Facts, not anecdotes, must guide long-term care policy
By
Brendan Williams
Feb 14, 2020
An oft-repeated canard that bedevils advocates for facility-based care is the assertion, by an organization that peddles Medicare insurance products, that “90% of people don’t want to be in a nursing...
The cheese has moved … will Sniff find it?
By
Steven Littlehale
Aug 23, 2017
Imagine my surprise when several people came bearing the shocking news that “the MDS will not matter anymore” and that RCS-1 is “the end of the MDS.” Wait, what? Not on your life!
Breaking down the therapy changes
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Nov 08, 2021
Proposed rules almost always become final rules. On November 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (after threatening for four years) finalized the 15% payment reduction for outpatient...
Grace needed at separation: People don’t forget
By
Jeff Kortes
Dec 16, 2013
Handing in your resignation is rarely an easy event. As a leader, be it a program manager, assistant or an administrator, ask yourself this question: How do I treat people when they resign to take another...
Drug reduction may be all the rage, but it shouldn’t be outrageous
By
Steven Levenson
Jul 10, 2023
In recent years, there has been much talk about drug reduction in nursing homes. We hear about “GDR meetings” and even a new verb, as in “We are ‘GDRing’ our residents’ medications.” ...
‘Plateaued’ is not a medical description
By
Jean Wendland Porter
May 28, 2024
I’m starting to sound like a broken record (vinyl is coming back; the kids know what I mean), but I recently heard a therapist say the patient’s progress plateaued, so we have to stop therapy. Again. ...
Managing RCS-1
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Sep 18, 2017
The new Resident Classification System, which may be implemented Oct 1, 2018, is changing the game. I say “may be implemented” because there’s reason to believe that it may be delayed...
When there Is not a good answer: Dealing with an unprecedented event inside nursing homes
By
Rebekah Bray
Oct 09, 2020
The images and news coverage from the early 2020 of devastated nurses and doctors, and the thousands of body bags and make-shift morgues in New York City, are burned in the memory of healthcare workers...
Finding unexpected blessings on the unexpected shift
By
Peg Tobin
Nov 27, 2019
During my days as a director of nursing, I sometimes found myself covering when someone else on staff called off. I remember being upset about one such shift when I had to “put on my big girl panties”...
Behavior management plans for challenging behaviors
By
Richard Juman, PsyD
Feb 14, 2018
“Mrs. Jones” is in the middle of the dayroom, once again engaging in verbal abusiveness that disrupts the residents, families and staff on her unit.