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Issue 12, December 29, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Conducting the facility assessment: A multi-component approach

  What do Russian nesting dolls have to do with regulatory compliance? Last month, as long-term care...

• Opioid addiction: When seniors follow "doctor’s orders"

  Historically, opioids have been considered pain relievers and are often compared to morphine...

• Pressure injuries and the MDS

  This article is an excerpt from Pressure Injuries in Long-Term Care: A Toolkit for Clinical Staff...

• SNFs seek relief from three-day hospital stay requirement

  Critics call the three-day inpatient stay requirement for patients to qualify for Medicare coverage...

Issue 11, November 1, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Freedom from abuse, neglect, and exploitation: Training your staff to be resident advocates

  Customer service in long-term care facilities involves two key aspects: properly educating families...

• High-dose vaccine for seniors proves effective in reducing hospitalizations from the flu

  'Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes, football Sundays, and that not-so-celebratory trademark...

• A less alarming approach to preventing falls

  Great strides have been taken in nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities as part of a...

• How to implement a quality assurance program for senior living

  The administrators or executive directors in each senior living facility must lead their staff to...

Issue 10, October 27, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• The essential role of MDS 3.0 in RCS-1

  Written by Steven Littlehale, MS, GCNS-BC, executive vice president & chief clinical officer...

• The caregiver crisis

   It’s been referred to charitably as “a key workforce dilemma” and cynically...

• Understanding C.diff infection and prevention methods

  Clostridium difficile, also known as C. difficile or C. diff, is a spore-forming bacterium that can...

• 34 elements of a successful dementia care program

  Policy and procedures for special care units must meet state-specific requirements, federal...

Issue 9, September 1, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Not your mama's PBJ

  Since its initial inception as part of Section 6106 of the Affordable Care Act, the payroll-based...

• Survey preparation: How self-audit practices come from QAPI

  To help prepare for survey readiness, it is crucial that you regularly audit your facility...

• FAQs: Consolidated billing for SNFs

  Since its introduction in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) setting, consolidated billing (CB) has...

• In long-term care credentialing, be rigorous yet realistic

  Increasingly, mergers and acquisitions are making strange bedfellows of acute, ambulatory, and...

Issue 8, August 1, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• If the tooth fits: New denture regulation requires added policies and better dental care

  Rolling out with Phase 2 of the new survey process (effective November 28, 2017) is a regulation...

• $370 million increase for SNFs raises more than just pay rates

  It’s been said that Rome wasn’t built in a day, which is an archaic way of saying: Be...

• Individualized strategies for managing dysphagia

  The act of swallowing, for those who do not have difficulty with it, can feel like second nature...

• Expediting the Medicaid application process

  The business office in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) is an extremely busy place, and it takes a...

Issue 7, July 1, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Medicare proposes changes to payment rates and quality programs for SNFs in FY 2018

  Let the shift from volume to value continue! In a proposed rule published on April 27, 2017...

• Eliminating alarms through culture change

  Great strides have been taken in nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities (SNF) to meet a...

• What SNF providers should know about billing for pneumococcal pneumonia, influenza virus, and Hepatitis B vaccines

  As residents age, their health needs become more complex and many find themselves coping with...

• Active shooter in long-term care: Domestic violence doesn't just live at home

  For Christy, the morning started out like most every morning lately. She was getting ready for...

Issue 6, June 1, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• RCS-1 CMS case-mix pre-rule: Get ready for big changes

  Written by Renee Kinder, MS, CCC-SLP, RAC-CT, Director of Clinical Education at Encore...

• New quality measure cracks down on eliminating medication issues identified during SNF stays

  In the FY 2017 SNF PPS final rule, CMS adopted drug regimen review (DRR) as a new quality measure...

• Reducing readmissions from the post-acute setting

  Editorial Note: This article first appeared in HealthLeaders magazine, and has been republished...

• Activities in long-term care: Serving the baby boomer generation

  Editorial note: This article is an excerpt from HCPro’s new title, The Big Book of Resident...

Issue 5, May 1, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Behavior management in long-term care: Reducing prevalence of antipsychotics and increasing quality of care

  The National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes is a partnership between the...

• How to identify and document significant change in status assessments: Reducing hospitalizations

  Determining when a significant change in status assessment (SCSA) is necessary and completing the...

• Defining maintenance therapy: A proactive approach to quality care

  In February a federal judge accepted Medicare’s plans to better educate the public about...

• Can critical thinking be taught to long-term care nurses? The proof is in the pudding

  Editorial Note: This article is an excerpt from HCPro’s new title, Critical Thinking in...

Issue 4, April 1, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Is Your QAPI Plan Survey-Ready?

  Long-term care providers should have jumped on the Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI...

• Medicare fraud and improper payments remain black stain under President Trump?s microscope

  An alarming fact: Medicare loses more money  to overbilling than any other program...

• What SNFs need to know about the five major categories of consolidated billing

  Editor's note: Parts of this article have been adapted from the popular HCPro title, Consolidated...

• Five common challenges and tips for ensuring HIPAA compliance in long-term care: From managing electronic health records to social media

  Editor’s note: Portions of the following have been excerpted from a white paper written by...

Issue 3, March 1, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Antibiotic stewardship addressed head on in CMS’ revised infection control requirements

  The Joint Commission’s antimicrobial stewardship standard, which requires long-term nursing...

• Obstructing audits could lead to Medicare exclusion for long-term care facilities

  Under a final rule published on January 12, 2017, by the Department of Health and Human Services...

• Separating delirium from dementia for better prevention and treatment in long-term care

  A significant amount of research and literature exists regarding delirium among the elderly in...

• Emergency Preparedness: It takes a community

  In the wake of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, devastating floods around the nation...

Issue 2, February 1, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• OSHA will use public shaming tactic to create safer workplace environments

  Nursing homes and personal care facilities are considered to have one of the highest work-related...

• Bill introduced to add dental, hearing, and vision services under Medicare coverage

  On January 12, 2017, lawmakers introduced a bill that lifts restrictions which previously...

• Proactive denial management: Mitigate a potential cash flow killer and protect your income from the upcoming audit storm

  It was a rough way to start the fiscal year for a local 99-bed nursing home operator in Oakland...

• New fire safety rules aim to create more home-like environment for long-term care facilities

  Residents can now enjoy a more home-like environment as part of their long-term care experience...

Issue 1, January 1, 2017 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• A year of ambiguity alleviated by OIG?s familiar plans

  In the months leading to the New Year, much was left to be desired for long-term healthcare...

• The election is over, now what?

  by Reg Hislop III Editor’s note: The following was originally a blog post on Reg’s...

• Traditional Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage Q&A

  Janet Potter, senior manager at Marcum LLP, answers questions for PPS Alert subscribers...

• Let's get intimate: A closer look at addressing residents' more affectionate relationships

  In a nationwide survey  conducted by JAMDA in January 2016, 366 directors of nursing were...

• 2016 year in review

  It’s been a busy year. Catch up on things you missed, track that article you’d like to...