Kaiser Health News reported that the Biden Administration is proposing new staffing standards for nursing homes. The new standards were prompted by assumptions that inadequate staffing led to the death of nearly 200,000 nursing home residents from Covid. I’m not convinced these data points are related but that never stopped government officials from using a natural disaster to boost regulations.
Author: Devon Herrick
Is Public Disorder a Social Pathology that Causes People to Become Criminals?
Is crime a social pathology that can be mitigated with behavioral modification or changing one’s surroundings? Many social scientists and criminologists believe it is and most people would agree. The area of contention is the degree that crime is perpetuated because of community values versus numerous other variables.
Bogus Study on Doctors Prescribing Healthy Foods
Can physicians really urge you, cajole you or nudge you to eat a healthier diet? That is the premise of a new study published in the journal, Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Eight weeks ago I blogged about whether doctors should counsel their patients on what they eat. My opinion is that nutrition counseling is a good idea,…
Dialysis Should be Patient Centered and More Convenient
End State Renal Disease (ESRD) is the only disease condition that is covered by Medicare regardless of patients’ age. This benefit was passed in 1972. One result of Section 299I of Public Law 92-603 is that Medicare pays for two-third of dialysis patients, down from 87% in 2004. When your kidney function falls by 85% to 90% your kidneys can no longer keep you alive. According to the National Kidney Foundation, the average life expectancy on dialysis is 5 to 10 years, but many people live much longer when their dialysis is tailored to their needs. This often does not happen due to the United States’ mostly one-size-fits-all approach to dialysis, which is not ideal.