few are more bizarre than Medicare’s three-day rule. Or more deserving of extinction.
Facilities approach 15% goal for antipsychotics reduction
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2013
For decades, many providers have viewed antipsychotic drugs as a necessary evil for treating residents with dementia. But increasingly, these medications are just being seen as evil. So it’s hardly...