Administration

Focuson Infection Control

Skin Care Lantiseptic® skin care products, available from Links Medical Products, Inc., provide skin barrier protection for incontinence. They are Read More »

Will immigration reform solve staffing woes?

Research repeatedly confirms that the quality of long-term care depends on staffing levels. Read More »

Protect your residents from pests with sanitation

Piling trash close to the building exterior can attract pests and encourage them to go inside. Photos courtesy of Orkin, Inc. Caring for your Read More »

Reimbursement realities: A shaky business environment

Reimbursement methods—whether through Medicare, Medicaid, or private pay—have inherent consequences for business operations. How effective are these Read More »

Focus on Transportation

Wheelchair-Accessible Minivan Atlantic Turtle Top's wheelchair-accessible mini-van doesn't look like an institutional vehicle. Small groups can ride Read More »

Getting fuel costs under control

Transportation is a vital asset in the marketing of senior living and care environments. Regardless of the lev-el of care across the continuum, Read More »

Appreciating your ‘invisible’ staff

Largely missing from the array of “employee appreciation” articles we usually see are two groups of nursing facility staff who rarely receive the Read More »

Culture change: Its lapses, anomalies—and achievements

Culture change” was not born, nor was it founded. Rather, it emerged out of the experiences of long-term care (LTC) devotees and enthusiasts. Read More »

Broadening the Business: How One Facility Operator Knocked Down His Walls

In 2005, D. Keith Perry was facing a dilemma that afflicts many long-term care providers: “Our two campuses were anchored by nursing homes that were Read More »

Listening takes practice

Juggling multiple priorities, untangling scheduling conflicts, attending to resident care issues—all in a day's work for you. These activities Read More »

Operating a sanitary and safe kitchen

Salmonella…E. coli…C. botulinum… These ominous words have been making headlines. Contaminated or tainted food can have devastating—even Read More »

Double-check for disaster

Not long ago I had the severe displeasure of reading a book called The Edge of Disaster by one Stephen Flynn*. Mr. Flynn is billed in the author Read More »

Is your staff prepared to handle a diabetic crisis?

According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), 10.3 million people age 60 years or older in the United States have diabetes. Read More »

Private insurance companies for nursing homes

Nursing homes, hospitals, and other long-term care facilities throughout the country continue to face increased pricing and coverage limitations on Read More »

Focuson Cleanliness

Skin Care System SECURA™, from Smith & Nephew, is a four-step intervention system that includes cleansers, protectants, moisturizers, and Read More »

The Dreadful Documenters: A zoology

In the Medical Records world, I have come across a variety of documentation species. Some are more dangerous than others. A number of them can sink Read More »

Supporting families through the nursing home transition

Long-term care placement is probably one of the most difficult, heart-wrenching, but necessary decisions of a family's lifetime. The difficulty Read More »

Northern Hospitality: Creating a hospitality culture in a nursing home setting

Northern Hospitality staff members are treated to a scenic boat trip In business as in life, healthy competition raises the bar of performance and Read More »

Long-term care liability and its changing landscape

The landscape of long-term care liability has never been more varied. Recently, there have been some sizable seven-figure awards and settlements, Read More »

Staff development: The neglected discipline

How many times following the department of health survey have you sat down to write your facility's plan of correction and noticed yourself writing Read More »

Brand-new data reveal how nursing home business is changing

The market for the seniors housing and care industry as a whole has been on an upswing for more than a year now. Data from the third quarter of 2006 Read More »

CNA RECOGNITION The Ralston Center Caregiver Award

On October 19, 2006, the cheerful buzz of a hundred voices filled the Ralston Center auditorium in Philadelphia. The lively crowd was assembled to Read More »

Green is good: Environmentally sound pest control

Pest management can be challenging in long-term care environments. Not only is it crucial to keep your facility free of disease-carrying rodents and Read More »

Making motivation personal

LTC staffers enjoy a unique position in our society. Regardless of specific job or daily responsibilities, each of us impacts the life and Read More »

What do CNAs want? A survey

Many healthcare facilities throughout the country are experiencing a certified nursing assistant (CNA) shortage, conservatively estimated at 200,000 Read More »

Focus on Safety

Resident Care Manual The Briggs Resident Care Procedures for Nursing Facilities manual offers a simple, practical approach to nursing procedures and Read More »

Watch your step!

Step on a crack, break your mother's back.” That childhood superstition serves as a metaphorical warning for those who work in service-related fields Read More »

focus on LAUNDRY

Large-Capacity Tumbler The Huebsch® Super Twinstar 45-lb. stack unit provides 90 lb. of drying capacity. Although the Super Twinstar has 40-lb. more Read More »

Whiter whites…brighter brights: The ozone difference

Laundry rooms in long-term care facilities have never been profit centers, yet they hold one of the keys to customer satisfaction and facility Read More »

Why nursing homes must supplant the role of unions

The number of unionized workers in the private sector continues to diminish; it is estimated that no more than a small fraction of the Read More »