Why nursing homes can exhale — but not get complacent
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 07, 2017
The announced delay of full enforcement of new survey requirements is indeed good news for nursing home operators and all of their compliance officers. Their blood pressure should now lower a few millimeters....
Change the nursing home survey process
By
Elizabeth Newman
Mar 21, 2014
If LeadingAge’s latest strategy works as hoped, it would mean high-performing nursing homes wouldn’t have the fire of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services dragon breathing down their...
The truth can set you free — or put your long-term care facility out of business
By
John O'Connor
Jan 11, 2013
Journalists generally get all warm and tingly when previously guarded information becomes available. It must be in our DNA. So I should probably be cheering ProPublica’s announcement that the government...
The star treatment is here to stay
By
John O'Connor
Jul 20, 2012
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has just rolled out its latest version of Nursing Home Compare. If your facility garnered five stars, you probably love it. If you received one star, you surely...
Why the survey system may never be fixed
By
John O'Connor
Sep 05, 2014
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.
A survey you don’t have to worry about
By
Mary Gustafson
Mar 29, 2012
The quality of nursing home care is improving — and residents and their families are noticing. That’s the message two industry researchers want administrators and caregivers to take away from new...
The power of the MDS, and the will to rein it in
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 05, 2014
The Minimum Data Set helps determine how resident care is classified and reimbursed. Because it drives providers’ fate, virtually from start to finish, providers cling to any nugget they can glean...
The joke’s on her
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 04, 2012
Just about a month ago, I opened a little contest, looking for the best punchline to a joke involving nursing home personnel. We have a winner.
Gripped by uncertainty, skilled nursing providers just keep breathing
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 10, 2024
Uncertainty may very well be the defining outlook for skilled nursing providers in 2024. At the very least, it was the theme that dominated our annual survey attempting to capture your attitudes heading...
No longer the CMS boss, Verma sounds more like provider friend than foe
By
James M. Berklan
Nov 03, 2023
Dwell on the past too much at your own peril, but providers could be forgiven if Seema Verma had them fondly looking back Wednesday.