McKnight's Newsmakers Podcast

As Tutera Senior Living and Health Care marks its 40th anniversary, President/COO Randy Bloom shares with McKnight's Senior Living Editor Lois A. Bowers how the company is meeting evolving resident expectations and the industry's ongoing challenges related to employee recruitment and retention, and he also discusses the organization's growth strategy and the country's increasing need for more affordable senior living options.

While most long-term care providers understandably dread the staffing recruitment and retention problems that face virtually everyone in the business, there's a different mindset at Tutera Senior Living & Health Care. They call staffing a “huge opportunity.” It's the type of proactive optimism that has led Tutera, which manages 86 communities in 10 mostly Midwestern states, to rise up and embark on a year-long, multi-tiered 40th anniversary celebration. “Our outlook is very bright. We continue to grow for the right reasons and we're growing in a way that allows us to be successful,” Tutera President and COO Randy Bloom tells Executive Editor James M. Berklan in this McKnight's Newsmakers podcast. At the heart of it all is a philosophy of how to best deal with people — residents, families, the company's 6,000-plus employees and others, Bloom says. The special Tutera Younite approach is the anchor. Download this special podcast to learn more about what makes the Tutera powerhouse tick, and the characteristics leaders say allow them to operate successful life plan communities and other freestanding facilities in an increasing number of locations.

In this episode of the Reimagining Senior Living and Long-Term Care series, Jim sits down with Allison Rainey, Head of Nursing and Clinical Informatics at MatrixCare, and Daniel Zhu, Vice President, Product Management at MatrixCare, to explore the concept of collaborative intelligence in modern care planning. Together, they dive into how the integration of human expertise with AI-powered insights is reshaping the care planning process—helping care teams make faster, more informed decisions while still honoring the clinical judgment and personalized touch that residents deserve. From surfacing relevant goals to reducing variability across shifts, this conversation highlights how technology is not replacing the human element but enhancing it to elevate both efficiency and outcomes.

William Dombi has been too busy working on home care advocacy to relax during his retirement from the National Alliance for Care at Home, he told McKnight's Home Care in a Newsmakers podcast. Besides working for the law firm Arnall Golden Gregory, he is the board of advisers for New Day Healthcare. With the federal administration honing in on fraud, waste and abuse, Medicaid and hospice are in the crosshairs. The field has been in such a predicament before. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 brought about a new payment model for home health. Then the Affordable Care Act resulted in the rebasing of home health payment rates, which hurt the industry. Hospice could see a similar rebasing of rates. The new generation of hospice also could see the introduction of Medicare Advantage to hospice. And there may be an expansion of palliative care as well. While there are concerns, there are opportunities in home care as well. There needs to be more education to teach home care about getting involved with hospital-at-home programs and other innovative approaches to care, he said.Follow us on social media:X: @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecareFollow Arnall Golden Gregory on social media:X: @agglawLinkedIn: Arnall Golden Gregory LLPShow contributors:McKnight's Home Care Editor Liza Berger; William Dombi, senior counsel, Arnall Golden Gregory

When you've worked from the statehouse to the governor's mansion, to AARP's executive offices to long-term care association leadership, one builds a rich reservoir of workplace wisdom. Joseph DeMattos Jr. is out to share insights he's gained during a rich, decades-long career to help raise long-term care providers experiences and fortunes. In this special McKnight's Newsmaker podcast, the former Healthcare Facilities of Maryland top executive gives his four keys to LTC success and offers ways that everyone from a nurse aide to CEO can improve their career arc. The CEO of DeMattos Strategic Advisory and Triple Latte Leadership LLC, escribes how providers can take control — and what they should try to take control of — even amid this era of historic disruption. He offers listeners insight on marketplace shifts and what the fragmentation of the sector means for frontliners, managers and top execs. Investing time and effort, and engaging in the right areas are critical, he explains. “All quality care starts with the people working in the (long-term care) center,” he tells McKnight's Executive Editor James M.Berklan. “ … If you're a C-suite executive, put quality as Job No. 1. Quality will always distinguish you.”

One Senior Care, based in Erie, PA, serves seniors in Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky and soon-to-be northeastern Ohio. Because its population base is rural, one of the unique services One Senior Care provides is driving to seniors' homes and transporting them to PACE services, Chief Operating Officer Craig Worland said. One Senior Care's promise is to do what it can to let seniors stay in their homes and communities. PACE is a bipartisan issue, Worland believes. Republicans and Democrats as well as bureaucrats have a favorable view of PACE. With the restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services, oversight of PACE likely will move to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Worland is not so concerned about where PACE is housed, but he wants the government to be aware that PACE is “not an experiment.” Barriers — particularly enrollment ones — need to be removed to grow the program, he said. PACE organizations, as opposed to states, should control eligibility to cut down on red tape and facilitate easier enrollment into the program, he said. He'd like to see every state offer PACE in coming years.Follow us on social media:X: @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecareFollow One Senior Care on social media:LinkedIn: One Senior CareShow contributors:McKnight's Home Care Editor Liza Berger; Craig Worland, Chief Operating Officer, One Senior Care 

