Given certain realities about skilled-nursing facility inspections, we should not be wondering why cheating has occurred. Rather, we should be amazed it hasn’t been more rampant.
The nursing home survey system is about to get a much closer look
By
John O'Connor
Aug 29, 2014
You had to know this was coming. Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that many nursing homes are submitting massaged staffing and quality indicator data to the feds. The alleged reason? So facilities...
Readmission penalty categories inspire more analysis and opportunity
Aug 25, 2014
The Medicare stakes are about to get higher.
Reducing emotion in long-term care
By
Elizabeth Newman
Aug 14, 2014
Long-term care may be a calling, but it’s still a job, and it’s an industry that would be served by a reduction of emotion. That’s especially true when discussing the government, which...
Why be optimistic when anxiety is an option?
By
James M. Berklan
Aug 06, 2014
Depending on how you like to interpret the news, nursing home operators are either facing some of the worst of times, or they’ve been infused with new life.
Looking at dementia beyond drugs and disease
By
G. Allen Power, M.D.
Aug 01, 2014
The emerging literature on “nonpharmacological interventions” has not succeeded in providing long-term solutions for many people, such that expressions of need continue to recur on a regular...
The benefits of a successful discharge plan
By
Susan LaGrange
Jun 20, 2014
It is critical to have a solid system for discharge planning that begins even before the resident is admitted to the facility. Individualized, resident-centered discharge planning will provide a solid...
New payment models present opportunities for SNFs
By
Jeff Terkowitz
Jun 18, 2014
For skilled nursing facilities, the Medicare SNF 3-day rule can make it difficult to place the right patients in the right setting at the right time. The 3-day rule requires that a Medicare beneficiary...
Health IT not a panacea for what’s wrong in healthcare
By
Deborah Burger, RN
Jun 06, 2014
If you listen to the lobbyists for medical device manufacturers, health information technology is the answer to our biggest healthcare troubles. America’s registered nurses have a different perspective.
‘Special’ times ahead for more nursing homes, and that’s not good
By
James M. Berklan
May 28, 2014
As spring blends into summer, some nursing home operators are going to start feeling more heat — and it will have nothing to do with the weather. They will be given places on the proverbial hot seat....