Windfall for Nursing Homes HHS announced $5 billion in targeted funding for nursing homes in May. Then another $5 billion opportunity in August. Operators got $2.5 billion in early September to pay expenses related to COVID-19. Now McKnight’s reports that the Trump Administration will provide another $333 million for bonus payments. The corporate welfare will

Hazard Pay Do executives deserve hazard pay?  Really? McKnight’s reported that executives’ salaries are increasing during COVID-19. The explanation is that stress and burn-out are increasing demand.  Ryan McPherson is vice president of Medical Recruitment Specialists LLC, of Stoughton, MA. He said: “We are seeing a hazard pay bump. They have to pay. There is

NPR had a great article about how nursing home caregivers are spreading COVID-19. How and why? Because they have to work at multiple facilities to earn a living wage. Certified nurses aides are not paid well. Very often, just minimum wage. Therefore, many must work at more than one facility. They tend to be predominantly women

The United States has seen a surge. The highest ever number of new COVID-19 cases were this week. More than 500,000 in one week. Hospitalizations are also rising and have hit a two-month high and deaths are trending upwards. We are in for a tough winter. Hospitals in most regions of the country are seeing

Max Blau is a freelance journalist in Atlanta. NPR, VOX, Kaiser Health News and Georgia Health News feature his work. He wrote a great article for Georgia Public Broadcasting. It is an incredible story of corruption, greed, and ignorance. Ronnie Rollins Ronnie Rollins thought of a loophole to exploit a federal program. Rollins discovered the

Poor Design As a nursing home lawyer, I have seen dozens of cases involving avoidable infections that lead to fatal sepsis. Poor design. Inadequate training. Insufficient staff. Poor infection prevention and control has been a problem in the industry for decades. It has gotten worse in the last couple of years. The COVID-19 pandemic has