Month: May 2011

Pros and cons of carpet tile in long-term care

At almost every design meeting with a new client the question gets asked about how I feel about carpet tile vs. broadloom carpet with a moisture Read More »

AANAC Earns National Nursing CE Accreditation

The American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination (AANAC) has received national accreditation as a provider of continuing nursing education Read More »

OIG Finds Fault with Atypical Antipsychotic Medicare Claims in Nursing Homes

A new report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluating the extent to which nursing home residents receive atypical antipsychotic drugs Read More »

An unexpected Mother’s Day message

I felt a bit sad Saturday morning when I returned to my room after breakfast. The next day was Mother's Day and I did miss my mother even though she Read More »

New Approach to Oral Hygiene Tailored to Patients with Dementia

Nurses who care for patients with dementia may soon have access to a tailored approach to dental hygiene for their charges, according to a new pilot Read More »

A look behind the headlines

Bob Gatty With so much effort underway in state capitals from Wisconsin to Florida to slash spending and close budget deficits, including efforts Read More »

Our goal: Home, not home-like

Judah L. Ronch When we create environments for people to come and live in, we are creating much more than the physical surroundings. We are Read More »

Creating a compliance/QA culture

Tamar Abell Government investigations of today's 17,000 skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are increasing and, unfortunately, as a result so are Read More »

Mobile devices contribute to PHI breaches

Healthcare providers have gained unprecedented flexibility to collect and access resident and patient data from outside the walls of the facility. Read More »

Did We Do This?

I think about all the regulations in long-term care today. The number and scope of F-tags are overwhelming. When I wonder how this happened, I look Read More »

Honey: An old or new remedy?

Although used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, researchers are only beginning to understand the healing properties of honey. More recently, Read More »

Individualize nutrition care

It's dinnertime and residents are being seated at impeccably dressed tables. Tonight's dinner is nutritionally well-balanced, colorful, and Read More »

The path to leadership

Marianna Kern Grachek, CNHA, CALA, FACHCA John Pratt, MHA, FACHCA All nursing home administrators and many assisted living administrators must be Read More »

My Top 10 Movements in Long-Term Care

Long-term care (LTC) does not lack for crusaders. Although the progressive forces in this field are little known to the general public, which tends Read More »

High anxiety

The winter of our discontent has segued into a spring of high anxiety for long-term care (LTC) recipients and providers (and the general public, for Read More »

Update: Hazardous waste risks

Pharmaceutical and hazardous wastes are ever-present management challenges for long-term care (LTC) administrators. They are regulated by several Read More »

Departures

How much time do you spend in a typical day observing the departure area of your local airport? If you're like me, probably not a lot. For one Read More »

A systematic approach to quality

The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs operates six facilities that provide long-term care to eligible veterans and their Read More »

Supply Side

Electric Bed ControlThe HD2 Bed Control by Crest Healthcare Supply is a durable, economic replacement for use on electric healthcare beds. The Read More »

Emeritus Acquires 24 Assisted Living Communities

Emeritus Corporation, a national provider of senior living services, has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire 24 assisted living Read More »

Respite care affords family a chance to regroup

Family caregivers do what they do out of love, but at some point the responsibilities can become overwhelming and exhausting. The best antidote is Read More »

Nursing home resident ‘quiet time’

The facility where I previously lived eliminated its PA system a few years before. Pages could be heard at a phone extension or at the nurse Read More »

Quality Alliance Receives Grant to Help Improve Care Transitions Nationally

The Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) has received a one-year grant from the New York-based Commonwealth Fund to help improve care transitions for Read More »

Nursing care occupancy increases in 1Q2011

Occupancy in nursing care properties rose for the first time in a year during 1Q11 to 88.5 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage points from the Read More »

Study: Infection Control Violations Occur in 15% of Nursing Homes

Fifteen percent of U.S. nursing homes receive deficiency citations for infection control per year, according to a new study published in the May Read More »

Managed Health Care Associates Acquires Tidewater GPO from Omnicare

Managed Health Care Associates, Inc., a healthcare service company, has acquired Tidewater Group Purchasing from Omnicare, Inc., for an undisclosed Read More »

ACHCA conference attendees share struggles, confront membership challenges

Healthcare administrators are a tough breed. Anyone who’s been in the industry for even a short time knows that. As an observer at The American Read More »

AHCA/NCAL Win International Communication Award

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) have been awarded the International Association of Read More »

Nursing Facilities Have $127.8 Billion Impact in 50 Most Populous Metro Areas

A new Avalere Health LLC analysis detailing the economic and jobs output of nursing facilities in the nation's 50 most populous Metropolitan Read More »