The Wall Street Journal reported that the OIG is using the term “Operation Vacuum Cleaner” to refer to its review of nursing home billing issues. This term is perhaps even more foreboding than the report itself. With the fiscal cliff looming and sharp negotiations set to begin over the future of Medicare reimbursement, the timing and substance of this report are less than ideal for an industry already under fire. Read More »
The long-term care industry, concerned about the impact of potentially devastating “fiscal cliff” federal funding cuts, has launched a broad offensive in hopes of convincing Congress and President Obama to reach a deal that will prevent those reductions from being imposed. Read More »
Brookdale Senior Living is considering several financial options to refit its operations in an era of Medicare reductions, announced Brookdale's CFO and co-president Mark Ohlendorf today at the Stephens Fall Investment Conference. Read More »
Nursing home and assisted living operators are seeing a marked increase in “piercing the corporate veil” theories and corporate negligence claims in malpractice litigation. The good news is facilities can and should employ strategies that can help insulate them from these claims. Read More »
While attending the LeadingAge Conference in Denver last month, I had the opportunity to converse with Conrad, a well-spoken 80-year-old who was representing his CCRC board at this conference. What impacted me most about my chat with Conrad was his desire to be connected and to be heard. Read More »
The clarion call to action grows ever louder: In addition to lobbying their local lawmakers, long-term care providers must best position their organizations to serve a rapidly changing healthcare system or face demise. Read More »
A good percentage of disaster management is “getting your ducks in a row.” Most of this involves establishing appropriate relationships that may be premised on contacts, formalized agreements and memorandums of understanding with vendors of essential services and other facilities that may be needed to provide evacuation and relocation assistance during the disaster recovery phase. Read More »
The votes are in: The Obama Administration now has four more years to further the healthcare initiatives begun under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. So, what happens next? Long-term care leaders, providers and industry experts weigh in on the implications of President Obama's reelection for the U.S. healthcare system and, specifically, the LTC industry. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has granted blanket waivers for New York and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy, easing the regulations required of long-term care and other health providers. Read More »
The Savvy Resident’s Guide, a book written by psychologist and Long-Term Living contributing writer Eleanor Feldman Barbera, covers just about every concern a new nursing resident might have, explaining how nursing homes work and how people can make the most of their stays. I encourage LTC providers to consider providing this book to residents and their families upon admission. Read More »
Updated: 5/21/13: Both parties have decided to cancel merger talks for now. The continuum of care gets bigger and broader in Michigan as two health systems join to form one of the largest non-profits in the state. Read More »
It may be counterintuitive for CCRCs to expand to in-home services, but some in the industry say it is a brilliant move with little to no disadvantages. Learn how an established CCRC made the leap. Read More »
Several nursing homes in the Rockaways area of New York City, which were heavily impacted by Hurricane Sandy, struggled with flooding and damaged generators, according to a report in The New York Times. Read More »
The danger of complacency and not performing the necessary “due diligence” as it relates to the installation and maintenance of your facility’s generator(s) and emergency power systems can lead to catastrophic failures. Here are five tips to help ensure that your emergency power system performs to its maximum potential at all times. Read More »
I have lived in two nursing homes for over 16 years and at both facilities housekeepers still use dust mops, brooms and string mops to clean. I guess these tools can do an adequate job. But they can make messes and cannot easily clean up something quickly. Read More »
A national learning collaborative, launched at this week’s LeadingAge conference, is focused on creating new financial and service strategies for senior living. Read More »
A full moon, high tides and colliding storm systems are conspiring to create a “perfect storm” that will bear down on the East Coast next week. Long-term care facilities should initiate their disaster plans now. Read More »
Technology projects planned with the input of all departments have the best staff buy-in and training engagement, says a panel of long-term care project managers who have tackled the IT challenges in their own organizations. Avoid “tech trauma” by learning their tips on IT project strategy. Read More »
A facility laundry incurs many expenses--labor, equipment, energy and more--that factor into the costs of operation. Investing in new equipment and attention to detail can pay off. Read More »
The overriding message from LeadingAge thought leaders at the group's annual meeting is that providers must step up to the plate and demand a say in the future of the country’s bloated and broken healthcare delivery system. Read More »
The challenge of retaining quality nursing staff and reducing turnover rates can be eased through a few crucial changes in management strategy, say session leaders at this week’s LeadingAge annual meeting. Read More »
Crisis communications doesn’t have to make you cringe. If you plan accordingly and understand how to protect your reputation in a crisis, you can successfully navigate the situation and avoid the potentially negative impact an unexpected event could have on your long-term care organization. Read More »
One of the challenges that we face in sales and marketing is making that initial contact with a prospective referral source that we have never met before. Cold calling, whether conducted over the phone or in-person is nerve racking and rarely successful--unless you have a plan! Read More »
With more Americans considering staying at home in their elder years instead of moving to a retirement community, many senior living providers are experimenting with alternative service models, including innovative programming and service partnerships. Read More »
Amid the cuts in payments and struggles with occupancy rates, the current long-term care business environment has opportunities for innovation in cost models, care delivery models and technology-driven value, notes the 28th annual Licensed Nursing Facility Cost Comparison. Read More »
Volunteers are key components to the success of many organizations, especially LTC organizations. However, without a good risk management plan, volunteer programs can expose your organization to additional risks of a loss, damage to your reputation or even imperil operations. Read More »
Incontinence management is a critical issue in skilled nursing facilities, especially as it relates to increased regulatory oversight, budgetary considerations, rehospitalization rates and quality of life for residents. The proper documentation of incontinence is essential in the clinical record and in the MDS database. Read More »
Planning for an emergency at your LTC facility must start at home so your organization can help protect one of its most valuable resources--employees and their families. Read More »
The centralized MDS department and decentralized MDS department each has its pros and each structure can put organizations at risk for survey deficiencies, lost revenue and poor satisfaction among residents and staff. Read More »
