Serenades of Sonata was recently recognized by ALFA (Assisted Living Federation of America) as a 2012 "Best of the Best" recipient given exclusively to providers with services and programs that are making significant contributions to advancing operational excellence in senior living. Read More »
2012’s winning senior living projects were feted at this year's Environments for Aging conference. Representatives of the four architecture firms responsible for creating exemplary and inspiring example of environments for aging accepted their awards before an audience of their congratulatory peers. Read More »
“Elderhood” advocate William Thomas, MD, urges Environments for Aging attendees in his keynote address to “consider a radical reinterpretation of aging and the built environment.” Read More »
A resident experiences an emotional breakdown. An observant and quick-thinking Kathleen alerts her facility's aides to avert what could have turned into a tragic event. Read More »
Eliminating the inappropriate use of antipsychotic drugs among elderly residents of nursing facilities combined with adequate staffing levels could result in higher quality of care as well as dramatic cost savings. Read More »
Mother’s Day kicks off the annual Nursing Home Week celebration. It’s time to honor those wonderful people who live—and work—in long-term care. Look for creative ways to engage residents, families and staff in this weeklong celebration of the positives long-term care. Read More »
The government alleges that the drug wholesaler violated the False Claims Act by reporting inflated pricing information for a large number of prescription drugs, causing Medicaid to overpay for those drugs. Read More »
The answers vary widely, and reflect lifestyle preferences, health issues and both professional and personal experiences. I’m looking forward to exploring the many strategies and ideas for creating attractive and functional living environments for our aging population at our upcoming Environments for Aging conference. Read More »
LTC providers have a dizzying number of items on their ‘to do’ list every day. And participation in social media is not high on that list. However, know this—for your residents, their families and friends, social media is increasingly more important. Read More »
Do you ever wonder what your staff isn’t telling you? Are you puzzled why, despite all your efforts, the organization isn’t functioning as efficiently as you’d hoped? Here are the secrets the staff won’t say, but wants to—secrets that will transform your facility. Read More »
The final rule, effective June 26, continues to require that all providers and suppliers who qualify for a unique identification number—the National Provider Identifier (NPI)—include their NPI on applications to enroll in Medicare and Medicaid and on all reimbursement claims submitted. Read More »
Jail isn’t the answer. Nor are warehouses with room and board. And yet, many of today’s institutions that house and deliver care to patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease often appear that way to family members seeking long-term care for a loved one with fading cognitive skills. Read More »
By the end of business today, LeadingAge members will have tallied upwards of 270 congressional meetings, with representatives of 43 states in a single afternoon. Their goal is to advocate for those issues that most directly impact their organizations, residents, clients and staff. Read More »
Picture a bedsore. Stare at it. Now, focusing on that same image, re-label it “skin failure.” Suddenly, the identical wound no longer looks or ‘feels’ the same. Here are suggestions for modifying commonly used words and phrases to clarify what is communicated to residents, families and others. Read More »
By discovering the background story that underlies staff resistance to change, administrators, department heads and supervisors have been able to address root problems, rather than symptoms, and thereby make change stick. Read More »
The Affordable Care Act is projected to save Medicare more than $200 billion through 2016, according to The Medicare Trustees Report. But beyond 2024, Medicare’s solvency is in doubt. Read More »
Many LTC facilities and hospices across the nation will be affected by the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG’s) work plan underway for 2012. Here’s an overview of key initiatives. Read More »
Larry was a former operator of nursing homes and faced his own fight with Alzheimer's. His family demonstrated commitment, patience and love in caring for him and chose to not have him live in one of the homes he had run. Read More »
A report issued by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius credits the Medicare competitive bidding program for saving $202 million for people on Medicare who require durable medical equipment. Read More »
The study addressed the costs and satisfaction with the communities, methods of paying for the community, evidence of spending down or giving away assets, financial concerns and the geographic mobility among the residents. Read More »
Delayed hospital discharges mean potentially fewer acute patients and fewer days for the resident in the nursing home. But these are primarily revenue and business issues, so what are the legal issues for the nursing homes? Read More »
