CMS has a golden idea with its Open Door Forums, but it’s time for some polish.
Enraged about an unfair playing field for nursing home admissions
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 21, 2017
It was not a good sign from the start. The “personal” email stiffly started “Dear Sir,” The first line only validated my gnawing feeling: “I can’t tell you how enraged...
Like Trump, arbitration clauses up off the deck
By
James M. Berklan
Nov 10, 2016
Politics makes strange bedfellows. Another great illustration of this could be the many nursing home operators waking up to their previously unrealized love affair with President-elect Trump. That’s...
A provider out to solve the turnover problem ‘once and for all’
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 18, 2018
There’s a new player on the long-term care scene and it makes no small plans. It’s goal, in part, is to “enlighten” the rest of the profession with an employee-focused brand of...
Volunteer calls out nursing homes for not delivering
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 23, 2015
After five years, Gary Gamponia says he has had enough frustration. His message to nursing home administrators and activities directors would likely be, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going...
2024 eagerly awaits you, long-term care faithful
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 21, 2023
As a new year looms, we’re reminded of a pattern that becomes pretty familiar in long-term care if you’ve already seen enough calendar pages disappear.
Why providers aren’t elated about new pay-for-quality goals
By
James M. Berklan
Jan 28, 2015
You can forgive long-term care providers if they weren’t outwardly jumping for joy at Monday’s announcement that Medicare is going to start paying for quality, and not quantity, of services.
Nursing home lobbying merger was a long time in coming
By
James M. Berklan
May 30, 2013
Almost immediately after the 2006 schism that threatened to fully tear them fully apart, some stakeholders wanted to see the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care remain united with the American Health...
When man bites dog at the Alzheimer’s care facility
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 08, 2016
Here’s your long-term care “Man bites dog” story of the week.
No joke: Nursing Home Compare, ratings earn praise
By
James M. Berklan
Nov 19, 2014
At first blush, the phrasing seemed like the punch line to a questionable long-term care-related gag. But upon further reflection, it began to sound more and more like an earnest compliment. The government’s...