The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light many challenges for long-term care providers, but staffing retention continues to remain a top challenge for most organizations. With turnover rates nearing 50%,...
5 strategies to promote mental health in long-term care
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jun 08, 2021
Last week, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka chose to forgo mandatory but anxiety-producing post-event press interviews to protect her mental health. She was fined $15,000 by tennis officials and, after being...
Biden Medicare regulations favor hospitals over skilled nursing facilities
By
Lisa Grabert
Jun 02, 2021
On an annual basis, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services updates various payment systems within the Traditional (fee-for-service) Medicare program. This regulatory season is more entertaining than...
How to make payroll-based journaling easy
By
Thomas Jegou
Jun 01, 2021
As reporting standards go, Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) reporting stands out as notoriously difficult. It involves a lot of labor and can be prone to ratings-endangering errors. Meeting the PBJ reporting...
Post-pandemic population may require higher staffing levels
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
May 25, 2021
Before the pandemic, residents were admitted for rehabilitation following elective surgery or a health crisis. The rehab residents either returned home or joined the group of long-term residents who had...
Some operators not clear on the ‘greatest asset’ concept
By
John O'Connor
May 24, 2021
“Our employees are our greatest asset.” How often have I heard that or a similar claim over the years?
Don’t let pests postpone your facility’s return to ‘normal’
By
Glen Ramsey
May 20, 2021
With vaccination in deployment across U.S. nursing homes, visitation is resuming. But before getting back into normal operating rhythm, it’s important to take proactive steps in keeping insects and other...
What you should know about disinfectants
By
Mark Hodgson
May 13, 2021
In the long-term care sector, we have to address patients who may have been through multiple hospital visits and may have been infected with a wide range of multi-drug resistant organisms. Some of them...
5 ways to reduce late-pandemic staff burnout
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
May 11, 2021
Most residents and workers are vaccinated and COVID-19 rates in nursing homes have plummeted, so everything should be great, right? According to a recent article in StatNews, not quite. In “As the Covid-19...
Addressing the top residence safety risks of 2021
By
Heather Annolino
Apr 29, 2021
The coronavirus drastically altered the delivery of healthcare over the past year, especially for resident care facilities. These organizations were faced with the challenge of managing ongoing care while...