Gene Hackman's death offers a vivid example of the choices older adults and their family caregivers need to consider such as where to live and how to develop a network of support, Andrea Cohen, board chair of the Caregiver Action Network and founder of HouseWorks, said. Home care can play a role in these conversations, Anne Tumlinson, founder and CEO of ATI Advisory and founder of the family caregiver group Daughterhood, said. Home care must treat family caregivers as one of their key stakeholders, along with the client and employee, Cohen said. When she started HouseWorks, a personal care company, family caregivers were invisible. No longer. Family caregiver training is much better than it used to be. Public policy also has shifted so that, through the new GUIDE Model, Medicare now recognizes the important role that family caregivers of loved ones with dementia face, Tumlinson said. Going forward, home care companies need to be strategic and provide a range of services, such as home modifications, for their clients. Tumlinson agreed. The most successful home-based care models are interdisciplinary and scalable, she said. And they must be data-driven, Cohen added. Providing for family caregivers is essential. Taking care of them helps to solve problems for the hospital and healthcare plan and other parts of the healthcare system.Follow us on social media:X: @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecareFollow Caregiver Action Network on social media:Facebook: Caregiver Action NetworkLinkedIn: Caregiver Action NetworkInstagram:@caregiveractionFollow ATI Advisory on social media:LinkedIn: ATI AdvisoryFollow Daughterhood on social media:Facebook: DaughterhoodInstagram: Daughterhood

A new nationwide learning institute for nurse aides aims to be the turnkey pipeline for both newcomers to the long-term care sector and mid-career professionals. The CareForce Academy was unveiled earlier this month and will be accepting its first applicants in July. Its technical platform and curriculum are in place, says Lori Porter, the co-founder and CEO of the National Association for Health Care Assistants, in this edition of the McKnight's Newsmaker's podcast. Porter and others in the NAHCA braintrust came up with the idea for the academy and are now lining up scholarship funding in order to make enrollment costs free or as low as possible. All offerings and counseling will be online and will offer more than enough for anyone wanting to pass a CNA licensing test, Porter said. There also will be specialty modules for aides to build or expand their knowledge and skills in areas such as infection control, wound care and more. “We've had the prescription for a long time. We're just now filling it,” Porter explained about the large-scale effort to train more aides. In this heartfelt discussion with McKnight's Executive Editor James M. Berklan, she conveys details and the passion behind the new academy, which will both complement and distinguish itself from other aide-focused programs. “I think we finally got it right,” Porter says.

Nancy Kao, the executive director at the Life Care Services-managed The Forum at Rancho San Antonio in Cupertino, CA, was nominated and selected to receive a 2025 McKnight's Pinnacle Award based on her efforts related to workplace culture, employee retention, resident satisfaction, wellness, technology and more. In this Newsmaker's podcast, she shares insights gleaned over her 30-year career as well as her thoughts on the future of senior living and care. "We need to be the one driving changes. Whether it's through innovation, culture or simply leading with heart, we have the power to shape communities where people thrive. Let's all step up and stay curious," she advises.

The healthcare landscape is shifting—fast. As the industry moves away from Fee-For-Service (FFS) and toward Value-Based Care (VBC), practice groups must rethink how they deliver and get paid for care. But making the leap isn't just about changing contracts—it's about transforming the way care is coordinated, risks are managed, and success is measured. In this episode, our expert panel breaks down what it takes to thrive in a value-based world.

The United States healthcare system will change more in the next 10 years than it has in the last 100. That is the thesis of a new book written by Paul Kusserow and David W. Johnson. The high cost of care and poor outcomes are helping to drive the transformation, Kusserow said. To improve the system, there needs to be more whole-person care, and care needs to migrate out of high-cost institutions such as hospitals. Home remains a suitable setting for care because it is the most efficient place to deliver care, Kusserow said. As part of this evolution, rules need to be relaxed to better handle patients' care needs in the home — be they behavioral health needs or social determinants of health. Small home care firms are in the best position to provide care because they understand their local communities. Kusserow recommends such businesses employ technologies that enable them to drive individual customized plans so they can compete with the likes of large companies like Amedisys. He also believes strongly in hospital-at-home and thinks it should be a permanent program. Using and paying family caregivers to care for older and disabled adults has the potential to be a new arena for home health providers, said Kusserow who is the chairman of Careforth, a company that helps to pay family caregivers through Medicaid. During this time of upheaval at the federal level, home care firms need to do a better job of telling their success stories in Washington, he said.Follow us on social media:X: @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecareFollow Amedisys on social media:X: @AmedisysIncFacebook: AmedisysLinkedIn: AmedisysShow contributors:McKnight's Home Care Editor Liza Berger; Paul Kusserow, Chairman, Amedisys 

