I remember verbatim a conversation from 2002 with a well-respected skilled nursing facility pioneer. “Marc, I’ve been in this business for 32 years, and this is going to be the toughest year yet… of course I’ve said that every January for 32 years!” I hope with all my heart he’ll have to retire that little joke after we mercifully close the books on 2020.
Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude and appreciation. But for those who endured the darkest days of this pandemic, it’s an opportunity to process, in groups of no more than 10 people, hardships that were unthinkable way back in the age known as BCE (Before the COVID Era). Yet there is good reason for optimism with a vaccine just weeks away, so let’s take a moment to reflect on what SNF operators can be thankful for this year.