Have you started your countdown clocks yet? It looks like it’s definitely happening this year on Oct. 1, 2014. The transitions from ICD-9 to ICD-10 coding will 100% absolutely take effect for the...
Asking for the medical record
By
Steven Littlehale
Jan 29, 2014
Millions of dollars have been paid by nursing homes who unsuccessfully defended themselves against incomplete or absent documentation. There are not as many legal guidelines regarding medical records maintenance...
Employee recognition programs: What works
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jan 21, 2014
After Ms. Ryan’s psychotherapy session, I stopped at the nursing station and asked the nurse for the name of her aide. The nurse pointed to a uniformed woman right next to me, who turned and asked...
Therapy patients need, and deserve, this simple self-image booster
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jan 14, 2014
Have you ever had a day when you looked great but felt depressed? Or you looked your worst but felt great? Perception of self-image is stronger than actual self-image with determining our emotions. Would...
Stuff I won’t do for residents and why your staff shouldn’t either: preventing burnout in...
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jan 09, 2014
In my last post, I wrote about some of the many things I do for residents as a long-term care psychologist. The astute reader will note that most of the tasks were accomplished during work hours and within...
CNA speak: Take time to learn the language
By
Lori Porter
Jan 03, 2014
In my 32 years of careful study regarding the divide between administration and certified nursing aides, I have learned many things. One of the most important discoveries is that there are two separate...
The need for documentation in therapy
By
Tara Roberts
Dec 23, 2013
Skilled therapy documentation traditionally focuses on prior level of function, current level of function and ultimately desired discharge level of function. Outcomes are typically measured in short and...
Be careful what you wish for
By
Steven Littlehale
Dec 18, 2013
Last January, the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont approved a settlement agreement in the case of Jimmo vs Sebelius that alleged Medicare contractors were inappropriately applying an “improvement...
Personal stories every therapist should know
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Dec 17, 2013
What’s the point of all of our treatment interventions and plans of care if we can’t relate to our patients? If you can put a face and personality behind your justification for therapy services,...
Lost in Medicare Part D land
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Dec 10, 2013
My mom called me to relay her “tragic” story of trying to sign up for a Medicare Part D plan. She hadn’t signed up for one, and didn’t feel that she needed one, but at lunch her...