Death is never an easy topic. Hemingway addressed it eloquently in his novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” the title of which was taken from meditations on health, pain and sickness by poet John...
The value of attending national Open Door Forum calls
By
Steven Littlehale
Apr 23, 2014
I often describe the monthly CMS Open Door Forum call as a monthly staff meeting; if you miss the meeting you better read the minutes to see what projects were assigned to you!
Be careful what you wish for
By
Steven Littlehale
Dec 18, 2013
Last January, the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont approved a settlement agreement in the case of Jimmo vs Sebelius that alleged Medicare contractors were inappropriately applying an “improvement...
Capturing acuity: How MDS accuracy has a critical impact on Medicare/Medicaid payment systems
By
Steven Littlehale
Apr 20, 2012
There’s a familiar saying in the industry that “If it’s not documented, then it’s not done.” But what if it is documented, but just not documented correctly?
Analytically Speaking: CMS Quality Measures for MDS 3.0
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 17, 2012
At first, the MDS 3.0 Quality Measures do not appear to be very different from those based on MDS 2.0. But “the devil is in the details” and nearly every measure that seems familiar is different...
Compliance with confidence
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 16, 2012
Undergoing the annual survey and certification process and demonstrating compliance with federal and requirements are a critical – and sometimes daunting – obligation of any nursing home operator...
Analytically Speaking: MDS data accuracy
By
Steven Littlehale
Jan 13, 2012
Since the late 1990’s, the Minimum Data Set has been a primary driver in the long-term care industry, influencing all areas of skilled nursing facility operations. With so much depending on it, ensuring...
Making sense of the data deluge
By
Steven Littlehale
Nov 11, 2022
My happy place is standing in front of nursing home providers and honoring them through education. Shining a loving light on these special people and honoring their commitment to better care feeds my soul....
Expect another Five-Star freeze amid nursing home survey delays, experts warn
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 20, 2024
Staffing measures used to calculate nursing homes’ federal ratings will freeze in April, further complicating a system based on often outdated and constantly changing metrics, experts warned last week.
The best columns of 2021 on mcknights.com
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 21, 2021
With December nearing its end, we took the opportunity to see which blog postings at mcknights.com were the most popular with McKnight’s Long-Term Care News readers in 2020. This list details some of...