Earlier this month, I was excited to learn that one of my favorite writers, Alice Munro, had been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature. To mark the honor, The New Yorker republished one...
New SGR proposal: Progress or pie in the sky?
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 05, 2013
I’ve recently drawn up my plans for the winter, and I’m very excited about what’s in store! I’d like to share my ideas with you and get some feedback. Let’s call this the...
Feel-good stories that make nursing homes look bad
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 18, 2014
Being discharged from a nursing facility to a home- or community-based setting seems like a completely positive development — and the media certainly present it that way. These human interest stories...
Therapy with a twist (of lemon)
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 01, 2013
As you read this, you might be eyeing the new RAI manual that takes effect today, and are feeling a bit overwhelmed at the sheer number of new pages. So it’s with great regret that I have to add...
Adverse events and the culture of fear in long-term care
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 04, 2014
The government report on adverse events in post-acute care that was released yesterday shines a light on issues of real concern. However, as long-term care stakeholders and regulators consider the implications...
C. diff spotlight: Vaccine trial and caregiver checklist
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 07, 2013
Back in June, I declared medication to be the long-term care topic of the summer. But this week, a different topic has stolen the spotlight: Clostridium difficile.
CPR in nursing homes: The debate turns upside down under
By
Tim Mullaney
May 07, 2013
Intrepid Daily Show correspondent John Oliver recently headed Down Under. His assignment: Find out how Australia’s strict gun control measures have played out since being passed in the mid-1990s....
Forget Paris, give me the crossword: What makes residents happy?
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 18, 2014
Which would make you happier: walking onto your porch on a sunny morning or taking snapshots from the top of the Eiffel Tower? How about: having a long, fun conversation with your child or going to a Bob...
Good news for (yawn) shift workers and residents
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 19, 2014
Long-term care professionals around the country cheered wildly last week when the Food and Drug Administration approved Belsomra, a new sleep drug. Shift workers applauded the addition to their medicine...
Dedicated nurses are in it for the money
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 02, 2014
I’m here to suggest that providers start seeking out nurses who are not even motivated mainly by the desire to help other people.