Angie's Blog

HealthCap® USA

Angie Szumlinski, NHA, RN-BC, RAC-CT and BS

Director of Risk Management

Angie Szumlinski Ms. Szumlinski is a nationally-recognized leader in long-term care with experience as an Owner/Provider, Administrator, Director of Nursing, Corporate Quality Assurance Coordinator and independent consultant. Ms. Szumlinski conducts risk management visits at facilities across the country, touching every acuity level within the post-acute care spectrum. Ms. Szumlinski served as an Associated Board Member for NCAL, is a member of the AHCA/NCAL Quality Committee, NCAL Risk Management Committee, HCAM Legal/Clinical Committee and is a Senior Examiner/Team Leader for the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Program. Ms. Szumlinski is a Nurse Planner for the HealthCap^® ANCC accredited education program.

Burnout – The Risks

Angie Szumlinski February 17, 2020 Case Study

We have all encountered that caregiver who begins their professional journey as the cheerleader, rah rah-ing everyone, hugging the residents, working the extra shifts and never complaining right? Well, what happens to that caregiver when they become exhausted emotionally, feel depersonalized and are less successful with their work? Sadly, this affects approximately half of all nurses, physicians and other clinicians …

Culture, Culture, Culture

Angie Szumlinski February 14, 2020 Case Study, News

Isn’t that what everyone is talking about? “Change your culture and outcomes will improve”! “Its’ a culture problem”! We have all heard it and have probably said it when we are referring to centers that are struggling with resident care and outcomes. McKnight’s Clinical News recently published an article that discussed “poor work environments” and “missed care”. In the article, …

MDS Updates – Coming October 2020

Angie Szumlinski February 13, 2020 Announcements, Compliance

Good, bad or indifferent, CMS is changing the MDS effective October 2020! Surprisingly, there will no longer be a section G in OBRA and PPS assessments and will only appear on the Optional State Assessment (OSA). There are tons of questions regarding how this will impact how we document functional status. The limited coding instructions imply we will eliminate the …

Antibiotics – Not Candy!

Angie Szumlinski February 11, 2020 Health

I took my dad to his cardiology appointment last week and as we were discussing aortic valve surgery my dad looks at the doctor and says: Dad: “You need to give me an antibiotic.” Doctor: “Why? What do you need an antibiotic for?” Dad: “Because I’m stuffed up and I have the flu.” Doctor: “Well, let me tell you …

white pill on white background with bottle

Antipsychotic – The Silent Killer?

Angie Szumlinski February 10, 2020 Health, Studies

We have all heard about hypertension being the silent killer, but what about the use of “first-generation” or “typical” antipsychotic medications? A recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that geriatric patients receiving these medications were significantly more likely to experience death or cardiopulmonary arrest compared to people who did not take these drugs! Unfortunately, …

Human Trafficking: Modern Slavery

Angie Szumlinski February 7, 2020 Training

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery – a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 20.9 million people around the world. No matter where you live, chances are it’s happening nearby. From the girl forced to prostitute at a truck stop, to the man discovered in a restaurant kitchen, stripped of his passport and held against his …

Podcast: Ep. 10 – Coronavirus and Infection Control

Peter Feeney February 7, 2020 Podcast

It’s no wonder coronavirus is all over the news. With the number of cases of coronavirus at over 20,000 in China, the number of cases in the U.S. has now risen to over 10. Many of us in the Senior Living Industry are thinking about our community and wondering what we would do it the virus came to our facility. …

Nursing Home Compare is Getting a New Look

Angie Szumlinski February 6, 2020 Announcements

The CMS website Nursing Home Compare will take on a new look this spring! The new website “Medicare Care Compare” will standardize the eight different existing compare tools (hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis facilities, long-term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, physicians and hospice). There will be a transition period where you can view new tools and the existing tools before they …

Nothing Replaces Mom and Chicken Soup

Angie Szumlinski February 6, 2020 Health, Studies

Ask yourself, do you get comfort from familiar surroundings, close family and friends or home cooking? How about folding towels and sorting yarn? It sounds like a silly question, however, if you look at the activity programming we provide in many memory care units, we might be missing the mark. In a recent study published in the Journal of Aging …

Frontotemporal Dementia – Heredity

Angie Szumlinski February 5, 2020 Health, Studies

Approximately 40% of people with Frontotemporal Dementia inherited it. 15% of all dementia diagnoses are Frontotemporal Dementia. These numbers are significant for many reasons; however, a recent study identified that active lifestyles may slow the symptoms of the disease by providing some form of cognitive resilience to the consequences of brain degeneration. Per Kaitlin Casaletto, Ph.D., from the University of …

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Ep 10 Coronavirus and Infection Control
It's no wonder coronavirus is all over the news. With the number of cases of coronavirus at over 20,000 in China, the number of cases in the U.S. has now risen to over 10. Many of us in the Senior Living Industry are thinking about our community and wondering what we would do it the […]
Ep 9 Great Care Starts with Being Nice
Of course, our #1 priority is providing great care for our senior living residents, but did you know that how you treat your caregivers will affect how residents are treated? In this episode, Peter talks with HealthCap Risk Managers Joy Schultz and Sherry Mastropietro on their experience in skilled nursing and long term care facilities […]
Ep. 8 Ransomware and Cyber Attacks in Senior Living
Listening to the news it seems that cyber-attacks are becoming more and more common. Is the Senior Living Community being targeted? What do hackers want? In today's podcast, Peter and Angie talk with James Gutierrez, Director of IT at HealthCap. Listen to hear what you should do and how you can mitigate damage if you […]
Ep. 7 Recharge Your Employees
During this end of the year episode, Peter and Angie talk about things you can do to get your employees recharged for the upcoming year.
Ep. 6 Arbitration Agreements
Arbitration agreements are a hot topic in our industry. Many residents and their families may think of arbitration as waiving their right to a jury trial if there is a claim, but there are many benefits to them. In this podcast Christina Nechiporchik, Staff Attorney at HealthCap talks with Andrea DeLand, HealthCap Risk Manager and […]