Month: September 2016

Trying a place on for size

One stand-alone CCRC invites prospective residents to be their guest as part of larger resident-driven marketing efforts.  Read More »

The lost generations

Honoring those who have served soon will take on a new meaning as a new generation of veterans enters the long-term care system and nursing homes become a battleground for post-traumatic stress and dementia. Read More »

Feds propose improvements to PACE

The proposed plan is intended to streamline and improve the federal Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to help seniors avoid nursing home care. Read More »

CMS’ Final Rule: Is it a win for residents?

Two business administration academics take an early look at what CMS' Final Rule for long-term care reform legislation will mean. Read More »

Children’s tale takes flight for senior author, illustrator

Octogenarians get in touch with their inner spring chickens for their first juvenile fiction book about the extraordinary adventures of a seemingly-ordinary bird. Read More »

A meal with a side of friendship

An outreach program dishes up healthy and tasty eats to help seniors get the nutrients they need and make meal time a not-to-be-missed social affair.   Read More »

Helping low-income seniors with disabilities age in place

New research suggests the key to helping dual-eligible seniors stay at home—and stay healthy—begins by speaking with, not to, seniors. Read More »

MedPAC and the 5-star rating systems

MedPAC is speaking out against CMS’ new five-star rating system for hospitals, citing flaws and unecessary reporting. Will the initiative spill over into senior care as well? Read More »

Pat Giorgio wins 2016 NCAL pioneer award

The assisted living association honored Giorgio for her leadership roles on the national level with AHCA/NCAL and her efforts within the state of Iowa. Read More »

Keep walking, stay mobile

Researchers have found a structured physical activity program reduced the major mobility disability burden for an extended period of time through decreased recovery time and reduced risk of subsequent episodes. Read More »

NIH addresses health disparities of chronic diseases

The National Institutes of Health has launched a new program to develop, implement and disseminated community-based interventions to combat chrnoic diseases among racila and ethnic minority groups and under-served rurla populations.  Read More »

The holistic, natural way to manage pain

A meta-analysis found complementary health approaches, including massage therapy and yoga, helped people with severe pain--and without reports of serious adverse effects. Read More »

Brain activity declines over time with Parkinson’s disease

New research on how Parkinson’s disease affects brain activity could help measure the effectiveness of future clinical trials and offer insight into new treatments.  Read More »

The care conundrum

Resident blogger Kathy Mears watches how one resident’s changing health condition affects her family. That requires a lot of coordination for staff to communicate and keep everyone updated on an institutional level.  Read More »

How does your memory care facility rank?

Memory care thought leaders gathered in at the Memory Care Forum to discuss the state of the industry and look ahead at what’s to come.  Read More »

Primaris and Digital Collaboration Solutions merge

The merger of the two companies, which had worked as partners since May 2015, will bring new care coordination expertise to Primaris’ growing quality improvement resources. Read More »

NIC: SNF occupancy down, but Medicaid per diem hits 5-year high

Skilled nursing occupancy has declined to a five-year low, but the news is good for Medicaid per diem revenue, according to Q2 data from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). Read More »

The praying mantis

Resident blogger Kathleen Mears gets the creepy crawlies when her aides can't seem to kill her new insect roommate. Read More »

Should you allow employees to carry concealed weapons at work?

"My employees want to carry a concealed weapon to work." The decision to allow or prohibit "concealed carry" on your premises is a lot more complicated than you think, even if state law allows it. Read More »

Staffing and quality

New approaches to staffing and scheduling can improve safety, raise quality and encourage employees to work better together. Read More »

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation CEO to step down

Risa Lavizzo-Mourney has announced she will step down as president and CEO the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a position she has held for almost 14 years.  Read More »

Get connected this National Assisted Living Week

Celebrate those who served and their caregivers who live in assisted living and residential care communities with National Assisted Living Week.  Read More »

Not much gray on the silver screen

An analysis of the 100 top-grossing films of 2015 show seniors in a less-than-flattering light, especially in comparison to a Humana survey that found the story of aging is much more uplifting.  Read More »

An extra special birthday treat

A 105-year-old’s birthday wish has come true: A cake delivered by a hunky firefighter.  Read More »

SCPC to Congress: Fix conflicting oversight and definitions of ‘LTC pharmacy’

As senior care continues to spread into an array of settings, providers can be confused by the patchwork of regulations and the conflicting definitions of what constitutes a long-term care pharmacy. Read More »

Vitamin D may help reduce asthma attacks

A meta-analysis of people with mostly mild to moderate asthma found that vitamin D supplements decreased the number of asthma attacks that required use of oral steroids and reduced the number of trips to the emergency department. Read More »

Sanofi, Google-owner form new diabetes management company

The French pharmaceutical and Verily Life Sciences LLC announced a nearly $500 million joint venture aimed at offering devices and services for people with diabetes, one of the fastest growing disease markets.  Read More »

The nurse practitioner’s role in SNF dementia care

Primary care clinicians are the top care providers overall for those with dementia, but nurse practitioners are providing increasing amounts of predominant care for those living in a long-term care facility. Read More »

Dining dilemmas

Resident blogger Kathy Mears doesn’t know how meal plans are made, but she knows that when she’s eating simply to eat and not for enjoyment, the food doesn’t taste as delicious. Read More »

Deciphering SNAP: The other kind of dementia

Two independent studies say SNAP doesn’t lead to Alzheimer’s disease, but scientists still aren’t sure how it develops. Read More »