Emergencies help needed: More ‘strike’ teams, policy improvements vital for nursing homes, report...
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 25, 2022
Despite diligent efforts by nursing homes during COVID-19 outbreaks, operators need help from policy makers to ensure better levels of care during future infection control emergencies, researchers say.
[Updated] Providers bracing for CMS release of federal nursing home staffing mandate at ‘any time’
By
James M. Berklan
Kimberly Marselas
Aug 31, 2023
Nursing home leaders Wednesday were expecting details of a first-ever federal nursing home staffing mandate to be released at virtually any time.
Welcome to Mongo’s world, nursing homes
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 20, 2023
Long-term care providers can surely use a smile in times like these, even if it means a bittersweet grin in the end.
First NHSN webinar on COVID-19 vaccination reporting changes is Monday
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 22, 2023
The national reporting system for nursing homes to submit COVID-19 vaccination data has set webinar dates to review important changes to the system.
Congress as … good guys?
By
James M. Berklan
May 10, 2024
Face it: It’s easy to complain. About the boss, about the weather, about “the system.” And if you toil in long-term care, it’s really easy to fire up a narrowed down complaint list targeting two...
It’s time for long-term care to do more with more
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 15, 2022
Like a schoolyard bully who’s yet to meet his comeuppance, COVID-19 has forced us to put our dukes up and figure out better ways to survive.
Prep for new MDS 3.0 hits a new gear
By
James M. Berklan
Aug 25, 2023
Providers will look to next week, and the ensuing weeks leading up to Oct. 1, as prime time to prepare for new provisions in the overhauled MDS 3.0 assessment tool.
60 Seconds with University of Rochester researcher Brian McGarry
By
James M. Berklan
May 03, 2023
Q: What did your team’s recent study of COVID-19 staff-testing methods reveal? A: Surveillance testing was very effective and we likely underinvested in this. Cheap and fast, but slightly less accurate,...
For nursing homes, a dangerous game of chicken
By
James M. Berklan
May 03, 2024
As many have noted, the federal government’s first-ever nursing home staffing mandate can be a very dangerous thing. Just maybe not for the reason that many have been portraying.
Doubling rapid COVID testing would have saved thousands of nursing home lives: study
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 23, 2023
Thousands of lives could have been saved at relatively very little cost, if nursing home operators had made wider use of rapid COVID-19 tests during the pre-vaccine days of the pandemic, a study published...