Medication adherence strategies for lowering hospital readmission rates
By
Bill Shields
Nov 15, 2012
Nearly one in five Medicare patients return to the hospital within a month of discharge, costing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) an extra $17.5 billion in 2010. Multi-medication packaging...
Ready Set: QAPI!
By
Steven Littlehale
Nov 05, 2012
Nursing facilities must submit written QAPI plans to CMS one year after promulgation of the regulation. This regulation will be in addition to current QAA standards.
The importance of a smoking policy
By
Betty Norman
Oct 25, 2012
Resident smoking polices mean much more than cleaner air at long-term care facilities. As recent incidents demonstrate, having effective policies for residents – and making sure they are followed...
When CMS turns carrots into sticks
By
John O'Connor
Sep 17, 2012
The revised hospital payment system technically hasn’t begun yet. But that doesn’t mean senior living operators shouldn’t find a dark cloud around this silver lining.
Why are more RAC audits happening? There are trillions of reasons
By
John O'Connor
Sep 10, 2012
Recovery audit contractors are stepping up their efforts to review Medicare billings. This appears to be a classic case of auditors gone wild.
Shining some light on the new Five Star system
By
Steven Littlehale
Sep 05, 2012
The Five Star overall score is comprised of three domains: Survey, Staffing and Quality Measures. This month, look a little deeper into the overall Five Star Scores.
Medicare’s midlife crisis
By
John O'Connor
Aug 03, 2012
The Medicare program just marked its 47th anniversary. Whether that milestone is a cause for celebration or concern is open to debate.
Breaches of basic infection control practices — why?
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Jul 30, 2012
Basic infection prevention and control isn’t rocket science. It is essentially following some general guidelines. Some of them pretty simplistic. Not too hard right? You would think, but …
iPods coming to an eldercare facility near you
By
Mary Gustafson
Jul 26, 2012
When I first spoke with Music & Memory founder Dan Cohen last year, he had big plans for his new program that would put iPods with personalized playlists in Alzheimer’s and other dementia patients’...
Antipsychotics report will have severe side effects
By
John O'Connor
Jul 13, 2012
Antipsychotic drugs are often used to calm residents with dementia. This reality is common knowledge among most people who have spent more than a few minutes in a nursing facility. But it is apparently...