It’s a struggle to survive in long-term care, and maybe that’s a good thing
By
John O'Connor
May 03, 2013
We live in a nation that worships people associated with success. We tend to name buildings, highways and even states after such high-level achievers. Perhaps rightfully so. They are the few who show the...
Cameras in nursing homes? Better get used to them
By
John O'Connor
Apr 26, 2013
Street cameras played a major role in identifying the two brothers who allegedly bombed the Boston Marathon. In the wake of this helpful development, public support is growing for expanded use of cameras...
It’s easy to forget how quickly things have improved for LTC
By
John O'Connor
Apr 01, 2013
This publication and this sector were facing some very troubled times in 1990. That’s when I joined McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. The experts have a technical term for where the field and...
Cancer survivors pose challenges and opportunities for long-term care
By
John O'Connor
Mar 29, 2013
One of the occupational hazards of being a journalist is that you often have to distribute bad news. But every so often you get to share something that’s a bit more cheerful. This is one of those...
Shamelessly invoice at your own risk
By
John O'Connor
Mar 22, 2013
Here’s the good news for providers: new analytics are making it possible to understand and bill your care in ways that would have been impossible just a few years ago. Here’s the bad news:...
Message from the White House: Don’t trust nursing homes
By
John O'Connor
Mar 08, 2013
Ever wonder how much regard the White House has for long-term care operators? A brief filed last week makes the answer abundantly clear: very little.
A toxic nursing home strike that gets weirder by the day
By
John O'Connor
Feb 11, 2013
The late Hunter S. Thompson famously said that when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. By his logic, the management and workers involved in a strike across five HealthBridge Management facilities...
The truth can set you free — or put your long-term care facility out of business
By
John O'Connor
Jan 11, 2013
Journalists generally get all warm and tingly when previously guarded information becomes available. It must be in our DNA. So I should probably be cheering ProPublica’s announcement that the government...
What genius thought nursing homes and prisoners were a good mix?
By
John O'Connor
Jan 07, 2013
It’s hardly a secret that many nursing home employees were once convicted of crimes. But facilities generally don’t accept inmates still serving time, with perhaps one notable exception
The trouble with bullies
By
John O'Connor
Jan 02, 2013
The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments on the unpleasant subject of workplace harassment. At issue is whether an employer is responsible when the bully is not strictly a boss.