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...
CMS posts alleged deficiencies on Nursing Home Care Compare
By
Alan C. Horowitz, Esq., RN
Jan 25, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services conveys its policies (and directives) through its Quality, Safety & Oversight (QSO) memos. On Jan. 18, 2023, CMS announced that beginning on Jan. 25, 2023,...
Telehealth and rehab with end of PHE
By
Renee Kinder
May 25, 2023
Regulation is always clear and easy to comprehend. Laughable, right? What often happens when new rules and regulations are proposed or finalized is that there is a flurry of activity following, from...
Unlocking communication: The role of physical, occupational and speech therapy in aphasia
By
Renee Kinder
Jun 08, 2023
Aphasia, noun apha·sia ə-ˈfā-zh(ē-)ə Medical: loss or impairment of the power to use or comprehend words usually resulting from brain damage (as from a stroke, head injury, or infection) Aphasia,...
March, the summer solstice, and social determinants of health
By
Joel VanEaton
Mar 21, 2023
Daylight-saving time is finally here! I look forward to the day in March that it arrives starting June 21 every year. What’s June 21 you ask? Why, it’s the summer solstice. The summer solstice is...
More residents with opioid use disorder are coming. Are we ready?
By
Dina Besirevic
Aug 23, 2023
The 55-year-old female resident with multiple wounds on both of her arms wasn’t this nurse’s favorite. Yes, the nurse had provided wound care over the years to many people who were irritable...
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...
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...
Fatal contraction or flexible adaptation: Can we ‘flex’ the LTC sector?
By
Irving Stackpole
Oct 24, 2022
The contraction of both supply and demand of long-term care in the United States is becoming acute, especially given the flexibility needed for what lies ahead. The sector was in very serious shape...
Achoo! Springtime is PEPPER season
By
Renee Kinder
Apr 27, 2023
The sound of spring is in the air and irritants abound. The sniffling, sneezing and coughing is always a telltale sign of a change in seasons. April also brings to us the release of the Program for...