The staff at Yates Center Health and Rehabilitation were riding high after learning in early March that their humble one-story nursing home in eastern Kansas was the state's highest rated. The team had celebrated a third-straight five-star survey not long before. But an out-of-control grass fire that swept across the prairie the afternoon of March 14 dramatically changed the fortunes of the facility, its staff and residents. The fire encroached on the brick nursing home with little time to prepare, leaving Yates Center Health and Rehab a total loss within an hour. Nikki Jacobs, the building's former administrator, still lives in the town of Yates Center and happened to be on scene within minutes. Now serving as a regional vice president for the provider's parent company, Mission Health Communities, Jacobs rushed to help in the evacuation after getting calls about the fire from family members as the danger became quickly apparent to those in the close-knit community. Staff and volunteers were able to rescue 37 residents swiftly, with the fire ultimately sending just two people, including a hospice patient, to the hospital for ongoing care. In this episode, Jacobs recounts the early hours on site, how emergency preparedness plans worked — pillows were a key tool — and future plans for a facility that is beloved in its community. While still determining how and when they can rebuild, Jacobs said Mission is committed to reuniting the team that enabled great quality and an incredible emergency response.

Optimism for the future and helpful advice for long-term care professionals who hope to advance were in deep supply recently when the 2025 McKnight's Pinnacle Awards winners gathered to receive their honors. In this special installment of the McKnight's Newsmakers Podcast, honorees David Gifford, MD, and nursing leader Robert Francis Amoloria give their thoughts on the makings of success — personally, professionally and for the sector in the years ahead. “I'm very optimistic,” says Amoloria, the chief nursing officer for Legacy Healthcare, which operates 125 facilities in three states. “Amidst the commotion, the bluster, the upheaval, the noise, I still have faith in the healthcare industry and the profession's noble calling to service. I sincerely believe we're all going to rise above the fray against all odds and use our powerful calling to make a difference.” He urges colleagues to keep up with the swift technological changes hitting the sector — which should be viewed as opportunities as well as challenges, he reminded. “We are getting there,” he says in reference to post-acute care catching up to acute-care partners in adopting tech. Gifford, chief medical officer for the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living, also is encouraging, noting “huge” opportunities for job entry and growth in the coming years. Gifford notes he's continually impressed by the current senior care workforce and its desire to elevate care. He says that even in tough times, he sees direct caregivers — as well as housekeepers, activities professionals and others — having a profound impact on patient care and quality. “Don't give up,” he prods. “It's the greatest place to work. There's no better job than taking care of the elderly.” Gifford prioritizes four areas where sector professionals need to focus attention. The first is improving staff recruitment and retention, and he reveals natural appeals there. Listen in to the full podcast hosted by McKnight's Long-Term Care News Executive Editor James M. Berklan to hear the others. “Nothing's out of your reach,” he tells senior care professionals. “One of the beauties of working in the nursing home or assisted living area is it's a great, small, confined healthcare system and team. You can make changes there. You can make relationships with your mayor, local elected officials and tell them your story.” Amoloria advises up-and-coming sector professionals to keep an open mind, not be afraid to try new things and to lead by example. “Rise and defy the affinity for self-obsession so that you can live for something bigger than yourself,” he adds. “Evaluate your use of time, talents and energy so you are dedicating it to something that improves and edifies others, and most of all, elevates life.”

Education remains a barrier to hospice care, Rachel Jordan, director of legislative affairs and advocacy at Hospice of the Chesapeake, said. There is still a lot of fear and stigma surrounding the word hospice. The provider, which has four locations and recently began offering high-flow oxygen, tries to reassure people that hospice does not have to mean forgoing treatment. As a nurse practitioner, Jordan said her goal is to support the patient and family, improve the symptom burden and increase quality of life. The African-American community, in particular, has mistrust pertaining to hospice, she pointed out. To help spread the word about hospice to this community, she reaches out to local Black churches. And to raise awareness about hospice among caregivers, she is working with nursing programs at institutions of higher education to intertwine hospice and palliative care education throughout the curriculum. Her organization is working to prepare for the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool, which is set to begin Oct. 1.Follow us on social media:X (formerly Twitter): @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecareFollow Hospice of the Chesapeake on social media:Facebook: Hospice of the ChesapeakeLinkedIn: Hospice of the ChesapeakeShow contributors:McKnight's Home Care Editor Liza Berger; Rachel Jordan, Director of Legislative Affairs and Advocacy, Hospice of the Chesapeake

