Supporting the unpaid caregiver through the virtuous circle
By
Steven Littlehale
Nov 12, 2021
It seems inevitable. You are likely among the 53 million people in the United States who are unpaid caregivers for a loved one. If not, you may soon join their ranks. This unpaid and frequently unplanned...
Data integrity critical for MDS quality
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 16, 2012
As most long-term care operators can attest, MDS 3.0 has spurred both opportunities and obstacles. On one hand, the new resident assessment tool is pushing resident care and satisfaction to the forefront...
Carnac the Magnificent psychically divines your most despised quality Measure
By
Steven Littlehale
Oct 16, 2020
Busy yourselves with the excellent suggestions provided by other top-performing SNFs around the country.
Let’s talk turkey about early PDPM trends
By
Steven Littlehale
Nov 26, 2019
We’re not even two months in, and some very interesting trends for the Patient Driven Payment Model are beginning to emerge.
Final rule for joint replacement: Don’t come unhinged!
By
Steven Littlehale
Jan 20, 2016
The first mandatory bundled payment program was set into motion with the publication of the Final Rule on Comprehensive Care for Lower Extremity Joint Replacement (CJR). The implementation date is now...
New staffing rules redux
By
Steven Littlehale
Jun 05, 2015
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule for skilled nursing facilities in fiscal 2016 contains some “must read” information about new staff reporting requirements.
Going with your gut?
By
Steven Littlehale
Dec 01, 2014
Intuition fascinates us. Over and over, we hear stories of people having amazing successes following their gut instincts. We seldom hear about those who listen to that inner voice and fail.
Don’t drop the ball when the music ends: creating the right discharge plans
By
Steven Littlehale
Jul 02, 2014
Providing a safe handoff during discharge from a skilled nursing facility is the operator’s responsibility. Unfortunately, it’s not happening enough. SNFs without effective discharge planning...
‘Keep it simple’ is just not in our nature
By
Steven Littlehale
Jun 28, 2021
I asked all the leadership at New Choice Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to bring me their department-specific resident assessment tools. They were to leave them on my desk by 5 p.m. When I returned...
What will it cost you to stay in the post-acute care game?
By
Steven Littlehale
Apr 22, 2015
More than just collecting data, providers need to use standardized, nationally recognized measures. Especially in this era of ACOs and alternative payment models. In the past, many individual providers...