COVID testing and fingerpointing — who gets the blame?
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 23, 2023
One of the more intriguing research papers out of the dozens (hundreds?) already executed concerning COVID-19 and nursing homes was released this week. It might have wrongly left many providers on the...
Looking past 3 years of pandemic conditions
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 09, 2023
For Americans of a certain age, “Where were you on March 11, 2020?” might not rank quite the same as “Where were you on Sept. 11, 2001?” But the stunning aftermath of the former could easily eclipse...
COVID-19 may still be in your buildings, but PHE waivers are ending
By
Angela Rinehart
Mar 08, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has confirmed that the waivers initiated during the public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic will be ending on May 11, 2023. Most prominently,...
What’s the worst that could happen?
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Jan 10, 2023
I got a board game for Christmas. It’s called The Worst Case Scenario, and requires the players to pull a card describing situations from discomfort to disaster and rate them from best to worst. Then...
An analysis of PREP Act immunity for LTC facilities
By
Norris Cunningham
Angela Rinehart
Dec 04, 2022
A host of lawsuits over the past two years involve nursing homes where patients or their estates allege that patients contracted COVID-19 due to the facilities’ negligence or failure to properly act. ...
Breaking news that hopefully won’t break us
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Oct 20, 2022
By now, we’ve all heard how the CDC has lowered requirements for infection control in the new world of endemic COVID-19. But here’s an abridged list anyway: Vaccination status is no longer used to...
Breaking news: The pandemic was hard
By
Gary Tetz
Oct 06, 2022
That pandemic. Wow. While it was happening and people were dying and stuff, I remember thinking, “This is kind of a difficult time we’re going through. I feel a little stressed and anxious.” But...
Messages from the temperature police
By
Kimberly Marselas
Oct 04, 2022
They were curious about nursing homes no longer needing to use staff or an automated screening tool to monitor visitors or staff.
CNAs: The forgotten soldiers in the war against COVID-19
By
John Booker
Oct 03, 2022
It’s never been more important to listen to your frontline workers in emergencies. Managers need to trust them when they offer advice or concerns, and supervisors need to know what their staff...
Governance-by-anecdote is alive in Washington, D.C.
By
Brendan Williams
Sep 26, 2022
In a press release warning of “Dire Conditions at For-Profit Nursing Home Chains in 2020,” the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis cited care problems at roughly a dozen nursing homes out...