The new Lunder CareForce Institute makes no small plans: It aims to be a driving force behind solving the nation's frontline healthcare worker shortage. Established by Hebrew SeniorLife, a Harvard Medical School-affiliate, the institute opened for business last week with sector veteran Tammy Retalic at the helm. It will employ a mix of technology and elite caregiving expertise, as well as online modules that inject experts into training and education cycles. The first nurse-aide students should be enrolled by mid-summer, Retalic told McKnight's Executive Editor James M. Berklan in this McKnight's Newsmakers podcast. An LPN track will be added within 18 months, she added. The concept uses a “hub” model that extends into the local greater Boston community. If that can be successfully grown around the state, Retalic is confident its influence can blossom further from there. “If that is something we can accomplish, which we are confident we can … we'll have the ability to go throughout the country and replicate this type of model, and that's really our big vision,” said Relatic, who switched from Hebrew Senior Life's chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services to the Lunder CareForce Institute's executive vice president last week. “We don't want to just solve it just for our own needs.” The secret, she says, is finding individuals who are motivated and are filled with compassion. Students will undergo paid six-week nurse-aide training periods, and might not necessarily think of themselves as aide-candidates when first approached. They could be high school students, under- or unemployed individuals, military veterans, parents returning to the workforce, or many others who may thrive with steady caregiving employment, noted Retalic, an award-winning longtime educator. “If we can create some kind of training option that produces the most amazing students when they are done, students who are motivated and accountable, who really want to make a difference, then we need to be able to lead that way nationally,” she said. “You can't teach compassion. You can't teach motivation. But when you have those two things, you pretty much can teach any other skill set,” she added. “We believe that. We've seen that time and time again … They flourish. They thrive.” Listen in to hear Retalic explain the genesis of the Lunder CareForce Institute, how it will work and the way officials will flex to create a thriving program to produce thousands of high-quality caregivers over the next decade.

The expansion of home- and community-based services has been an important milestone in the tenure of Margaret McDonald, associate vice president for the Center for Home Care Policy and Research at VNS Health. More work needs to be done to enforce the Omstead decision, a landmark case that found that people with disabilities have a right to receive supports in the community under certain conditions, said McDonald, one of this year's McKnight's Pinnacle Award winners. On the week of the 2025 Pinnacle Awards event, McDonald talked to McKnight's Home Care for a Newsmakers podcast about HCBS and her research. Notes: In her role at VNS Health, Margaret McDonald works on conducting investigations to improve home- and community-based services (HCBS) and oversees the administrative functions of the Center for Home Care Policy and Research. Some of the center's current research focuses on speech recognition to find out if audio recordings can be translated to help reduce the burden of caregiver documentation and explore whether the data collected can identify people who have early-onset of cognitive impairment. The rebalancing of long-term services and supports to HCBS and away from institutions means HCBS has to staff properly, she said. It also means HCBS needs to implement evidence-based practices of care in the home. Physician and nurse practitioner oversight may limit the move toward advanced services, such as hospital-at-home, into the home, she said. The federal government's move to cut scientific research may affect the center's work. But she is hoping that since her research informs clinical practice and healthcare policy including developing strategies to reduce rehospitalizations and delay nursing home admissions that the center will continue to receive support for her work. Follow us on social media: X (formerly Twitter): @McKHomeCare Facebook: McKnight's Home Care LinkedIn: McKnight's Home Care Instagram: mcknights_homecare Follow VNS Health on social media: X (formerly Twitter): @vnshealth Facebook: VNS Health LinkedIn: VNS Health Instagram: @vnshealth Show contributors: McKnight's Home Care Editor Liza Berger; Margaret McDonald, Associate VP for Center for Home Care Policy and Research, VNS Health

During Argentum's recent Public Policy Institute in Washington, DC, Senior Vice President of Public Policy Maggie Elehwany and Vice President of Government Relations Paul Williams discussed Argentum's legislative priorities for the 119th Congress, as well as updates to its public policy paper highlighting the value of assisted living.

Investors in the seniors housing and care space have always seemed to make skilled nursing a second-thought customer. Now, however, the demographics have become so positive, even skilled nursing is enjoying more time in the spotlight — and it should for a long time to come. That's according to Bill Kauffman, a senior principal at the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, who keeps a close eye on skilled nursing matters. “The optimism is certainly here, for sure,” he told McKnight's Long-Term Care News Executive Editor James M. Berklan at the recent NIC spring conference in San Diego. “Especially over the next 10 years.” The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has traditionally been a strong capital provider for skilled nursing operators, Kauffman noted. But now that most major pandemic concerns have subsided, real estate investment trusts — including public ones — are also becoming more active. With interest rates remaining high, the cost of capital remains the big question mark, Kauffman explained. But, he quickly added, he thinks “it's just a matter of time” before skilled nursing funders take advantage and build more to accommodate the historic crush of baby boomers. “You have a supply and demand situation for private pay seniors housing and have a supply and demand situation for skilled nursing — and they're both positive,” he explained. Listen in to hear more on what Kauffman thinks the key factors are and what moves providers must make to get more capital — and what they must spend at least some of it on to succeed.

Esther Cromwell founded the first Haven Family Care Home in 2005 after realizing her passion for older adults while helping a widowed neighbor. She began researching what goes into senior care facilities and realized more could be done. Today, Haven Family Care is Avendelle Assisted Living, with 18 locations in North Carolina and Virginia, serving as a bridge between home and skilled nursing care.

