MDS data quality: Things are not always as they seem
By
Steven Littlehale
Jul 15, 2013
Open up the hood and look at the engine. Does the data scrubbing module focus only on standard CMS coding and consistency checks and the “RUG” items, or is it more robust and emphasize clinical...
Getting to gold
By
Erin Fromwiller
Oct 05, 2016
APRC has always focused on quality improvement; it’s part of our culture.
Regulations that misfire
By
Kristy Wikum
Aug 28, 2015
A survey for our adult day care center opened my eyes to how regulations do not always support triple aim, especially related to staffing.
Something for us to chew on
By
Brenda Richardson
Sep 07, 2018
Over my years of working in long-term care, there has always been a challenge providing food and beverages to residents who have chewing and swallowing problems.
Six tips for a great gardening program
By
Dave Singleton
Jun 28, 2013
A gardening program (or horticulture therapy) gives seniors an opportunity to beautify the environment around them and engage in a beloved hobby — or take up a hobby they’ve always wanted to try.
Where’s my raise?
By
Dave Sedgwick
Nov 26, 2013
A relatively new administrator asked me a great question recently. He asked, “Do you (and should I) always give a raise along with an annual review?”
Bingo: The road to ruins or the road to riches?
By
Steven Littlehale
May 21, 2018
Grandma sure liked her bingo. She excelled at bingo and most card games. Even in games that seemed to involve no skill at all, Grandma almost always emerged the winner.
Where were YOU when CMS changed the Five-Star rating system?
By
Steven Littlehale
Mar 20, 2015
Some things will always stay etched in our mind. Where were you on February 12, when CMS publicly announced immediate changes to the Five Star Quality Rating System for Nursing Homes?
What makes a Five-Star nursing home?
By
Debra Larkin
Jan 25, 2017
The philosophy we’ve followed at Presbyterian Village at Hollidaysburg in order to achieve our Five-Star rating has always been to constantly evolve and strive for innovative and creative ways to...
Policing and preventing pneumonia outbreaks
By
Elizabeth Cerceo, M.D., FACP
Dec 11, 2015
Anyone involved in the care of the chronically ill and those in long-term care facilities is always vigilant in monitoring for the beginnings of pneumonia in this vulnerable population, many of whom have...