With people just starting to shake off the bleakness of the pandemic, it’s a good time to look at first steps providers are taking toward normalcy and new ways of doing things.

Our first cover feature centers on a rebirth of creativity and energy on the dining front. With restrictions on large groups still largely intact, providers are finding settings to suit smaller groups, such as sunrooms and patios for barbeques or picnics and sending out dessert and snack carts.

A second feature centers on nutrition, as providers assess residents to see how their mobility, balance, and strength have weathered the pandemic. While nutritious diets are important, it is just as important that people like the food they are given if they are to maintain their weight and interest in eating.

In this month’s Caregiving column, Alexis Roam, RN-BC, says that as the pandemic resulted in a greater incidence of pressure injuries, it would be prudent to expand the wound nurse’s role to become the overseer of a process that consistently identifies residents’ risks for skin breakdown and implements care-planned interventions.

In Management, Cathy Haines Ciolek takes on how to balance the rights of residents to make their own decisions against the risks that may co-exist.

In spite of remaining restrictions, many facilities were still able to celebrate National Skilled Nursing Care Week this May in a variety of creative ways. Themed costume parties, Native American ceremonial dancing and music, and luaus were just a few of them.

Also in this issue is Provider’s 2021 Top 30 Largest Nursing Facility Companies listing, where Genesis HealthCare Corp. maintains its sizeable lead in first place.