Building a Strong Advance Care Planning Program: A PATHTalks with Key Strategies for Success
Advance Care Planning (ACP) is one of the most meaningful and complex responsibilities in post-acute and long-term care. When done well, ACP ensures that residents’ values and preferences guide care decisions throughout their journey. When done inconsistently, it can lead to confusion, conflict, and care that does not align with what residents want most. Organizations...
Prioritizing Performance Improvement Projects (PIPs): A PATHTalks Episode for Strengthening Quality Outcomes
In today’s complex long-term care environment, leaders often ask: How many Performance Improvement Projects (PIPs) do we need? Which ones do we prioritize? And how do we implement them effectively? PIPs are one of the most powerful tools in the QAPI framework, yet they are also among the most misunderstood. PIPs aim to improve care...
Advance Care Planning for Residents with Dementia: New PATHTalks
Advance Care Planning (ACP) takes on added complexity when supporting individuals living with dementia. In post-acute and long-term care settings, leaders are increasingly called upon to guide teams through conversations that balance clinical realities, resident dignity, and family emotions. ACP is not simply a regulatory requirement; it is a foundational element of person-directed care that...
Advance Care Planning for Residents with Dementia
Kathleen T. Unroe, MD – Cornelius and Yvonne Pettinga Professor of Medicine, Research Scientist, Indiana University Center for Aging Research Susan Hickman, PhD, Geropsychologist – Director and Senior Investigator, Investigative Science Division, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute Advance Care Planning (ACP) takes on added complexity when supporting individuals living with dementia. In post-acute and...
Understanding the Significance of F-761: New PATHTalks
Medication safety is a key predictor of quality outcomes in skilled nursing facilities. However, F761 – Labeling and Storage of Drugs and Biologicals has risen into the Top 10 most cited deficiencies nationwide, indicating a significant risk for organizations across In our latest PATHTalks episode, our Director of Regulatory and Consulting Services, Nancy Foss, explores why...
Understanding the Responsibilities of Licensed Nurses in Long-Term Care
Insights from Amy Beisner Harroff, RN, BSN, MHI, Senior Consultant, Pathway Health Licensed nurses in long-term care carry one of the most complex and autonomous roles in healthcare today. Yet many underestimate the full scope of responsibility that comes with accepting an assignment in a skilled nursing or senior living environment. When the role is...
Bubble Wrapping is Key to Retention Success: New PATHTalks
Insights from Clint Maun, President and Senior Partner of Maun-Lemke Consulting Recruitment may get people in the door, but retention determines whether organizations truly stabilize their workforce. In post-acute and senior living, turnover remains one of the most persistent challenges, with a significant portion occurring within the first 90 days of employment. Staffing challenges are...
New PATHTalks on ARD: A Leadership Imperative for Accurate Reimbursement and Compliance
Selecting the Assessment Reference Date (ARD) for the Medicare 5-Day and Interim Payment Assessment (IPA) is one of the most consequential decisions in the MDS process. Yet, it is often treated as a routine task rather than a strategic one. In today’s complex reimbursement environment, ARD selection directly influences payment accuracy, compliance integrity, and an...
Ad Hoc QAPI Meetings: New PATHTalks Episode on Regulatory Success
In today’s post-acute and long-term care environment, leaders are constantly balancing daily operations with the ongoing need to improve quality outcomes. QAPI (Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement) goes beyond a regulatory requirement. It is a culture, a framework for continuous learning, and a core leadership responsibility. While quarterly QAPI meetings are required in skilled nursing,...
New PATHTalks Episode on Ways to Stop Ineffective Quick Hiring
In today’s post-acute and senior living environments, staffing pressure can push leaders toward fast decisions that feel necessary in the moment but often create long-term consequences. Vacancies, overtime, agency reliance, and staff fatigue make “quick hiring” tempting. Yet, ineffective and rushed hiring is one of the most common drivers of turnover, disengagement, and instability. Quick...
