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,...
Falling by the wayside
By
Steven Levenson
Oct 24, 2023
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...
Stop using the F word already!
By
Julie Thorson
Jun 05, 2024
Words matter. It’s amazing to me that today some still use the “F word” to describe where we work. “Facility” is such a cold harsh word and yet, for some, it’s still tossed around without a...
How do we know if we know what we don’t know?
By
Steven Levenson
Sep 08, 2023
The amount of knowledge and skill involved in complying with the OBRA regulations is monumental. Every topic, from pressure injury prevention to behavior management, has many tec hnical details and clinical...
Brushing away the risk: The crucial role of daily toothbrushing in preventing hospital-acquired pneumonia
By
Renee Kinder
Jan 18, 2024
A phenomenon that skilled nursing teams have long appreciated was recently highlighted in a recent article published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers Ehrenzeller and Klompas shed light on a critical...
Sharing of the minds
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Feb 27, 2024
In the past three weeks, I have been involved in some great “meeting of the mind” sessions. One was the AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards Silver Team Leader meeting. Prior to and following that one, I attended...
Bad news, it’s worse than we thought
By
Gary Tetz
Feb 08, 2024
A mere couple of blogs ago, I shared my concern, based on excellent McKnight’s reportage, that seniors are becoming just as addicted to their devices as young people. That seemed shocking, given our...
The hypocrisy of staffing mandates
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 19, 2023
Absorbed as you probably are in fighting through the long-term care staffing crisis while parrying a CMS mandate, I wouldn’t blame you for not noticing. But at airports across America, big planes are...
It’s painful — and there’s no end in sight
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Sep 12, 2023
So here I am in Florida. I started having pain in my upper right gastric region. Over the course of three days it was getting really intense. Could my primary care provider squeeze me in? Nope. So...
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...