Trump rewards the nursing home industry again. Besides removing fines and enforcement and giving millions with no conditions, the industry gets another favor. This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rescinded the proposed Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Rule (MFAR). The Rule added transparency to the Medicaid payment process to eliminate fraudulent practices. The rule established

The Texas Tribune published an article on the damage isolation has on nursing home residents. And some families say the damage to their loved ones from prolonged isolation has already been done. Scientists have long studied the effect of social interaction on the brain. Unfortunately, the pandemic has offered a sad occasion to measure the consequences

“Best” People Trump repeatedly promised to hire the “best” people. He has not fulfilled that promise. Trump’s “best” people include con men, liars, and convicted felons. They are part of Trump’s campaign to remain in power. Not to win the election fair and square but rather to steal the election. All the President’s Men seem

Living Wages Increases Safety If we paid nursing home caregivers a living wage would that increase safety? “As a country, we need to pay for what we value,” consultant Ellen Bartoldus told SNN. “We say we value elders, we say we value value good staff but we’re defining this good staff as unskilled labor. It’s

Reliable or Quick Tests? Trump is now pushing nursing homes to test all residents and staff. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced new federal regulations. These regulations require testing of staff for COVID-19. The changes are to identify asymptomatic people. These caregivers often spread the virus throughout buildings. However, many of the rapid

Seema Verma is the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A Congressional investigation discovered that she “abused the federal contracting process” and “wasted millions of taxpayer dollars.”  She spent millions on consultants and other services to boost her own profile and popularity. Congress reviewed thousands of pages of documents. Consultants’ invoices and