So here we are, on the cusp of a first-ever staffing mandate for skilled care facilities and things are getting a bit testy.
When LTC leaders delegate accountability
By
John O'Connor
Nov 19, 2012
What happens when delegation without accountability takes place? We saw a good example last week, when the Office of Inspector General released a damning report about excessive Medicare charges from nursing...
A modest staffing proposal
By
John O'Connor
Apr 30, 2023
With Labor Day upon us again, I think it’s as good a time as any to offer a suggestion that might fuel improvement.
Is long-term care moving up in the world?
By
John O'Connor
Nov 29, 2019
When the big boys in Washington decide to tackle healthcare policy, long-term care rarely gets a seat at the table. Unless it’s at the children’s table.
Some unsolicited advice to Genesis: Good luck with the new ‘owners’
By
John O'Connor
Aug 22, 2014
This week’s blockbuster deal has private equity-backed Genesis HealthCare combining with Skilled Healthcare Group.In some ways, these sorts of marriages seem all but inevitable. After all, in the...
An overtime fix that seemed to work for everyone – except the feds
By
John O'Connor
May 02, 2014
It’s a troubling staffing dynamic that regularly plays out at many long-term care facilities: Low-wage employees are practically begging for the opportunity to work extra hours. And the additional...
Peace is hell
By
John O'Connor
Feb 03, 2012
On Thursday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered some tough-love testimony about rising healthcare costs and our shrinking Treasury. This would be very sobering news indeed — if an easy answer...
It’s not easy being the designated villain
By
John O'Connor
Feb 20, 2023
Let’s face it, you have one mega-sized target on your back if you run a nursing home. One that people in most other fields never have to worry much about.
How to quickly size up the health of any facility
By
John O'Connor
Oct 24, 2016
When it comes to measuring how well a long-term care facility is doing, we all know the usual benchmarks: revenues, profits and census levels.
When we talk about providing good care, what do we really mean?
By
John O'Connor
Dec 20, 2013
In case you haven’t noticed, “quality” is quite the buzzword in long-term care these days.