In this episode of the Reimagining Senior Living and Long-Term Care series, Jim sits down with Allison Rainey, Head of Nursing and Clinical Informatics at MatrixCare, to discuss a side of technology that often gets overlooked–when is it too much? While technology plays a critical role in supporting staff, too many disconnected systems, overwhelming amounts of data, and inefficient workflows can lead to staff burnout rather than relief. Allison shares insights on how to ensure technology is truly supporting caregivers–from selecting solutions that integrate seamlessly into workflows to continuously evaluating whether systems are helping or hindering care teams. She also highlights strategies to prevent information overload to ensure data is actionable rather than adding to unnecessary complexity. Tune in to hear practical strategies for avoiding the “Tech Trap” and ensuring technology remains a tool for support–not another burden on staff.

R. Tamara Konetzka, PhD, the Louis Block Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Chicago, has been studying the intersection of Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS) and Medicare. Her research has found that when dual eligibles use Medicaid HCBS they are more likely to use home health versus skilled nursing facilities after hospitalizations. Konetzka also is fascinated by the idea that community-initiated home health serves as a frontier for a long-term care benefit. Other areas of research for Konetzka are Medicare Advantage. She'd like to examine the use of supplemental benefits, but there is not much data available on the use of them. She speculates that the Trump administration will have a hands-off approach to MA and likely will not expand funding for HCBS.Follow us on social media:X (formerly Twitter): @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecareFollow University of Chicago on social media:X (formerly Twitter): @UChicagoFacebook: The University of ChicagoLinkedIn: University of ChicagoInstagram: uchicago

The Biden administration over the last three years spearheaded efforts to rein in Medicare Advantage plans' use of prior authorizations to deny care and cut short coverage for nursing homes. But at the end, it also left some pretty substantial decisions on the table for the incoming Trump team — seen by many as pro-Medicare Advantage. In this episode, Nicole Fallon, vice president of integrated services and managed care for LeadingAge, breaks down what we know about the future of MA. First up: What happens to updated rules for MA plans proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in November? They called for more limits on artificial tools and automated denials of care, strategies that a 2024 Senate report found were being employed frequently to cut off access to post-acute services, particularly in nursing homes. What happens next with those proposals is unknown, says Fallon, noting that such policy updates are not required annually, although payment updates (also still pending approval for 2026) are. Trump's new team at CMS could allow them to flounder and issue its own proposal (or not) for 2027. Of broader concern, however, is whether members of Congress and patients will be able to keep pressure on the federal government to adopt further improvements as some Trump appointees embrace the idea of growing MA even faster. “Our hope is that both Congress and the administration really recognize that, first we need to kind of shore up those foundational issues — like access to care, enforcement of the rules, some greater transparency and data collection and really being good stewards of those Medicare trust fund dollars — before we engage in that debate about whether MA for all is really the right strategic direction,” Fallon says in this episode hosted by McKnight's Long-Term Care News Senior Editor Kimberly Marselas. Listen in to hear Fallon's current expectations and more about what the change in administration could mean for addressing more challenging MA reimbursement concerns.

Matt Derrick, managing partner of Denver-based Confluent Senior Living, discusses baby boomers, supply and demand challenges, key growth markets and the future of senior living. "For 2026 and beyond, the sky is the limit for senior housing developers," he says.

In this podcast episode, we dive deep into the world of practitioner efficiency and explore practical strategies for maintaining and enhancing it within your practice group. Laurie Bergeron, VP Product Management, PointClickCare, and Darcy Koehn, Chief Population Health Officer, Peak Healthcare, discuss specific strategies and tools, and the crucial role technology plays in streamlining workflows.

Medically Home, which provides a decentralized hospital-at-home program, has been in business over 10 years and has 20 health systems across 18 states. The Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver, instituted during the pandemic, has helped the company grow more swiftly, Medically Home CEO Graham Barnes said. Given that the Congressional Budget has scored the waiver budget-neutral, and it is popular among both Medicare beneficiaries and hospitals, he believes Congress will grant the waiver a five-year extension when it expires in March. At least half of typical patients admitted for inpatient level care in the brick-and-mortar hospital can receive treatment through hospital-at-home, he said. The average patient in the program today is over 65 and has experienced an acute episode — usually an exacerbation of a chronic disease such as heart failure or COPD, with a pneumonia or other infection. The concept still meets challenges from hospitals around concerns for patient safety and change management. Not everyone can be admitted to the program, he explained. Patients must pass social and clinical checks for admission. Among the social checks: There must be a caregiver at home who provides support to the patient.Follow us on social media:X (formerly Twitter): @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecareFollow Medically Home on social media:X: @medically_homeFacebook: Medically HomeLinkedIn: Medically HomeInstagram: medicallyhomegroup 

Comfort Keepers, which has more than 600 locations in the United States and Canada, aims to “elevate the human spirit.” That mission permeates every aspect of the company's operations — from its approach to client care to its selection of franchises, according to Scott Oaks, vice president of franchise development for the companion and personal care company. To recruit and retain strong franchisees, the company puts an emphasis on its onboarding process. Franchisees walk caregivers through a four-hour onboarding process, which entails training on both the tasks caregivers will perform in the home as well as how caregivers should interact with the client and family. As artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent, franchisees can use it for employee scheduling, or to identify changes in people's conditions or eating patterns, he said. As a new presidential administration begins, key for the company is to maintain the flexibility and diversification of payer sources and service offerings, Oaks said. Still, private pay will remain the company's main revenue stream, he noted.Follow us on social media:X (formerly Twitter): @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecareFollow Comfort Keepers on social media:Facebook: Comfort Keepers Home OfficeLinkedIn: Comfort KeepersInstagram: comfortkeepersofficial

