I recently asked a hospital discharge planner how she chooses which nursing home to discharge to. "Five-Star" was the reply. Was I surprised? Not at all. Once again, it demonstrates just how far this Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services consumer initiative reaches.

There is no federal mandate for nursing homes, home health programs or residential living facilities to implement electronic health records (EHR). Hence, the upcoming federal deadline for EHR implementation does not apply to providers of long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC).

The aging of the American population and the healthcare issues that go with it are creating a demographic earthquake that will shake our current system of healthcare to the core. We are on our way to becoming a nation of caregivers, a job description we are largely unprepared to fill.

Demographic trends suggest we need to prepare for increasing numbers of residents without close relatives. Here are four ways we can expect this shift to impact our residents, and suggestions for how we can adapt to this change.

How many times have we heard the expression "Please don't put me in that God-forsaken place to die" and then discount the reality of its meaning as something from our industry's past?

There's a familiar saying in the industry that "If it's not documented, then it's not done." But what if it is documented, but just not documented correctly?

Assisted living facilities, with or without a specialized memory wing, have started teaming up with in-home care companies that offer professional caregivers highly skilled in dementia care.

Continuing care retirement communities can improve their occupancy rates by incorporating senior move management services into their move-in enticement options.

I wonder how the staff at my mother's nursing home could handle so much sadness. Perhaps it was because they knew how to listen with their hearts.

What affect would the addition of chocolate have for seniors with difficulty swallowing? That's what we set out to learn.