The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced updates to the State Operations Manual (SOM), introducing revised and clarified guidance to strengthen survey and enforcement processes.
While teaching a CNA class on death and dying, I asked my students how they explained a resident’s passing to others. One young nursing assistant raised her hand: “We are told to say the resident has gone to Montana.”
I phoned the nursing director from the facility and asked if she was aware that the nurs...
Caring for the Ages appreciates Dr. Levine’s nuanced and well-referenced letter, which shares his perspective on the proposed new ICD-10 skin failure codes discussed in our October 2025 issue. Dr. Levine is a renowned wound care expert and raises valid points about whether rushing to get new codes adopted...
This letter refers to the recent article, Advancing Coding and Education on Skin Failure, in the October 2025 issue of Caring for the Ages. The author says that although informative, the article contains several statements that are either controversial or potentially erroneous.
2026 is already here, and our PALTmed board and leadership team are eagerly forging ahead with the implementation of our 2026-2028 Strategic Plan. In today’s dynamic and shifting environment, looking ahead has never been more important. After visiting with many of you around the country and hearing your th...
“Protect us, O God, From Diphtheria!” So begins the book, The Horse and Buggy Doctor (Harper & Brothers, New York), written by the rural Kansas family physician, Dr. Arthur E. Hertzler, and published in 1938. These words, this prayer, had been uttered daily by Dr. Hertzler’s father because, in the 1870...
Since its inception, the Foundation for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine has stood as the philanthropic heart of the post-acute and long-term care community. Created by and for PALTC professionals, the Foundation has always focused on one central goal: ensuring that clinicians working in the post-acu...
Over 14 million older adults report falling every year, and these falls often result in injuries, some of them serious. Post-acute and long-term care facilities have long focused on fall prevention, but the recently revised LTC Surveyor Guidance includes changes that impact how teams define, manage, and do...