Older adults who choose to age in place could be at risk of becoming socially vulnerable or socially frail. That could increase their mortality risk, according to a 2008 study . Caregivers need to be on the lookout for social frailty and respond, advised Steven Norris, MD, medical director at Transitions Care, which specializes in end-of-life care, symptom management and primary care services. Norris spoke to McKnight's Home Care for a Newsmakers podcast. www.mcknightshomecare.com Follow us on s...
Mar 30, 2023•15 min•Ep. 130
Providers should not necessarily fear regulators’ ramped up scrutiny efforts on nursing home operators and private-equity investors in the long-term care space. The temperature in these pursuits is only going to continue to rise anyway. These are just a few of the key observations from someone who knows all sides of the federal legal landscape well, Jolie Apicella, a partner with Wiggin and Dana LLP, and a former assistant US States Attorney. Even though a proposed new nursing home ownership dis...
Mar 21, 2023•19 min•Ep. 129
Managing a chronic condition in an older adult becomes significantly harder if that senior also suffers a behavioral health issue, according to Christine Vanlandingham, CEO of Michigan Region IV Agency on Aging. That’s why the agency’s new Integrated Care at Home program deploys behavioral health specialists into the homes of seniors, along with primary care providers and nutritionists. Vanlandingham spoke recently to McKnight's Home Care in a podcast about the subject. www.mcknightshomecare.com...
Mar 16, 2023•18 min•Ep. 128
Times are tight in long-term care, and every penny counts. That’s why the Diakanos Group’s Todd Beesley went the distance last week. He recorded 62 miles in 48 hours to raise money for employees in the organization’s 15 skilled nursing, assisted living and group home facilities. That’s a little longer than a 100K, a popular distance among ultrarunners who push themselves through all kinds of weather and terrain to make the finish line. Beesley, a seasoned distance runner, repeated a feat he acco...
Mar 14, 2023•12 min•Ep. 127
Lynne Katzmann, founder and CEO of Juniper Communities , shares how Juniper shifted its corporate mindset to a wellness focus and the returns on investment it has seen by doing so. She also suggests areas that senior living operators can focus on when making such a shift, including where to start.
Mar 08, 2023•19 min•Ep. 126
Nursing homes and the skilled nursing arena could be in for choppy waters as far as investors are concerned. Yet there are markers that give the sector reason for optimism, especially for stakeholders who play their cards right, says NIC investment expert Bill Kauffman in this podcast moderated by McKnight’s Executive Editor James M. Berklan. Follow us on twitter: @mcknightsltcn www.mcknights.com...
Mar 07, 2023•13 min•Ep. 125
Home health and hospice ranked in the top 15 healthcare subsectors for private equity investment in 2022, according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project . In this McKnight’s Home Care Newsmaker podcast, Mary Bugbee and Eileen O’Grady from the nonprofit watchdog group explain why labor issues and patient safety call for more government oversight of private equity investment in the sector. www.mcknightshomecare.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @McKHomeCare Facebook: McKnight's Home Car...
Mar 02, 2023•21 min•Ep. 124
CMS plans to increase psychotropic drugs oversight – to include targeted audits. These stepped up efforts follow the latest updates to the State Operations Manual surveyors started using October 24, which include unnecessary psychotropic use, misdiagnosis related to antipsychotics, and gradual dose reductions of these medications. Nursing facilities are not yet required to have a psychotropic stewardship program. But adopting one can preempt regulatory action while promoting the appropriate use ...
Feb 28, 2023•18 min
Denial data has a story to tell, a story that can help revenue cycle leaders improve financial processes and facility cashflow. The key is unlocking it and entrepreneur Lori Zindl did. In this podcast, we explore how she built a tool to see her end-to-end revenue cycle in real-time, which improved overall operations, payer relationships and profit margins for her customers.
Feb 24, 2023•20 min
In healthcare, there can be a disconnect between patients, payers and providers in determining what amount of care is appropriate. The gap could widen under value-based care. In this McKnight's Home Care Newsmakers podcast, Elara Caring's Chief Medical Officer Kevin Henning, MD, explains how home health providers can better align those interests.\ www.mcknightshomecare.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @McKHomeCare Facebook: McKnight's Home Care LinkedIn: McKnight's Home Care Instagram: mc...
