Infection control without adding staff — it’s not just a fluke
By
Mary Cole
Jul 26, 2023
In a recent letter to leaders in Congress, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) highlighted the “astonishing lack of attention to infection prevention and control...
The hypocrisy of staffing mandates
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 19, 2023
Absorbed as you probably are in fighting through the long-term care staffing crisis while parrying a CMS mandate, I wouldn’t blame you for not noticing. But at airports across America, big planes are...
Hospice improves your Quality Measures
By
Steven Littlehale
Jun 23, 2023
My father died a little over a year ago. While I usually derive tremendous comfort and support by sharing both happy and sad milestones with friends, family, and colleagues, in this instance, sharing the...
More residents with opioid use disorder are coming. Are we ready?
By
Dina Besirevic
Aug 23, 2023
The 55-year-old female resident with multiple wounds on both of her arms wasn’t this nurse’s favorite. Yes, the nurse had provided wound care over the years to many people who were irritable...
Be your own data defender
By
Steven Littlehale
Sep 15, 2023
“Well, it’s clear that you’ve never set foot into a nursing home.” I know you’ve thought that while reading a memo from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or your state agency, taking...
Achieving next-level quality improvement in skilled nursing facilities
By
Stephanie Mercado
Lenard Parisi
Aug 18, 2023
Today’s skilled nursing facilities face many challenges in the delivery of high-quality and safe care for vulnerable patient populations. Significantly, the very limited resources available in...
Brushing away the risk: The crucial role of daily toothbrushing in preventing hospital-acquired pneumonia
By
Renee Kinder
Jan 18, 2024
A phenomenon that skilled nursing teams have long appreciated was recently highlighted in a recent article published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers Ehrenzeller and Klompas shed light on a critical...
The urgent need for better grief support for SNF management
By
Frances M. Hawes, Ph.D.
Jul 31, 2023
Grief and loss are a natural part of life, and they are particularly prevalent in nursing homes where residents often have advanced age and multiple health conditions. Data from my recent research...
Restart rehabilitation
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Dec 06, 2023
I’ve been a physical therapist for a very long time, and as I prepare to renew my license for the four millionth time, I reflect on how my profession has changed. All of our professions have changed...
Private equity: not just for nursing homes
By
Brendan Williams
Jul 05, 2023
You may think you know the story: Private equity firms buying up healthcare businesses and sticking it to payers.