LeadingAge has formally asked the incoming presidential team to repeal the federal nursing home staffing mandate adopted by the Biden White House.“The staffing mandate, we are expecting it to be repealed, and we are asking the administration to repeal the staffing mandate,” said Janine Finck-Boyle, vice president of health policy and regulatory affairs for LeadingAge. “We have moved definitely in advocacy, and we're looking at, hopefully, that will be what will happen.” Those efforts come as LeadingAge and the American Health Care Association near a potential January ruling in their case challenging the staffing rule in federal court.Finck-Boyle and Jodi Eyigor, LeadingAge director of nursing home quality and policy, joined McKnight's Long-Term Care News Senior Editor Thursday to discuss the latest regulatory, payment and policy considerations affecting nursing homes on the cusp of 2025.While providers could score wins related to regulatory rollbacks and burden reduction efforts in a second Trump presidency, other initiatives are likely to continue regardless of who controls the White House or Congress.“I think it's important to be based in reality,” said Eyigor. “We do expect they will be picking up that mantle again … But it's also important to remember that the job remains the same. We're still going to be taking care of residents, every day, day in and day out, and we're still going to need to do certain things, like documenting that care, having good coordination with other care providers.”Emergency preparedness, for instance, is a long-standing focus, and even the first Trump administration had proposed some infection control changes. Payment also remains a huge, highly variable issue for providers — with plenty of questions swirling around the future of entitlement programs that fund most nursing home care.Other topics covered in this wide-ranging episode include ongoing concerns with new ownership transparency requirements; provider response to the so-far limited use of shorter, risk-based nursing home surveys, and how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's role in nursing homes could be reshaped by new leadership.Listen is as Eyigor and Finck-Boyle highlight key challenges to prepare for and possible opportunities providers may be able to seize upon in 2025.

Julie Ward, senior executive officer of public policy for The Arc, feels a strong sense of urgency to help protect the Medicaid program and its home- and community-based services (HCBS) from impending cuts. For people with disabilities, she noted, HCBS is a lifeline. If HCBS is cut, it will force people into institutions and cause hardships for families. The HCBS program is currently grappling with challenges including a waiting list of over 711,000 and a workforce shortage. Procedural challenges that ensued with the Medicaid unwinding — the process of refining Medicaid enrollment following the COVID-19 pandemic — may serve as a cautionary tale if the Trump administration enacts work requirements, she said. The need to act to defend Medicaid feels stronger than it ever has been, she noted, as there will not be a divided Congress to serve as a backstop.Follow us on social media:X (formerly Twitter): @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecareFollow The Arc on social media:X: @TheArcUSFacebook: The Arc of the United StatesLinkedIn: The Arc of the United StatesInstagram: thearc_usShow contributors:McKnight's Home Care Editor Liza Berger and Julie Ward, senior executive officer of public policy, The Arc

Discover how senior care communities can prioritize resident and staff safety with dedicated emergency response solutions. In this episode, we explore the critical role of highly trained emergency dispatchers in delivering compassionate, reliable support—from elevator safety to risk mitigation—freeing nursing staff to focus on exceptional care while enhancing safety, reliability, and peace of mind for all.

Thanks to monitoring technology, Griswold has learned just how often clients fall when caregivers are not in the home, CEO Michael Slupecki said. This technology also has helped to provide insights into whether caregivers and patients are getting along and whether patients are confused about their medications. This type of data not only helps to improve the experience for patients, it also provides key data for insurance payers like Medicare Advantage. As the number of people aging in place grows and caregiver shortages worsen, AI will help to manage limited resources, he said.Follow us on social media:X (formerly Twitter): @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecareFollow Right at Home on social media:Facebook: Griswold Home CareLinkedIn: GriswoldInstagram: griswoldhomecare

Remember when the iPhone transformed our understanding of what a phone could be? There's a similar revolution brewing in LTC admissions. Tune in to explore how leading facilities are reimagining the first 24 hours of care—turning a fragmented process into an experience that's beautifully simple, yet remarkably powerful. Ari Shabat, Reside Admissions' CEO, reveals how Admissions 3.0 sets a new standard where compliance feels effortless, staff love their work, and revenue naturally follows. Discover how more than 800 facilities are already achieving higher occupancy rates and staff satisfaction while reducing compliance risks -- all through an intelligent admissions process that's as intuitive as your favorite app and as thorough as your best clinician.

Mary Munoz manages the western region of Ziegler's senior living practice, where she specializes in financing senior living mergers and acquisitions, and in stragegic and capital planning consulting services. On the cusp of her impending retirement from Zieger, Mary shares her unique perspective as both an expert and a consumer, how she's seen the industry change over time, and her predicitons for the future of senior living.

