People often ask me what long-term care is like in Canada.* Trying to keep the peace, I usually answer, “Different.” I choose this passive path because a) I’m Canadian, so it’s...
Are you prepared? 5 questions you need to know the answers to
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Aug 27, 2013
With all the recent regulatory changes that have come down the line, or are about to, we developed a simple five-question survey that each provider had to ask every therapy employee. If you can develop...
One little word, one big perception
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 04, 2018
A friend of mine had grown concerned about the condition of her mother, who is a resident at a skilled nursing facility in another state. It tears at her heart being so far away, and she doesn’t get...
Someone to thank during pandemic: the ‘founder’ of handwashing
By
Herb Hildebrandt, Ph.D, Hl.D.
May 22, 2020
Few of us paused July 17, 2019, to recognize a significant birth laying a substantial helping in controlling the COVID-19 virus. That event was the birth of an individual who’s seminal heritage...
Frustrations of a persecuted provider boil over
By
Barry Bortz
Nov 01, 2011
What happens when a government and society create an evil enemy of the state? They begin by calling them monsters, a drain on society that is guilty of heinous crimes, and they use the legal system and...
Peppers and hooch
By
Gary Tetz
May 08, 2015
You are correct. “Peppers and Hooch” does sound like a bad buddy cop show from the ’80s. But in the world of Nebraskan long-term care, the lethal combination could be threatening the...
From ‘Mean Girls’ and bingo bans to inclusion
By
Jill Vitale-Aussem
Feb 11, 2015
Are the people who run certain retirement communities unfeeling monsters with no concern for the well-being of residents? I don’t think so. I think they are just like me, and many others who manage...
Life after mechanical ventilation: A new accreditation to improve outcomes
By
Nathaniel Miller
Dec 04, 2023
Mechanical ventilation is the most common intervention for patients admitted to ICUs to allow them to breathe sufficiently on their own. However, prolonged mechanical ventilation can lead to a host of...
Red for stop or green for go?
By
Paul Liistro
Oct 14, 2019
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, hoping to provide consumers with more usable information, is employing anachronistic thinking. If agency officials believe the threat of negative branding...
SGR fix?! Don’t get me started!
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Jan 09, 2012
So here’s a Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) 101 primer so you will understand why I am so upset.