Here’s some good news, of sorts: St. Louis-based Ascension has finally restored access to its electronic health records, more than three weeks after a May 8 ransomware attack.
Getting your steps in
By
Gary Tetz
May 30, 2024
I and most other humans I know are obsessed with steps, and not just of the 12 variety. We wear tracking devices 24/7, like an entire society under house arrest, and monitor step counts with religious...
‘Plateaued’ is not a medical description
By
Jean Wendland Porter
May 28, 2024
I’m starting to sound like a broken record (vinyl is coming back; the kids know what I mean), but I recently heard a therapist say the patient’s progress plateaued, so we have to stop therapy. Again. ...
The impact of survey delays on nursing home quality and consumer information
By
Steven Littlehale
May 24, 2024
In a column published by McKnight’s in December 2023, “Revamping CMS Survey Data Integration Amid Regulatory Lag in Nursing Home Oversight,” I urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...
You’ve done the work, so where’s the reward?
By
James M. Berklan
May 23, 2024
Time and time again, long-term care personnel put their heart into their daily routines only to be told or left feeling it’s not enough.
AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit kicks off Monday
By
James M. Berklan
May 17, 2024
The 2024 AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit will take place Monday through Wednesday in San Antonio, giving providers innovative ideas, strategies and inspiration to ensure high-quality care.
Implementing the federal staffing mandate will do more than just stir the pot
By
Zach Shamberg
May 17, 2024
How’s this for a truly perplexing recipe? Nursing homes are closing, access to care for seniors and adults with disabilities is being restricted, Medicaid reimbursement can’t keep pace with the true...
The way to make a grand entrance in long-term care
By
James M. Berklan
May 17, 2024
It’s true that it’s more important how you finish a race than how you start it. But if the opening sprint of a new public player in the long-term care sector is any indication, it’s going to be a...
The smiling robot
By
Gary Tetz
May 16, 2024
When I was still a prepubescent boy with many questions, never once did my father take me aside and explain how smiles are made. As a result, I’ve always been a terrible smiler, simply because I never...
Distinguishing pseudobulbar affect from depression: Clinical challenges and opportunities for long-term...
May 15, 2024
This article is sponsored by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. In long-term care environments, it’s not uncommon for site staff including nurses, administrators, physical therapists, physicians and...