Discover how data analytics are transforming senior living, enhancing resident care, improving operational efficiency and driving innovation. Learn actionable insights that will shape the future of this evolving industry.

Joseph Kitonga, founder & CEO of Vitable Health, joins us from the National Association for Home Care & Hospice's 2024 Conference where he shares how his parents' experience running a home care agency led him to create Vitable, a company designed to help home care agencies offer affordable health benefits to their employees. We also dive into why home health care businesses are among the most likely to be audited by the IRS for non-compliance with the Affordable Care Act, what it means to get a penalty notice from the IRS, and how agencies can think about health benefits as part of their overall growth strategy.

Follow us on social media:X (formerly Twitter): @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecare Follow BoldAge PACE on social media:X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/NA4Caregiving/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NA4Caregiving/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-alliance-for-caregiving/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caregiver_nation/Show contributors:McKnight's Home Care Staff Writer Adam Healy and Jason Resendez, president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Caregiving

All team members at skilled nursing facilities have a stake in getting the ever-evolving MDS stipulations right. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is collecting more information than ever before, and they're studying it for patterns more rigorously than ever. Consider MDS processes another example of high-risk management, and it shouldn't be taken lightly. That's the view of Leah Klusch, the executive director of The Alliance Training Center, who sat down with McKnight's Long-Term Care News Executive Editor James M. Berklan recently to discuss all things MDS. She re-emphasizes the importance of making the data reproducible. She discusses the latest coding changes in version 1.19.1 of the MDS. She warns that not filling out the section on the mood interview could cost providers $40 to $50 per patient day. She dotes over providers' needs like any 57-year nursing veteran might. Beyond that, Klusch already has had a peek at a next iteration of the MDS and comments how she thinks it will bring even more crystallization to the nursing home assessment and admissions process.

Not live from the AHCA/NCAL conference in Orlando, FL, where he was to be a speaker, Stan Szpytek, president of Fire and Life Safety Inc., discusses what senior living providers must do to prepare for natural disasters and man-made events. He also shares problems that can occur when communities decorate for the holidays.

Tom Grape, founder, chairman and CEO of Benchmark Senior Living talks about advocating for the senior living industry, fighting cost creep, settings rates and what's ahead for Benchmark and senior living in general.

Liz Fandel, chief marketing and innovation officer of FellowshipLIFE, shares thoughts about the changing expectations of senior living residents and prospective residents, ways that providers are marketing to them and their families, ideas for improving those efforts, and more.

Providers who've been waiting on the sidelines in a lending environment that felt nearly impossible are already coming to the table, ready to make new deals, after the Federal Reserve made its first rate cut in four years on Sept. 18. That's the report from Tami Antebi, the New York-based senior vice president and head of healthcare for global bank BHI. “They've been looking forward for the last year for these cuts to come,” Antebi says during this episode, recorded live at the National Investment Center for Seniors Care & Housing's 2024 Fall Conference in Washington, DC. “It's a really positive improvement. A lot of deals that didn't make sense before are going to be making more sense,” Antebi tells McKnight's Long-Term Care News Senior Editor Kimberly Marselas. “Things that they couldn't do, like construction, people may pick up and do those types of deals.” But not everything will change at once, Antebi notes. Take a listen to discover which loan products might be more affordable most quickly, and how to work with lenders as the deep freeze on many traditional bank loans begins to thaw.

Darcy Santos, national director of resident programming for Five Star Senior Living, has spent the past five years fostering meaningful connections with residents and teams across the country through Five Star's EPIC Living program. The holistic program, inspired by four dimensions of wellness — emotional, physical, intellectual, community — helps older adults manage changes and prevent common age-related health issues.

Long-term care providers and others have felt the sting of False Claims Act litigation more than they ever cared to through the years, but now there's a new, even more potent “whistleblower” program that could produce even more aggressive legal problems for providers. It's called the Corporate Whistleblower Awards pilot program and it started quietly in August. Despite the “pilot” in its name, one expert warns the label merely means federal officials are in the process of honing it to make it even more polished and lethal by the time it comes to determine whether to make it permanent. Paul Werner, a principal attorney with Buttaci, Leardi & Werner, explains that the new pilot is being conducted under the auspices of the Criminal DIvision of the US Department of Justice. It is “quite a bit more” than the False Claims Act, he says, for a couple of reasons. First, it doesn't limit its scope to federal healthcare payers and second, it focuses on allegations in a criminal — as opposed to civil — light. “I think anything the government openly describes as a ‘bounty program' should be concerning to anybody,” Werner tells McKnight's Executive Editor James M. Berklan in this McKnight's Newsmakers podcast. A veteran provider defense attorney who has dealt with various federal agencies for years, Werner delves into nuances of the new program especially pertinent for long-term care providers. He details who might be most likely targeted, and how, as well as how providers can steer clear of prosecution. He also discusses when the first accusations probably will be announced, making this a must-listen episode for anyone working in the sector.

