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...
When a Key Leader Leaves: Stabilizing the Moment and Strengthening the Future
When a key leader leaves a nursing home, assisted living, or senior living organization, the impact is immediate. Operations can feel uncertain, team members may look for direction, and important priorities such as clinical quality, regulatory readiness, staffing, resident experience, and financial performance cannot pause while recruitment takes place. During these transitions, organizations need more...
Leadership Strategy Is the Difference Between Accident Prevention and F689 Citations
Insights from Colleen Toebe, MSN, CWCN, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, DNS MT – Vice President of Clinical Services As I work with nursing home leaders across the country, one thing is clear: accident prevention is no longer just a clinical priority. It is a leadership, quality, risk management, and survey readiness priority.For Nursing Home Administrators and Directors...
Navigating the New Antipsychotic Quality Measure: Compliance, Coding, and Five-Star Impact
The January 2026 CMS revisions to the Long-Stay Antipsychotic Quality Measure—now incorporating Medicare Fee-for-Service, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage claims—create a more expansive and sensitive methodology that can trigger the measure even when antipsychotics were not administered during the MDS look-back period. This shift, combined with CMS concerns around underreporting and inaccurate diagnosis coding, places heightened pressure...
Patient Safety Awareness Week: Strengthening Systems, Supporting Safer Care
Patient Safety Awareness Week is a timely reminder that safe care results from intentional leadership, strong systems, and a culture committed to continuous improvement. In post-acute and long-term care settings, patient safety touches every aspect of operations: infection prevention, fall reduction, medication management, accurate documentation, emergency preparedness, staffing stability, and regulatory compliance. Each process, policy,...
Hot Topic: Responding to the Latest CMS Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program Update – Falls
Insights from Nancy Foss, RN, BSN, Director of Regulatory and Consulting Services – Pathway Health Recent breaking news from CMS (QSO) signals an important shift in survey and quality priorities: falls—particularly falls with major injury—are moving to the forefront of regulatory scrutiny, with direct implications for survey outcomes, enforcement actions, and Special Focus Facility (SFF) oversight....
The Hidden Risk: Leadership Turnover in Skilled Nursing and Senior Living Facilities
Why This Matters for Insurance Carriers Leadership stability in skilled nursing and senior living is not only an operational issue—it is a core risk management concern. Administrators, Executive Directors, and Directors of Nursing set the tone for compliance, care quality, and workforce stability. High turnover in these positions magnifies exposure to adverse events, regulatory deficiencies,...
National Influenza Vaccination Week 2025: Resources & Tools
National Influenza Vaccination Week, taking place on December 1-5, reminds us that influenza is more than a seasonal nuisance. It is a serious health threat, especially for residents in post-acute, long-term care, and senior living settings. Individuals over 65 years old are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications compared with young, healthy adults....
Simplify Your Mandatory Training with Pathway Health
In today’s rapidly changing regulatory environment, staying compliant can feel overwhelming. Skilled Nursing Facilities must meet the Requirements of Participation, CMS regulations, and state-mandated training, often at a moment’s notice. To support your organization, Pathway Health developed a self-paced, Mandatory Annual Training Solution designed to help leaders and teams stay compliant and confident. Key benefits...
Leading Proactively: Responding to the Latest OIG Findings on the CMS Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program
Insights from Nancy Foss, RN, BSN, Director of Regulatory and Consulting Services – Pathway Health The Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) October 2025 Data Snapshot confirms what many leaders in long-term care already know — the Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program, designed to rehabilitate persistently underperforming nursing homes, is struggling to achieve sustained improvement. According...
