Facility management

Leaders need to be visible

Leaders at all levels of an organization need to be available, approachable, and visible. If leaders spend all of their time in their offices, how Read More »

What we know about staff satisfaction

Securing and retaining staff, keeping them happy and content continue to be a major and very expensive problem in assisted living and long-term care. Read More »

Don’t be afraid to ask for more

At a glance… Renegotiating vendor contracts presents no-nonsense, cost-cutting opportunities. It's no secret long-term care professionals have a Read More »

SERVICE model fosters greater staff satisfaction

“Would we do this again? Yes! The implementation of this model has generated outcomes that have made this community more successful, productive, and Read More »

Employee failures are your own

Why is it that employees are hired in assisted living and long-term care, placed in positions without any preparation or orientation, and then both Read More »

Networking skills to make personal connections

Long-term care (LTC) professionals are well aware that our jobs, our facilities, and our patients' expectations have radically changed in the past Read More »

Reflections of a nursing home administrator

“I could write a book about that.” How often have you as a long-term care administrator, DON, or other manager said that about the work you do? Not Read More »

Coping with pollution ‘hot zones’

The conversation that you never want to have with your insurance professional is the one when he or she informs you that there is no coverage Read More »

Living the boutique lifestyle

Boutique hotels…boutique shops…boutique spas…boutique senior living…. What? Boutique senior living? That's correct! The arrival of America's most Read More »

Lap of Luxury

Nestled on 88 New England-picturesque acres in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is an enclave of apartments, cottages, gardens, and townhomes designed by Read More »

Staff retention and resident longevity: Are they related?

A reader asks, “Is there a correlation between nursing staff length of service and resident longevity? Our 180-bed sister skilled nursing and Read More »

Culture change in action

At a glance… Isabella Geriatric Center, New York, has found that by stating its values, involving everyone in the process, and tackling issues that Read More »

Managing challenging behaviors

If I can just find the right external device I know I can change the person's internal motivation to move, I just know it!” It seems obvious, even Read More »

Pressure ulcer litigation: Its impact on long-term care

Since OBRA 1987, there has been a steady climb in the rate of pressure ulcer litigation in the United States. Fueling the fires are policies from Read More »

Personnel investigations

Personnel investigations are necessary whenever there is an allegation or indication of employee misconduct. According to Federal Regulation F-225, Read More »

Orientation—the foundation for success

Many liken staff turnover to a revolving door—new staff leave as quickly as they arrived. We have previously described methods to transform the Read More »

QIS: An Update

The Quality Indicator Survey (QIS)-that intriguing potential substitute for the not-much-beloved OBRA nursing home survey process-is marching right Read More »

‘The art of discipline’

If it is possible for long-term care operators to forecast an economic storm, the management at Carol Woods Retirement Community might as well be Read More »

Start Now

Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part series. This month's discussion focuses on how to keep good records to avoid a RAC audit. If you are Read More »

Bed Exchange Data System

To assist in the quality and efficient care of patients and community members, a group of social workers and other Thompson Health associates Read More »

Safety is focus

Ask any manufacturer of transportation vehicles for the seniors care market what the most important factor in a vehicle is and the answer will be Read More »

Interviewing for expectations: Theirs and yours

Reader submitted question: Once a list of potential candidates is narrowed, how can I make the in-person interview most beneficial?   The interview Read More »

Improve quality of care to reduce liability

Increasing litigation and difficulty in insuring facilities have forced an increasing number of long-term care (LTC) providers to divert critical Read More »

Withholding flu drugs from seniors a new discussion item

As governments prepare for the anticipated spread of the swine flu pandemic, a team of Italian researchers is suggesting elderly populations be last Read More »

Fostering effective work relationships

What type of relationships should directors of nursing and other high-level leaders strive to have with our employees, and what characteristics Read More »

Transition to MDS 3.0

Long-term care providers continue in a holding pattern awaiting the anticipated transition from MDS 2.0 to MDS 3.0. While exact specifications of Read More »

24-hour dining feeds culture change

Since 1996, Long-Term Living has been honoring long-term care facilities that are proactive with programs that go “above and beyond” routine care Read More »

How do I deal with an older employee who will not retire?

A reader from Ohio asks if a company can legally ask an older employee to retire, or establish a specific policy requiring retirement at a certain Read More »

Introducing the first leadership model for LTC administrators

As the long-term care (LTC) field is discovering, leaders are key to culture creation, culture change, and organizational success. As reinforced in Read More »

Disaster planning for elderly ‘woefully inadequate’

While much of Washington's attention is focused on healthcare reform and how to pay for it, the feds have been told that existing resources and Read More »