The impact of survey delays on nursing home quality and consumer information
By
Steven Littlehale
May 24, 2024
In a column published by McKnight’s in December 2023, “Revamping CMS Survey Data Integration Amid Regulatory Lag in Nursing Home Oversight,” I urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...
Are CMS risk-based surveys enough to address the downfall of survey delays?
By
Steven Littlehale
Apr 26, 2024
In April 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the testing of a risk-based survey (RBS) that streamlines the standard recertification process for high-performing nursing homes....
Pleading the Fifth
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Aug 16, 2022
We all know that political and notable figures of all kinds have the ultimate “out” available when being asked questions of substance by authorities. They can just invoke the Fifth Amendment. That’s...
National standardized surveys for nursing homes in the works
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 02, 2015
You kind of get the sense that a government watchdog didn’t want to believe the good numbers coming out of its latest research into nursing home care, so it felt the need to introduce uncertainty.
Four reasons why states need to stop inspecting nursing facilities
By
John O'Connor
Aug 08, 2014
What if every state had its own language, currency and traffic signals? Life could get a lot more complicated once you ventured into another jurisdiction.
Confidence, plus 1
By
Martie Moore
Jun 02, 2023
I belong to a group on social media that posts pictures of nature, animals, birds and the occasional unidentified print left in the dirt/sand. This day a question was poised, “Can you identify what animal...
How should long-term care providers celebrate? Let us count the ways
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 31, 2016
Long-term care operators have plenty of reasons to recoil and lick their wounds over the course of a year. But there are also good times when they should find reason to smile. Like this past week.
For Texas operators, a proposal that might not be as appealing as it sounds
By
John O'Connor
Dec 19, 2014
At first blush, providers in other states might feel a bit envious about a proposal being floated in Texas. But they might want to reconsider.
OIG signals new focus on nursing homes
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Feb 17, 2023
The federal Office of Inspector General recently published its “OIG’s Top Unimplemented Recommendations: Solutions To Reduce Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in HHS Programs.” In the 94-page document,...
The elephant in the room: Are you prepared for the next emergency?
By
Angela Rinehart
Norris Cunningham
Sep 30, 2022
Historically, emergency preparedness programs in long-term care facilities have been less prioritized, with facilities understandably focusing on patient care and operations. But with the pandemic...