One of my favorite quotes is from the author of “Kitchen Table Wisdom.” Rachel Naomi Remen often writes about storytelling as a vital process to the sharing of knowledge and to gain renewal. “Everybody...
Staffing challenges: A time to look inward
By
Steven Littlehale
Sep 16, 2022
As the Biden administration marches toward some type of minimum staffing requirement for nursing homes, it’s easy for providers to feel like helpless, angry victims. Even as a proponent of acuity-based...
Transitions of Care III — Scarier than a horror movie: Medication errors
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Aug 11, 2011
We’ve been talking for a while about transitioning of our residents to and from the facility and some of the problems associated with it. But let’s talk now about just one huge problem, that...
An MDS affair — or RFI — to remember
By
Joel VanEaton
Apr 19, 2024
I’m a sucker for classic movies. My parents made sure I grew up watching black and whites of the likes of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Gene Autry, John Wayne,...
Remember when: Reminiscence Therapy
By
Renee Kinder
Jan 31, 2019
All we have left, Mrs. Kinder, is a brand new Mercedes … We will have to upgrade your rental car this week for free. Is that going to be OK? I laugh out loud and respond, “Of course that is all you...
Feeling cynical? Find a veteran
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 29, 2014
Feeling a little cynical about life or country? Spend a day with a few World War II veterans on the National Mall. I guarantee a complete recovery, or your money back.
Lost in Medicare Part D land
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Dec 10, 2013
My mom called me to relay her “tragic” story of trying to sign up for a Medicare Part D plan. She hadn’t signed up for one, and didn’t feel that she needed one, but at lunch her...
Why is it so easy to ignore Medicare improper payments?
By
Kristin Walter
Oct 28, 2015
Recovery auditors corrected more than $2.57 billion in improper payments for FY 2014 – representing 5% of the $46 billion in wasted taxpayer dollars the program lost in a comparable period to fraud,...
Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta: Why understanding variants matters
By
Renee Kinder
Jul 29, 2021
Life over the past few weeks has felt a little too normal. Would you all agree? Like we have all just been waiting for the ball to drop, and it has, with the recommendations from the CDC on Tuesday related...
Lack of unified action is killing our Greatest Generation
By
Scott McConnaha
Sep 28, 2020
If I were to propose that the Greatest Generation wasn’t really all that great, that those leading the fight during WWII didn’t know what they were doing or, worse, manipulating media messages in order...