This month’s column invokes several previous columns, one about medications and the other about knowing if we know what we don’t know. A recent medical journal article concluded that falls in...
Fasten your seatbelts: It MIGHT be a bumpy ride
By
Steven Littlehale
Oct 13, 2023
It’s been a flurry of activity leading up to the implementation of the “new MDS.” For months our industry has been doing what we do best — rising to the occasion. Countless MDS training sessions,...
The job we get to do: A glimpse into the world of skilled nursing therapists
By
Renee Kinder
Oct 12, 2023
In meetings recently I heard perspective from a colleague about the “job we get to do” as rehab professionals who are entrusted with caring for our patients — who are not just patients. They...
Quality does not equate to staffing mandates
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Oct 10, 2023
I recently returned from the AHCA/NACL national convention and expo, one of my favorite conferences of the year. One reason why it’s a favorite is the recognition of quality in our profession. There...
Armed intruder and active shooter preparedness in LTC facilities
By
Stan Szpytek
Steve Wilder
Oct 09, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires skilled nursing facilities to plan for emergencies and disasters to protect the vulnerable population they serve. The regulations cited in Appendix...
Trick or treat? MDS changes are in the bag
By
Joel VanEaton
Oct 03, 2023
When I was a kid, I loved getting dressed up for Halloween. I remember especially a clown (funny not scary) costume I got one year. I couldn’t wait to put it on and be transformed into another world....
Helicopter Children… or is it more than that?
By
Teresa Geroulo
Sep 25, 2023
In every facility there is at least one family member who tries to take over the care and decision making for their loved one. The term is “Helicopter Children.” Helicopter Children observe their...
Whose life is it anyway?
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Sep 21, 2023
My family is full of therapists, and most of us work in skilled nursing. My sister, an experienced speech language pathologist, called to commiserate about one of her patients who had difficulty swallowing. ...
How long must U.S. seniors wait for nursing homes to clean up their act? Congress must step in
By
Devin Jopp
Sep 18, 2023
For years the government has sounded the alarm about infection control lapses in nursing homes, a deficiency underscored at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic when many residents of a Kirkland, WA...
Be your own data defender
By
Steven Littlehale
Sep 15, 2023
“Well, it’s clear that you’ve never set foot into a nursing home.” I know you’ve thought that while reading a memo from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or your state agency, taking...