Feb 23, 2023•18 min•Ep. 123
On the heels of the release of the association's strategic plan and as its annual Public Policy Institute approaches, Argentum President and CEO James Balda discusses pressing issues facing senior living providers as well as possible solutions.
Feb 22, 2023•20 min•Ep. 122
With the final expiration of all nurse-aide training waivers, the three-day stay waiver and other major supports looming due to the upcoming end of the public health emergency (PHE), nursing homes that don’t prepare properly to transition could be putting themselves at serious risk. But it doesn’t have to be that way, explains quality and policy expert Jodi Eyigor, who has solutions at the ready. She shares what’s at stake, the keys to overcoming hurdles and why she thinks “something really beau...
Feb 21, 2023•20 min•Ep. 121
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Alexander Azar told McKnight's Home Care Daily Pulse in a Newsmakers podcast that flexibilities in home health — from dialysis and telehealth to hospital-at-home — are modernizing medicine and must continue. Now a board member at value-based kidney care firm Interwell Health , Azar and Interwell Chief Medical Officer George Hart, MD, discussed the evolution of value-based care. www.mcknightshomecare.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @McKHomeCare F...
Feb 16, 2023•20 min•Ep. 120
Vulnerability verified: New attacks on health IT demand LTC reinforcements Phishing, ransom, the dark web. You’ve heard these terms for years, but with every passing day, the threats to long-term care providers become more real. With spending being devoted to COVID resources and staffing needs, providers may be tempted to put technology upgrades and cybersecurity on the back burner. But that kind of thinking is likely to leave unguarded providers burned, says Dan L. Dodson, CEO of Fortified Heal...
Feb 14, 2023•15 min•Ep. 119
Time was, not too long ago, that some skilled nursing facilities refused to contract with Medicare Advantage plans, knowing their rates typically came in far below those for traditional Medicare patients. That time is over, says Susie Mix, a consultant who has spent more than two decades helping providers navigate the ever-changing world of managed care contracts. “There isn’t a viable way to be successful running a skilled nursing facility without working with the managed care plans in your are...
Feb 07, 2023•14 min•Ep. 118
Scan Group CEO Sachin Jain has tough words for healthcare providers when it comes to advancing health equity: "Put your money where your mouths are!" In this McKnight's Home Care Newmakers podcast, Jain describes the challenges and opportunities in advancing health equity. www.mcknightshomecare.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @McKHomeCare Facebook: McKnight's Home Care LinkedIn: McKnight's Home Care Instagram: mcknights_homecare...
Feb 02, 2023•18 min•Ep. 117
A lot of preconceptions and thought processes are going out the window at Guardian Healthcare , which boasts 35 skilled nursing facilities and more than 3,800 residents in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. That’s to make way for better collaboration and more localized decision-making. Guardian President and CEO Michael Herald explains how other providers can follow suit if they’re looking to deliver better care and increase their capabilities. Herald outlines his company’s growing support system a...
Jan 31, 2023•28 min•Ep. 116
For HarmonyCares , home health is the linchpin in comprehensive in-home care. The Troy, MI-based firm provides comprehensive in-home medical care to older adults and the chronically ill in 36 locations across a dozen states. In this McKnight’s Home Care Newsmakers podcast, Chief Strategy Officer James Lydiard talks about what the company is looking for in home health partners. www.mcknightshomecare.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @McKHomeCare Facebook: McKnight's Home Care LinkedIn: McKn...
Jan 26, 2023•18 min•Ep. 115
Bob Kramer, founder of aging services think tank Nexus Insights ; co-founder, former president and CEO and current senior adviser to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care ; and recipient of the 2023 Career Achievement Award as part of the inaugural McKnight's Pinnacle Awards, discusses the past, present and future of senior living, including how operators will need to change to remain viable, what they can learn from the recent Southwest Airlines debacle, and the most imp...
