Decisions, decisions!  Nursing home administrators are faced with the task of making decisions multiple times each day.  Many times there really isn’t a clear right answer for the decision to be made.  So, how does one know what to do?  Over my years as an administrator, I have developed a simple test to help me make the right decision.  I test the potential outcomes of my decision against the priorities I have set for my...

Taken From the State Operations Manual Appendix PP – Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities  F151 §483.10(a) Exercise of Rights §483.10(a)(1) The resident has the right to exercise his or her rights as a resident of the facility and as a citizen or resident of the United States. §483.10(a)(2) The resident has the right to be free of interference, coercion, discrimination, and reprisal from the facility in exercising...

Taken From the State Operations Manual Appendix PP – Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities F150 §483.5 Definitions (a)Facility defined. For purposes of this subpart “facility” means, a skilled nursing facility (SNF) or a nursing facility (NF) which meets the requirements of §§1819 or 1919(a), (b), (c), and (d) of the Social Security Act, the Act. “Facility” may include a distinct part of an institution...

      Wishing you and yours a safe and happy new year! Share this:FacebookShareStumbleUponDiggEmailRedditPrint

Here is a picture of a nursing home administrator’s best friend.  No, not my dog!  It’s the watermelon book sitting behind him. (Although, my Boston Terrier, Maverick,  ranks right up there, too!) The Long Term Care Survey book, F-tag book, or any other name you might call it is commonly referred to as the “Watermelon Book” in our circles.  It’s called the watermelon book because of the color...

Believe it or not, 90%+ of the staff members working in a nursing home have no idea of how the facility is assigned deficiencies (usually called tags or F-tags) or what the letter grade it receives actually means.  I am going to give you a quick and easy look at how deficiencies are cited per the scope & severity grid I included below. SCOPE As you can see, we have a box with several columns and rows of letters.  The columns...

Do you want to know how to increase your employee’s morale? Do you want to know how to spot the troublemakers in your staff? Would you like to know the one person who is destroying your team? Well, that’s easy!  Just look for the person who is always the victim. You know who I’m talking about.  There’s one in every facility. They’re pretty easy to spot; they’re always the victim of some injustice and...

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Do you Snoezel? If not, you might need to start! The word “Snoezelen” comes from 2 Dutch words, “snuffelen” (to seek out or explore, or to sniff) and “doezelen” (to relax, doze, or snooze).  The Snoezelen experience offers sensory stimulation and relaxation through lights, sounds, smells, and textures, and it appears that it can be a beneficial tool in the treatment of individuals with mental health...