May 01, 2013
There has been a trend of late to refer to specialized care of individuals with dementia as "memory care." I understand the need for a quick, catchy title for a new product or service line in long-term care, but I worry about the message this one may send and the mindset it might create in management, families and employees. Here's why.
May 01, 2013
These are the initial posts of the popular new McKnights.com blog "The World According to Dr. El." See more from her at McKnights.com.
April 01, 2013
The death of a California woman not given CPR at her independent living community was a teachable moment. I know you are reviewing the operational end and facility policy. But you also must evaluate your crisis communications plan.
September 01, 2012
New York is embarking on a historic reform effort to overhaul our state's Medicaid program — for years it has ranked among the nation's largest and most expensive of its kind — by requiring that all long-term care patients be enrolled in a managed care program.
September 01, 2012
According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, when economic times are good, deaths in the United States increase. Yet losing a job when the economy sours can cause one's health to deteriorate.
July 02, 2012
When one hears the phrase "spiritual leadership," it usually pertains to one promoting or advocating for a religious faith through a specific church or religious organization.
June 01, 2012
For the first time in years, I have dirt under my nails. No, I'm not confessing a personal hygiene problem. I've simply become a gardener. Again.
May 01, 2012
Baccalaureate and higher degrees are under-represented among LTC nurses. More than half of the directors of nursing, who represent the highest position in the nursing department, hold an associate degree or diploma in nursing; less than one-third hold a BSN.
April 02, 2012
It wasn't the worst start I've ever had, but it wasn't good. My wife woke up sick and my dog woke up whining, or maybe it was the other way around. It's all such a blur.
January 03, 2012
Robert C. Davis, Chief Executive Officer, Optimus EMR Inc.
December 01, 2011
Every year, the Washington Post has a Mensa Invitational where they invite readers to 1) take any word from the dictionary, 2) alter it by adding, subtracting or changing one or two letters and 3) supply a new definition. So, of course I thought, why not do this for words we normally use in long-term care? I'll bet you can think of a few of your own.
October 01, 2011
William Schaffner, M.D., President, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
October 01, 2011
Mark Gloth, D.O., Chief Medical Officer, HCR ManorCare
September 01, 2011
As the social services and activity director in a 92-bed skilled nursing facility, I am fortunate to share in a precious season of residents' lives. For most of them, this is the final "home" that they will have this side of heaven. It is our motto that they don't come here to die but to live.
July 01, 2011
Darlene Nice, MSW, LCSW, Director of Social Services, The Lutheran Care at Moorestown, ( NJ)
July 01, 2011
Like the fictional Showtime "Nurse Jackie," I do have a bad back, ironically have two brunette daughters, and will get in anyone's face — doctor, family member, surveyor, government official (though politely and without the four-letter words) — who interferes with the health and wellness of our frail elders.
April 01, 2011
Ken Terry, Author of the book Rx For Health Care Reform
April 01, 2011
Susan Janeczko, Director of LTC Regulatory and Policy Affairs, National Community Pharmacists Association
November 01, 2010
In November, we celebrate two closely related months of national recognition: National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month.
November 01, 2010
Imagine that a class-action lawsuit—to which your long-term care facility isn't even a party—has the potential to disrupt your residents and put you out of business.
October 01, 2010
In my 15 years of experience as a therapeutic musician leading musical sing-along programs for those with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, I often see music's power to unlock memories.
October 01, 2010
The dual coverage arrangement for hospice care requires a contract between the Medicare-certified hospice and the nursing home. Such care answers to two separate regulatory systems—for hospice and for the nursing facility—that aren't always well coordinated and to two philosophies of care that can sometimes be at odds.
September 01, 2010
It is incumbent upon facility administrators and others in supervisory positions to recognize the severity of pneumococcal disease and give serious thought to providing residents with optimal protection.
August 01, 2010
Of all the considerations in running a successful senior care community, generational differences between our team members and older residents rarely get the attention they deserve.
July 01, 2010
There may be no better reflection of how long-term care has changed in recent years than the continued proliferation of continuing care retirement communities and active adult communities across the country.
July 01, 2010
The recent Illinois legal decision to move mentally ill nursing home residents into smaller mental health settings is likely to prompt an industrywide examination of the practice of accepting mentally ill residents into long-term care.
June 01, 2010
The current combination of recession, Medicare cuts, RUGs-IV, MDS 3.0, state budget crises, QIS, RAC, and the unknowable final shape of healthcare reform are reminiscent of the 1998 switch to a prospective payment system.
May 01, 2010
It's important for everyone—whether they're in a rural area or not—to have some knowledge of the challenges affecting both patients and staff...
April 01, 2010
Communication breakdowns were negatively affecting residents, but instead of pointing fingers, coworkers needed to begin understanding the difficulties of each others jobs.
April 01, 2010
Nothing builds perspective more than developing compassion for others, and that's what employees of Aviston Countrywide Manor recently did as part of the nursing home's "Through the Looking Glass" project.
March 01, 2010
We always have the opportunity to share a "Hello" or "Good morning" or even to sit and enjoy a visit. Relationship building ... The opportunity is ours each and every day.
March 01, 2010
Outcomes measurement is the key to being accountable to patients, payers and physicians for rehabilitation therapy services.
February 01, 2010
The New Year and enrollment cycle for Medicare Part D beneficiaries has passed. But, remember, residents in long-term care facilities may still elect to change plans at any time.
January 01, 2010
The current healthcare reform debate has largely ignored nursing home care. This is due, in part, to a lack of data about how and why that care is given.
November 01, 2009
Medicare payment to skilled nursing facilities is a vital part of many facilities' fiscal stability. But now post-payment reviews are putting that resource at risk
November 01, 2009
As an administrator, have you critiqued your medical director's notes?
October 01, 2009
Almost a decade ago, a small group of long-term care nurse executives met for a day to provide support to one another, and to share "best practices" with a goal of improving quality care in their organizations.
October 01, 2009
Does Congress fully understand the impact that billions of dollars of funding cuts to skilled nursing facilities will have?
September 01, 2009
One of the greatest healthcare challenges today is coordinating care for patients treated in long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) settings.
August 01, 2009
All medical students are required to have clinical experiences in pediatrics and obstetrics, yet there is no requirement for any clinical training in geriatrics.
July 01, 2009
As practitioners, it's easy to assume that the families of residents, as well as cogent relatives themselves, understand the implications of the advanced directives they sign along with other aspects of informed consent. This is an assumption about which we should not assume too much.
June 01, 2009
The healthcare industry spends $350 billion each year just to submit and process claims, and future prospects are particularly troubling for long-term care companies
April 01, 2009
Many long-term care stakeholders, including PHI, are pressing for new investments in eldercare.
April 01, 2009
On May 1, it is likely that more than half of the long-term care facilities in the United States will be in violation of a new federal rule.
March 01, 2009
A good idea does not necessarily good policy make. For proof, look no further than the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services' recently unveiled Five-Star rating system for nursing homes.
January 01, 2009
It's been said, "nurses are the heartbeat of the healthcare system." Without them, the system could not survive.
November 01, 2008
William L. "Larry" Minnix, Jr. President and CEO, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
