The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) submits it recommendations to Congress for how to establish a unified, cross-setting post-acute care payment system. The plan would redistribute payments among types of stays, making profits more uniform and hopefully reducing unnecessary services and admission preferences. Read More »
Assisted living occupancy trends are projected to take a breather throughout 2017, then spike later as the baby boomers reach their peak entry dates in 2026. Read More »
A new study on implementation of electronic health records (EHR) has identified several obstacles for doctors, chief among them poor user experience. Read More »
The idea of a live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) administered by nasal spray may be appealing, but it’s not effective and shouldn’t be used next flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Read More »
Providers, vendors and techies are gathering at the 2016 Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Health IT Summit in Reston, Va., this week to discuss the challenges to interoperability and the cost felt by patients, providers and payers. Read More »
Opioid addiction isn’t limited to young people or to shifty characters in a back alley. Many older adults struggle with addiction to painkillers, warns a leading addiction specialist. Read More »
The AMDA—Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine Population Health Workgroup has released new data on the long-term/post-acute care population and the types of care and supports needed, especially in nursing homes. Read More »
When SNF resident blogger Kathleen Mears emailed her high school reunion committee to say she wouldn't be able to attend the 50-year reunion, several of her classmates decided to surprise her with a visit. Read More »
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear a case that would have challenged the Department of Labor’s ruling on labor protections for home care workers. Read More »
Republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives announced a healthcare reform proposal that would challenge parts of the Affordable Care Act but retain some of the Act’s more popular provisions. Read More »
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has issued its annual report on refinements to Medicare payment systems and on issues affecting the medicare program Read More »
Memory and cognition improved in a small study of people with cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease by following a personalized therapeutic approach called metabolic enhancement for neurodegeneration (MEND), a 36-point diet, lifestyle and vitamin regimen. Read More »
The Older and Bolder Dancers, a dance troupe of people age 62 and older, shake their groove thing at Oklahoma City long-term care facilities and encourage residents to do the same. Read More »
The George Washington Center for Integrative Medicine will offer people with cognitive decline, mild Alzheimer’s disease and a family history of dementia the MEND Protocol, a personalized intervention to improve memory and cognitive function. Read More »
The Safe Transition Home program is designed to reduce impatient hospital readmissions, raise patient satisfaction and improve health outcomes. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced it will not begin surveying for compliance with the 2012 fire safety codes until November. The July 5 ruling still applies when considering which code chapters facilities must comply with. Read More »
The summer solstice is more than a change of seasons. It’s a chance to raise money and awareness for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias as well as honor caregivers, for whom every day can feel like the longest day. Read More »
SNF resident blogger Kathleen Mears explains why some residents prefer to have their portions of their care delivered by an aide of a certain gender. Read More »
Cases of Legionnaire’s disease have been reported at three long-term care facilities since May. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the number reported cases has quadrupled since 2000. Read More »
The new Drug Enforcement Agency rules on medication reclamation and disposal protocols have been out since October 2014, but some nursing homes are still using improper methods to deal with unused or expired medications. Read More »
Resident-to-resident elder mistreatment is highly prevalent in nursing homes, according to a new study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Read More »
The judges give the 2016 OPTIMA Award to the Texas State Veterans Homes for its groundbreaking program examining the relationship of military post-traumatic stress to behaviors and dementia and its training program for caregivers. The program is in place at the organization's eight sites across the state. Read More »
