Feeling safe after toothless hearings? That will change.
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 19, 2023
A flurry of activity in Washington this week put nursing homes in the policy spotlight again, but this time it was largely payers and regulators who bore the brunt of the bashing.
The truth can set you free — or put your long-term care facility out of business
By
John O'Connor
Jan 11, 2013
Journalists generally get all warm and tingly when previously guarded information becomes available. It must be in our DNA. So I should probably be cheering ProPublica’s announcement that the government...
What’s on LTC’s ‘to-don’t’ list?
By
Oct 18, 2017
My main takeaway from a key speech Monday is likely something that hit home for others in the audience as well: we should focus less on what we should be doing, and more on what we shouldn’t.
Reducing seniors’ drug use, one iPod at a time
By
John O'Connor
Mar 28, 2014
For reasons that are understandable yet hard to countenance, antipsychotic drugs are widely used in nursing homes. Too often over-used, according to government statistics. But it’s beginning to look...
What lurks in long-term care residents’ minds
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 03, 2011
The first rule of any debate, or “heated” discussion, is to know your definitions. If you don’t, not much else matters. With caregiving, it comes down to knowing your people.
Could end-of-life care be getting worse?
By
Oct 11, 2017
With more providers and patients than ever focusing on palliative and hospice care, shouldn’t the quality improve at least a little bit? Not necessarily.
Holding the regulators in check
By
John O'Connor
May 27, 2024
By now you have probably heard the American Health Care Association plans to take industry regulators to court.
Wondering: Did nursing travel back in a time machine?
By
James M. Berklan
May 12, 2022
During a time when nurses have never been in higher demand, and salaries for them and so many other healthcare professionals are leaping, researchers reported that the salary gap between male and female...
Top 5 news stories reveal varied interests among long-term care professionals
By
John O'Connor
Jan 03, 2014
What do neck abnormalities, dangerous bacteria, a murder-suicide, a defensive nursing home chain, and antipsychotic guidelines have in common? These five developments were voted the most popular news stories...
Why are more RAC audits happening? There are trillions of reasons
By
John O'Connor
Sep 10, 2012
Recovery audit contractors are stepping up their efforts to review Medicare billings. This appears to be a classic case of auditors gone wild.