Does the Quality Assurance Privilege even exist after CMS’ new guidelines?
By
Alan C. Horowitz, Esq., RN
Feb 13, 2019
Anyone who has not yet read the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ recent guidelines for surveyors may be in for an unpleasant surprise.
What your therapy team should know about the CMS REACH Model
By
Renee Kinder
Mar 03, 2022
We all know it to be true. Common sense, really. When we as therapists coordinate our care more efficiently across teams and settings our patients excel. They feel supported. And in many cases, they...
A two-pronged approach to protecting SNF residents from influenza
By
William Schaffner, M.D.
Jan 09, 2017
Good news: More skilled nursing facility staff are getting their annual influenza vaccine than ever before. Last season, nearly 70% were vaccinated, up from 64% a year earlier. Bad news: SNF staff still...
The fate of telehealth funding once PHE is gone
By
Liz Westbrook
May 09, 2022
Despite a spate of high-profile cases among the “DC elite” in recent weeks, the federal government seems eager to turn the page on COVID-19. Anthony Fauci, M.D. recently announced that we are...
Addressing improper billing
By
Kristin Walter
Mar 23, 2015
The government has put the RAC program on a shelf, while they determine how to deal with confusion among providers regarding billing short inpatient hospital stays. It’s time now to get the RAC program...
Manufacturing solutions to skilled nursing’s pandemic problems
By
Dean Moore
Mar 24, 2021
I have been in the workplace a long time. To quote Steve Martin, “If I had saved better, I would not be here.” Over the past year, the long-term care industry has faced monumental challenges related...
Building up the executive director’s tool kit
By
Stephen R. La Pierre, NHA
Aug 24, 2012
Executive directors of individual CCRC campuses must fine-tune their tool kits to keep their facilities top of mind with consumers, and ahead of the impending sharp curve of consumer preference. Complacency...
7 employee wellness ideas for the holidays (and beyond)
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Dec 08, 2015
After a staff training on reducing burnout in long-term care last week, a look through the evaluation forms was illuminating. A significant number of attendees — mostly nursing aides, nurses, and environmental...
Improving the treatment of mental health issues in nursing homes
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Jun 01, 2010
More attention should be paid to nursing home residents’ mental health, an important but often overlooked aspect of care.
Working on how to communicate in facilities
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Nov 14, 2014
Transitions between care settings are getting more scrutiny than ever before. So thank goodness for new guidelines designed to help smooth them out. Still, we need all the help we can when it comes to...