A note from SNFs to hospitals: Stay away from Misfit Island
By
John O'Connor
Jul 25, 2016
Hospitals need to toughen up. Their impending new five-star rating system isn’t going to be the end of the world (at least, not for most of them). But if the experience of skilled nursing homes is...
Of Purell and payment reform
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 16, 2013
I was sympathetic when the Partnership for Sustainable Health Care called for a speedier shift away from fee-for-service last week — and I also thought about Purell. Yes, that Purell.
CLASS Act to survive, even if healthcare reform doesn’t
By
Liza Berger
Jan 21, 2010
Larry Minnix sounded weary but determined. The CLASS Act may become a casualty of healthcare reform, but it is not going away, the head of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging assured...
We’ve identified the big problems. Now let’s just hope they go away.
By
John O'Connor
Sep 02, 2019
Whether most operators are paranoid is a matter of conjecture. But it’s no secret that many feel they have a big ol’ target on their backs. Maybe that sentiment derives from decades of battles with...
Why long-term care is sending out mixed signals
By
John O'Connor
Mar 08, 2021
Is long-term care a rock-solid enterprise dealing with a temporary setback it didn’t cause? Or is the field just months away from an all-but-certain collapse? Both? Neither?
A survey you don’t have to worry about
By
Mary Gustafson
Mar 29, 2012
The quality of nursing home care is improving — and residents and their families are noticing. That’s the message two industry researchers want administrators and caregivers to take away from new...
Odds don’t favor another round of Obamacare
By
John O'Connor
Apr 23, 2012
The Supreme Court may be two months away from announcing whether President Barack Obama’s health care law is legal. But court watchers are already speculating on what will happen if the measure is...
Assisted living’s portrayal in “Trainwreck”
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jul 20, 2015
It’s not revolutionary to see long-term care come up in a feature film, from “Away from Her” to “The Savages.” But it’s brave to incorporate it into a comedy, especially...
Step away from the vending machine: Real life nutrition tips for healthcare workers
By
May 02, 2017
Long-term care leaders can encourage healthy activity among their staff, starting with modeling healthy behaviors themselves. But what about the frontline healthcare workers with just a few minutes a day...
Are you taking care of residents or conditions?
By
John O'Connor
Jun 17, 2013
Mr. Fogel quietly passed away last week at a Chicago-area nursing home. Most of the staff didn’t know he was in the building. Among the few who did, he was a resident with heart problems. What a...