A proposed reclassification of painkillers is one more example of how the long-term care setting gets left out of policy discussions, and frail elders will pay the price.
Fingers crossed: Medicare Advantage may be turning around
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Aug 22, 2023
As a long-term care provider, what’s your favorite thing about Medicare Advantage? No three-day hospital stay. And not much else. As a beneficiary of Medicare Advantage (MA), there are plenty...
Love is in the air
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Feb 14, 2023
Oh yes, it’s Valentine’s week. It starts with Galentine’s Day on February 13, a day created on a TV show called “Parks and Recreation” that’s now a popular holiday as an excuse for girlfriends...
Celebrating poise and positivity in chaos
By
Gary Tetz
Jan 12, 2023
At the end of a long shift on Christmas Eve, two CNAs are chatting in the facility parking lot. “Rough day,” says one. “A family member yelled at me about problems I can’t solve and things that...
Rolling out the red carpet for robots
By
Gary Tetz
Jul 14, 2022
Given recent news, award presentations at future long-term care conventions might have a new twist. “And now, please put your hands together for our Frontline Caregiver of the Year: Arti3000, a tireless...
Stuff I’ve done for residents as a long-term care shrink
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Dec 31, 2013
Many of us in long-term care think of our jobs as a calling. We handle the day-to-day tasks and the business as usual but also get a lot of energy and joy out of taking our work one step further. Here...
Bad survey? Call your medical director
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Mar 20, 2023
I recently won a case against state surveyors and I learned something new… again. The surveyors were adamant that the facility neglected a resident, and cited violations of policies, and criticized...
If you give the staff a livable wage…
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Dec 07, 2021
The longstanding story of long-term care staffing is that organizations can’t afford to increase the salaries of their workers due to Medicaid reimbursement deficits, rising expenses, tight margins and...
HIPAA and eHealth: Avoiding problems
By
Jean Wendland Porter
May 09, 2016
As long as the means of getting the information are protected, encrypted, and encoded, sharing information to provide care has never been easier and quicker. However, it’s our responsibility and...
Connecting to seniors through community outreach
By
Cole Marvin
Aug 16, 2013
It’s important for the future of seniors that providers work to reverse the trend of waiting to move to a retirement community. Friendship Village Tempe has made an effort to target these prospective...