I read recently that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is back at it again. Instead of reasonably mandating surveyors be vaccinated, just as CMS has required nursing homes to be vaccinated,...
The coming crackdown: COVID-19 and beyond
By
Karen Christian
Matthew Hittle
Apr 21, 2021
For more than a year, America’s nursing homes have been besieged by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has tragically claimed the lives of more than 130,000 residents and 1,600 staff. While America’s nursing...
What does mood have to do with the state of affairs? As it turns out, a lot.
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 03, 2021
Sometimes you can sleep off a bad mood. This is not one of those times in long-term care.
CMS is doing something right: Focusing on safety
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Feb 18, 2022
On Feb. 9, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sent a memo to state survey agency directors, asking state departments of public health to properly survey for certification requirements....
It’s time to be #HolidayStrong
By
Charles de Vilmorin
Oct 29, 2020
The leaves have started to change, and each passing day brings us closer to the holiday season. Every year, we eagerly anticipate this time as an opportunity to be physically close to family and friends,...
Transforming nursing homes into healthy living spaces
By
Mary Fox
Feb 25, 2021
With the COVID-19 pandemic exposing the urgent need of nursing homes to do all they can to limit the spread of communicable illnesses, leadership and staff priorities lie in protecting resident health...
Christmas vacation or no, these ‘gifts’ kept on coming
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 05, 2022
There’s a pit of desperation of sorts that normally envelops most journalists around holiday periods. With few folks working in government or corporate offices, important decisions and developments sometimes...
Can we now close the book on COVID?
By
T.J. Griffin
Jul 13, 2021
The Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program that was forged through a joint agreement with our Defense and Health and Human Services departments was a successful national effort that presided over...
HHS enforces early COVID-19 infection control penalties despite ambiguities
By
Norris Cunningham
Angela Rinehart
Jan 21, 2022
Infection control penalties upheld against the facility with the first known COVID-19 outbreak reinforce need for implementation – not just policy.
Caring for our caregivers and meeting them where they are – with chicken soup
By
Hugo Pizarro
Feb 17, 2022
New York’s ArchCare has been on a years-long journey to be a Great Place to Work. Here’s what the transformation has meant for caregivers.