Behavioral health gets noticed, but challenges remain
By
Bernadette Greatorex
Nov 14, 2019
In 2018, 1 in 25 U.S. adults (or 11.4 million people) had a serious behavioral health need. Patients residing in skilled nursing facilities present with a variety of mental health...
Future of Medicaid: What keeps me up at night
By
Kimberly Townsend
Apr 17, 2019
Loretto will continue to advocate against cuts to Medicaid, but also will persist to innovate our care and diversify our programs to keep up with the increasing demands of our future older adult populations.
How your facility can prepare for USP
By
Brian Williams
Aug 28, 2019
Editor’s note: This article has been updated since original publication to delete a mention of oxytocin, which was made in error. See further comment below. * We are less than three months away from...
The true cost of obesity to SNFs
By
Joy Stephenson-Laws
Jan 19, 2018
While federal regulations state that nursing homes must provide “each resident with a nourishing, palatable, and well-balanced diet that meets dietary requirements and any special dietary needs”...
Post-acute facilities must start acting like businesses
By
Betsy Rust
Aug 14, 2016
Fading fast are the days of post-acute healthcare providers viewing patients as their primary customers.
Avoiding norovirus like the plague
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jun 05, 2014
Norovirus is the scourge of nursing homes, not to mention frequent travelers. The release of Center for Disease Control and Prevention data this week confirms what many of us see firsthand, which is “the...
What providers need to know right now about PDPM
By
Russ DePriest
Apr 08, 2019
The journey we’ve mapped out for providers has five stages: conceptualize, standardize, analyze, optimize, and operationalize.
Beware of hospital observation loopholes
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Dec 07, 2012
Hospitals have been undergoing more and more restrictions on re-admissions and are now facing financial penalties in some situations. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in more patients not being classified...
Have you learned how to play SPADEs in the new world of PDPM?
By
Joel VanEaton
Apr 22, 2020
EDITOR’S NOTE: For the new column on this topic, with all up-to-date observations, newly appearing Nov. 28, 2022, click here. So much is being written recently about the current trends that many...
Skilled nursing facilities: The triple threat of healthcare
By
Tara Roberts
Oct 16, 2013
To say skilled nursing facilities have come a long way would be, well, surprisingly refreshing. Public opinion polls show there is still a wide-spread misunderstanding of what SNFs do, how they are paid...