
Person Centered Success
It’s cold and snowy outside. It’s lunchtime, and I just ate a bowl of homemade lentil soup accompanied by a hunk of fresh bread and a glass of iced tea. It was yummy and chocked full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. How much? Don’t know, don’t care . . . but then I have that […]
The New Dining Practice Standards Impacting Long Term Care
Hot off the press. DHCC Connections has published an article that Linda Handy, MS, RD and I co-authored about the Pioneer Network’s New Dining Practice Standards. Enjoy! The New Dining Practice Standards Impacting Long Term Care Linda Roberts
Provider Tax and Medicaid Reimbursement for Therapeutic Diets in Illinois
In 46 states there are laws mandating health care providers such as hospitals and nursing homes pay a provider tax to assist with the care of Medicaid recipients. So as not to put an unfair burden upon the states in the care of their indigent citizens the Federal government matches Medicaid dollars generated by the […]

Nursing Home Gardens OK
CMS recently released Guidance for Nursing Home Gardens CMS states, “residents can benefit from having a variety of fresh foods for their consumption.” The facility should follow safe food handling practices once the food is harvested and brought into the kitchen for preparation. Nursing home gardens are compliant with F371 Sanitary Conditions as long as […]
The New Dining Practice Standards
The New Dining Practice Standards were released September 7! Pioneer Network in conjunction with CMS convened the Food & Dining Clinical Standards Task Force. The event brought together professionals from multiple clinical disciplines including ADA, AMDA, NADONA, ASHA, AOTA, etc to discuss and agree upon dining practice standards supporting person centered care and culture change values. […]
Letting Go of Therapeutic Diets
Pioneer Network’s New Dining Practice Standards support ADA’s Position on individualizing the elder’s diet. For practitioners, it’s time to let go . . . Individualized, liberal diets are the foundation of The New Dining Practice Standards published by the Pioneer Network. And why not? Evidence based research continues to support therapeutic diets are detrimental at worst, […]
Regulatory Compliance & Culture Change
Culture change is all about resident choice, resident individuality, and resident dignity. OBRA reforms resulting in the current set of regulations are based on resident choice, resident individuality, and resident dignity. Historically nursing homes were almshouses turned money-generating enterprises (thanks to government funding) that housed the elderly. To improve their image and attract more residents […]

New Dining Practice Standards
Dining Practice Standards will be recognized by CMS One of the most ingenious regulations developed by CMS for nursing homes is F281 Professional Standards. The regulation basically states CMS requires clinicians (doctors, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, etc) to abide by professional standards. The regulation goes on to say CMS is not qualified to develop professional standards […]

One RDs Journey to Culture Change
Culture change and person centered care are the buzz words of long-term living today. Here’s why. Nursing Homes care for elders has greatly improved with OBRA 1987. Elders began receiving a higher quality of care and improved quality of life. Nursing homes adopted the hospital model of care, systems were developed based on staff efficiencies […]