With all the problems long-term care is grappling with and focusing on, sometimes it is harder to see even bigger problems down the road. Right now, senior care facilities are grappling with staffing shortages...
Congress as … good guys?
By
James M. Berklan
May 10, 2024
Face it: It’s easy to complain. About the boss, about the weather, about “the system.” And if you toil in long-term care, it’s really easy to fire up a narrowed down complaint list targeting two...
A waste of time? Hardly
By
John O'Connor
May 10, 2024
Some might think it unnecessary or perhaps even unfair to honor women for the exceptional work they do in this field. To that, I have a simple question: What rock have you been living under?
The critters are coming, the critters are coming! Here’s what to do about it
By
Michael Wilson
May 01, 2024
As the summer months approach, the invasion of bugs into indoor spaces, especially in long-term care and senior care facilities, becomes a pressing issue. These pests are driven indoors by the search for...
How LTC facilities can use communication technology to avoid compliance traps
By
Gary Hamilton
Frances Carroll
Apr 02, 2024
“If it is not documented, it is not done” is a fundamental rule of healthcare. For those who work in long-term care (LTC) and skilled nursing, a relevant version of this rule is, “If a staff member...
Staffing, Medicaid policy force nursing homes to ‘self-limit’ access
Apr 09, 2024
One in four skilled nursing beds is offline in Pennsylvania, with providers tying reduced access directly to a lack of frontline staff and Medicaid payment shortfalls. But that’s no one-state issue,...
Knitting a team
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 18, 2024
I can still remember the clicking of needles and the feeling of chunky strands of cotton passing silently between my fingers. It was early in my elementary school epoch, and we tiny people sat cross-legged...
A Medicare Advantage fix: What took so long?
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 12, 2024
Providers hoping that policy makers might some day show some backbone when dealing with Medicare Advantage plans can take heart. Well, at least a little.
The future of long-term care recruitment and retention: How experts can better attract and retain quality...
Mar 28, 2024
Even though wages and benefits have increased for the long-term care workforce, the sector still suffers from an ongoing shortage of skilled caregivers. Innovative solutions, however, have shown the potential...
Staffing for success: President Biden’s initiative and the call for holistic healthcare reform
By
Todd Walrath
Mar 06, 2024
The Biden-Harris Administration’s recent initiative to establish federal staffing standards in nursing homes marks a commendable step toward improving patient care. These standards, aiming to enhance...