Jan 25, 2023•30 min•Ep. 114
After two blockbuster years, the number of home care and hospice deals declined more than 40%, according to M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart. But despite that, there is still an appetite from private equity and corporations to acquire agencies. In this Newsmakers podcast, Mertz Taggart Managing Partner Cory Mertz talks about what will drive deals in 2023. www.mcknightshomecare.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @McKHomeCare Facebook: McKnight's Home Care LinkedIn: McKnight's Home Care In...
Jan 19, 2023•17 min•Ep. 113
David Schless, president and CEO of the American Seniors Housing Association , talks about the biggest challenges facing senior living and how the field will be changed permanently by the pandemic. He also discusses the Senior Living Hall of Fame and its 2023 inductees.
Jan 18, 2023•25 min•Ep. 110
In this podcast, Jennifer Schiller, executive director of the Research Institute for Home Care , talks about her organization’s new name, how it funds a grant specifically dedicated for home care research. She also discussed some of the big issues in home care, which include staffing; polypharmacy; multiple payment models; telemedicine; diversity, equity and inclusion; and family caregiving. www.mcknightshomecare.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @McKHomeCare Facebook: McKnight's Home Care...
Jan 12, 2023•17 min•Ep. 112
Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge , discusses the biggest challenges facing senior living and how the field will be changed permanently by the pandemic.
Jan 11, 2023•17 min•Ep. 111
Nearly three years since it was triggered, it’s “still too early to tell” how well the federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act will protect nursing homes and other healthcare providers from COVID-related lawsuits. That’s the take from attorneys Drew Graham and Tara Clayton, who on this episode outline ongoing challenges at multiple levels and the fallout from the Supreme Court’s late-fall decision not to intervene in a key PREP Act case at this point. “It has left open the questi...
Jan 10, 2023•19 min•Ep. 109
Long-term care payment expert Amy Kaszak of AllyAlign Health knows the best way operators can better control the flow of incoming reimbursements and she shares details in this podcast moderated by McKnight’s Executive Editor James M. Berklan.
Jan 03, 2023•21 min•Ep. 108
Our topic for the podcast is focused on operational excellence, what exactly that means when looking at your pharmacy, and how it can benefit facilities overall. We want to emphasize the value you can get from a pharmacy that prioritizes operational excellence.
Dec 22, 2022•17 min
Burnout among healthcare providers has escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating the caregiver shortage. But there are a number of ways home care providers can identify who is at risk of burnout and address the problem. This is according to Sheria Robinson-Lane, assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing , in a McKnight's Home Care Newsmakers podcast. www.mcknightshomecare.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @McKHomeCare Facebook: McKnight's Home Care Link...
Dec 22, 2022•19 min•Ep. 107
In December 2021, tornado sirens sounded throughout Arkansas and Kentucky, and a deadly EF3 twister ripped through the Monette Manor nursing home. Inside, 67 residents huddled together under the protection of staff who shielded them with little more than mattresses, blankets and their own bodies. When the storm receded, just one resident had died, a miracle likely made possible by solid emergency planning and preparation. But the facility, a community landmark, was destroyed. In this episode, Mo...
Dec 20, 2022•13 min•Ep. 106
Vaccines are marvelous tools for public health but only when they can be injected into people’s arms. Misinformation and culturally based fear are challenges for healthcare providers, as is a lack of resources. Listen as Community Catalyst’s Director for the Vaccine Equity and Access Program Sheree Keitt explains how her organization helps advocates like LeadingAge reach challenged communities and providers to boost vaccine uptake. Join us for this episode hosted by McKnight’s Long-Term Care New...
Dec 13, 2022•16 min•Ep. 105
The holidays bring cheer, but they can also bring depression and anxiety for older adults. Behavioral health has been deteriorating during the COVID-19 pandemic and the holidays could worsen it. In this McKnight's Home Care Daily Pulse Newsmakers podcast, C&V Senior Care Specialists President Katherine Vanderhorst offers advice on how home health agencies can address the issue. www.mcknightshomecare.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @McKHomeCare Facebook: McKnight's Home Care LinkedIn:...
Dec 08, 2022•23 min•Ep. 104
