Five-Star makes complaints against nursing homes even more serious
By
Tyler J. Smith
Jul 06, 2009
Nursing homes have a difficult enough time contending with the survey and certification system. Now that the Five-Star Quality Rating System has begun, they have to work even harder to protect themselves...
Fasten your seatbelts: It MIGHT be a bumpy ride
By
Steven Littlehale
Oct 13, 2023
It’s been a flurry of activity leading up to the implementation of the “new MDS.” For months our industry has been doing what we do best — rising to the occasion. Countless MDS training sessions,...
Many Americans don’t understand long-term care
By
Roger Roemmich
May 14, 2014
Many Americans remain in denial and are therefore disinclined to pluck the truth from the myths about long-term care, much to the detriment of their own finances as they turn to homecare providers for...
The growing cost of compliance in long-term care
By
Michael K. Loucks
Nov 09, 2010
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will expand compliance-related regulations for skilled nursing facilities.
Providers must see clearly before they CHOW down
By
Richard Cheng
Sep 29, 2014
When a skilled nursing facility changes ownership, the change is known in healthcare vernacular as a change of ownership or “CHOW.” Because this could wind up endangering a Medicare provider...
Help for nursing homes? All we hear are crickets
By
Brendan Williams
Jul 11, 2022
Nursing homes were an early epicenter of the pandemic, as they were especially vulnerable to viral respiratory transmission due to chronic state Medicaid underfunding that kept infrastructure aged and...
Medicare Advantage: A not-so-advantageous deal for beneficiaries and providers
By
Brendan Williams
Nov 29, 2023
Open enrollment is well underway for Medicare, as television viewers inundated with cheesy insurance company ads can tell. Those ads must work. For the first time 2024 will see most Medicare...
I pay dead people
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Nov 12, 2013
On Oct. 31 (an ironic coincidence?) a report from the Office of inspector General frighteningly said Medicare paid some $23 million in benefits for more than 17,000 dead people in 2011. And my husband...
On the road to rationed healthcare
By
C.E. Nash
Apr 14, 2011
The Obama administration has determined that we will be able to supply healthcare to several million additional people without increasing the cost of doing so, and with no plan in place to increase the...
The American Jobs Act and the ‘Real’ answer
Sep 12, 2011
Last Thursday, the president spoke on the American Jobs Act. I was very surprised he didn’t mention that geriatric care is THE way to stimulate the economy and create jobs.