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...
Moon landings and the MDS. What gives?
By
Joel VanEaton
Mar 19, 2024
You may be aware that on Feb. 22, Houston-based Intuitive Machines landed a spacecraft on the moon, making history as the first commercial craft to reach the lunar surface and the first U.S. spacecraft...
The season of invisible scars
By
Julie Thorson
Jul 20, 2022
Wanna make a bet? I’ll bet you most people couldn’t care less that we are still in a public health emergency. The field that is very aware of this extension, is without a doubt, long-term care. But...
Caregiving. It’s what you do
By
Celia Pomerantz
Apr 06, 2012
I wonder how the staff at my mother’s nursing home could handle so much sadness. Perhaps it was because they knew how to listen with their hearts.
Does an administrator affect the success of a director of nurses?
By
Peg Tobin
Aug 01, 2018
My company, Tobin & Associates, is currently conducting a training program for nurse leaders funded through the Civil Monetary Penalty Grants.
Analytically Speaking: MDS data accuracy
By
Steven Littlehale
Jan 13, 2012
Since the late 1990’s, the Minimum Data Set has been a primary driver in the long-term care industry, influencing all areas of skilled nursing facility operations. With so much depending on it, ensuring...
How COVID-19 unmasked ageism
By
Joel Landau
Jan 25, 2021
For every occasion, even a pandemic, there appears to be a hashtag. One used to describe the coronavirus was particularly vile, particularly cruel: #BoomerRemover. There is, tragically, some truth to it,...
Point of Care data collection: information at your fingertips
By
Larry Triplett
Nov 11, 2008
It’s time to move on from the old method of pen-and-paper documentation in long-term care. Point-of-care electronic data collection offers improved accuracy, communication and resident care. So what...
Making sense of two approaches to the skilled nursing quality assurance privilege
By
Mario C. Giannettino
Sep 01, 2023
Skilled nursing facilities are required by law to have quality assessment and assurance committees to maintain and improve safety and quality in their facilities. The documents created and used by the...
My incredible shrinking lifespan
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 14, 2021
With so much still to say to the long-term care profession, I’m realizing I better write fast, because I may not have many years left. Less all the time, according to a study from Oxford University....