While CMS tries to figure out how to proceed with the manual medical review process, we continue to track our caps and apply our modifiers. In the meantime, has anyone noticed how our typical Medicare...
Catheters, infections and … you don’t want to know
By
Elizabeth Newman
Mar 06, 2012
Urinary catheters were on my radar twice last week. The first involved a late-night trip to the vet with an unhappy cat. The second, a political animal.
Movie ‘Up’ takes new look at aging
By
Liza Berger
Jul 23, 2009
Finally, there is a movie that provides a positive depiction of seniors and old age. That film is “Up,” and I suggest you head out to the nearest theatre to see it, if you haven’t already. Unlike...
New survey shows Five-Star rating system’s flaws
By
Liza Berger
Jul 10, 2009
Many providers still are having a tough time embracing the new Five-Star rating system for nursing homes. A new survey shows that their concerns may be valid. Holleran, a national research and consulting...
The value of RN-to-BSN programs
By
Elizabeth Newman
Sep 26, 2017
The idea of a BSN programs should be a big draw to long-term care RNs.
You’re fired! Welcome to the team
By
Gary Tetz
May 09, 2012
The holy grail of long-term care hiring would have to be the ability to divine in advance who will end up becoming a personnel liability and workplace nightmare. Most providers try to do that with a combination...
God help providers accused of religious discrimination
By
John O'Connor
Aug 15, 2014
There was a time when reading Gary Larson’s “The Far Side” was an essential part of my daily routine. Yes, the now-defunct strip was a bit quirky, but it was almost always good for a...
‘Just a picture of her butt’ — an analysis
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Feb 16, 2016
Wondering how an employee could possibly think posting a photo of a resident’s behind to social media would be a reasonable action to take, I contacted a psychologist and social media expert.
How can leaders engage employees? Lessons from “Field of Dreams”
By
Nancy Anderson, RN, MA
Dec 13, 2017
Do you remember the movie Field of Dreams? I loved that movie! It had charm, mystery, sentimentality, and a real feel-good ending.
Promising signs on the regulatory front
By
John O'Connor
Oct 16, 2017
President Trump is no fan of regulations, and long-term care operators have more than their fair share to contend with. So it’s a welcome breeze when Trump says he wants to start eliminating some...