Debra Whitman, executive vice president and chief public policy officer at AARP, discusses her new book, “The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond,” and the messages it has for senior living providers and others. Among the insights she shares are those related to her experience with assisted living through her father-in-law, tackling workforce issues, older adults' financial security — or lack of it, and the benefits of bringing several generations together.

Ole Lindbo, regional director of operations at The Springs Living and National Center for Assisted Living state leader for the state of Washington, shares how The Springs Living and other providers are observing National Assisted Living Week as well as discusses what attracted him to senior living, the ways he has seen the field change over the course of his career, the biggest opportunities and challenges facing providers, and his thoughts on what the future holds.

Libby Care Center of Cascadia in Libby, MT, didn't necessarily have a wide choice of psychiatrists to turn to when leaders decided to focus on lowering antipsychotic use among residents. So CEO Rachel Toland and her team turned to telehealth, a solution that has helped to bring in resources more quickly, manage behaviors without unnecessary medications, improve a key quality indicator and keep residents in their local community. “It really allowed us to be able to manage patients or residents that we in the past maybe wouldn't be able to consider simply because getting those services would have been difficult,” Toland told McKnight's Long-Term Care News Senior Editor Kimberly Marselas. That's just one of the many quality initiatives undertaken by Libby, one of two winners of the 2024 Gold – Excellence in Quality Award from the American Health Care Association/ National Center for Assisted Living. Libby, which advances to Gold after winning silver and bronze in 2023 and 2022, respectively, is also focused on staff training and consistency of care for residents. In this episode, Toland shares how Cascadia supports efforts to imbue quality in a building's culture, unfolds her team's roadmap to success and reveals their plans to keep pressing forward.

In this episode, we explore the transformative potential of technology in augmenting staff efficiency in long-term care facilities. As the industry navigates staffing challenges, innovative solutions are being deployed to support caregivers, streamline operations, and enhance resident outcomes. Jim and Bharat welcome Dr. Dustin Feld, Head of Technology Innovation at MEDIFOX DAN to discuss practical applications of technology in areas such as onboarding and care coordination. Additionally, they address critical issues surrounding data privacy and regulatory compliance and provide guidance on what to look for when implementing new technologies to ensure they enhance, rather than replace, staff roles. 

PHOENIX — Never has networking been more important for skilled nursing operators, especially given the seismic shifts happening thanks to a rush of post-pandemic mergers and acquisitions. Hersch Krohner, founder and CEO of eCap, recently talked with McKnight's Long-Term Care News about his vision for his organization's skilled nursing events and the future of the industry as regional operators begin to dominate. “Face-to-face networking has always been a pillar for leaders to really engage, interact and build relationships,” Krohner told McKnight's Senior Editor Kimberly Marselas at eCap West this summer. “By creating an environment [where] people can really connect and interact in a more organic way, by having that in-person interaction … that's never going to be replaced by something like an email or a Zoom, and especially when times are tough.” Learn more about eCap's events, attendees and opportunities in this quick and engaging episode.

Follow us on social media:X (formerly Twitter): @McKHomeCareFacebook: McKnight's Home CareLinkedIn: McKnight's Home CareInstagram: mcknights_homecare Follow BAYADA Home Health Care on social media:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/InnovAge/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyInnovAge/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myinnovage/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myinnovage/Show contributors:McKnight's Home Care Staff Writer Adam Healy and Richard Johnson, MD, MPH, chief medical officer for InnovAge.

What is wisdom? What makes someone wise? How does someone acquire wisdom? The Mather Institute set out to answer these and other questions in a survey of older adults. Dr. Jenny Smith, assistant vice president and director of Mather Institute, talked with McKnight's Senior Living about a recent Mather research brief, Words of Wisdom, based on how older adults defined wisdom.

In hiring lifelong “Washington guy” and veteran Beltway lobbyist Clif Porter as its next president and CEO, the American Health Care Association has perhaps a more insightful view into presidential and congressional politics than ever before. In his first interview since his promotion, Porter opened up with McKnight about his unique leadership style, caring for his mother and, among many other vital topics, how he expects the US presidential election will unfold for the long-term care sector. “If there's a (Kamala) Harris administration, obviously, there's concerns it would continue in the direction President Biden has,” he cautions in this McKnight's Newsmakers podcast. But, he quickly adds, there are also possible reasons for hope whether Donald Trump or Harris wins the White House. Porter also forecasts who is favored to win each chamber of Congress and how the races generally have tightened over the last few months. In addition to that, this “new” hire, who is currently AHCA's senior vice president of governmental affairs, opens up to McKnight's Executive Editor James M. Berklan about how the Supreme Court's Chevron ruling may affect providers, the role of music in his life, and what his vision for the future of long-term care is after his upcoming run as the most visible and prominent spokesman for the long-term care sector in all the land.

Dwayne Clark, founder, chairman and CEO of Aegis Living, shares how senior living and Aegis Living have changed over past couple of decades, insights into attracting staff members and residents, and thoughts on what senior living could look like in the coming years.