Guest Columns

What do you see?

By

Martie Moore

Jul 01, 2022

Look at this picture. What is your immediate first thought?  Do you see the dandelion puffs waiting to be blown into the wind, and hopefully not onto your lawn?  Do you see a tree that has fallen,…

Two sheets to the win

By

Gary Tetz

Jun 30, 2022

Infinite call-center wait times. Delivery mix-ups and delays. Rude responses to reasonable requests. Promises unfulfilled. I hear there’s a cutting-edge business principle called “the customer is always…

The common ground in nursing home acquisitions

By

David Barmak, J.D.

Jun 29, 2022

What if there were a common ground among nursing home acquisitions (i.e., a nursing home “acquirer” purchasing a nursing home “target”)?  So often, the “atmosphere” of the targeted nursing…

Never ruin an apology with an excuse

By

Jean Wendland Porter

Jun 28, 2022

Never ruin an apology with an excuse – Ben Franklin Medical malpractice is not something we like to think about. For my entire career, even though I worked for corporations and individual entities,…

Are you compliant? Up to date vs. fully vaccinated

By

Norris Cunningham

Angela Rinehart

Jun 27, 2022

Remember the confusion over who was eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and when? Remember the confusion over the COVID-19 vaccine mandates? Remember the confusion over the approval for the COVID-19 booster…

Predicting future SNF viability through the Facility Stability Index

By

Steven Littlehale

Jun 24, 2022

While shopping for my first condo in 1993, I was initially drawn to new and shiny developments in an area of Boston that was “up and coming.” I visited one abode that seemed promising at first. Its…

Understanding social determinants of health and rehab

By

Renee Kinder

Jun 23, 2022

Social determinants of health, understanding what they are, their impact on patient care, and their influence on effective transitions across care settings are all essential for rehab providers. This area…

Mistakes in leadership

By

Julie Thorson

Jun 22, 2022

I forgot. I missed that. I made a mistake. I was wrong. I let my emotions get the best of me. I reacted too quickly. I was short. I jumped to conclusions.  Have you ever had a thought like the above?…

Shout out to dietitians everywhere

By

Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC

Jun 21, 2022

It just occurred to me that I missed writing a blog about National Nutrition Month this year. National Nutrition Month was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a nutrition education and…

The ultimate antidote to long COVID of the soul

By

Gary Tetz

Jun 16, 2022

For a “recovering pessimist” like myself, few things are more annoying than being told that optimism is some sort of magic potion. But that’s exactly what recent research, reported by McKnight’s,…

Beware the ‘squeeze the balloon problem’ with staffing

By

George Powell

Jun 15, 2022

I found the recent article, “Providers: CMS should first fortify skilled nursing workforce before imposing minimum staffing measures” very interesting. As you follow this issue, please understand…

Rethinking IT in a world of shortages

By

Adam Saalman

Jun 14, 2022

Reading through industry publications, it’s hard not to be bombarded with topics of staffing shortages, budget problems and general advice that broadly states that we need to get ready to tighten our…

The remote solution

By

Michele A Lynch

Jun 13, 2022

Amid the ashes of the COVID-19 pandemic came the realization that there were more casualties from this plague than we thought.  It was reported that 25% of COVID-19 deaths were long-term care residents…

Telehealth CPT® Appendix P and T: What does it mean to me?

By

Renee Kinder

Jun 09, 2022

Ap·pen·dix — a section or table of additional matter at the end of a book or document Do you generally refer to the appendix in your manuals, research materials, or other clinical practice guidelines? …

Come on, just diagnose it

By

Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC

Jun 07, 2022

For some reason, it seems like practitioners run away from diagnosing people with Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t understand that when, in fact, Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 75% to 80% of all dementias. …

Long-term care’s mortal risk

By

Stephen A. Moses

Jun 06, 2022

Long-term and post-acute care operators have plenty to worry about. Low Medicaid reimbursements, harsher CMS regulation, caregiver shortages and the impending end to PHE accommodations, to name a few. …

The finality of saying yes

By

Martie Moore

Jun 03, 2022

“I do not know that you understand what it feels like to say, ‘no’ to treatments, aggressive interventions or medications and ‘yes’ to the finality of death. It isn’t until you have to speak…

Trail banter, long-term care style

By

Gary Tetz

Jun 02, 2022

For lots of good reasons, a long-term care facility hallway should not be the same as a hiking trail.  Protruding rocks and exposed tree roots would create a fall hazard, and make med cart navigation…

Practical guidance for providers to empower TNAs to become CNAs

By

John Reinhart

Jun 01, 2022

On April 7, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that the waiver option that created clinical caregiving roles known as Temporary Nurse Aides (TNAs) and Personal Care Aides (PCAs)…

Correcting the misperception of palliative care

By

Andrew Esch

Jun 01, 2022

Palliative care is an often-misunderstood term, even for patients and providers who believe they understand what it is.