I Advance Senior Care
I Advance Senior Care is the industry-leading source for practical, in-depth, business-building, and resident care information for owners, executives, administrators, and directors of nursing at assisted living communities, skilled nursing facilities, post-acute facilities, and continuing care retirement communities. The I Advance Senior Care editorial team and industry experts provide market analysis, strategic direction, policy commentary, clinical best-practices, business management, and technology breakthroughs.
I Advance Senior Care is part of the Institute for the Advancement of Senior Care and published by Plain-English Health Care.
I Advance Senior Care is part of the Institute for the Advancement of Senior Care and published by Plain-English Health Care.
Financial swindlers of elderly often involve family members
When seniors suffer financial abuse, authorities need only look as far as the family, experts say. Read More » LTC has new tools to monitor and prevent healthcare-acquired infections
CDC and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) have recently released new tools and information to track and prevent healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). Read More » Congress introduces Medicare transitions of care legislation
A bipartisan Congressional group introduces the Medicare Transitional Care Act of 2012, moving ahead to formalize reimbursement for care transitions. Read More » Nursing care occupancy continues slow decline
Nursing care occupancy continued its slow decline, which is a trend that has been in place since 2007, reports NIC MAP. During the second quarter of 2012, nursing care occupancy was 87.9 percent, which was a 30 basis point decline from the prior quarter and 40 basis points lower than a year ago. Read More » Identity crisis
The psychiatric symptoms often seen in older persons may actually be an “identity crisis” as Erik Erickson has previously described it. Read More » FTC charges two online senior care placement services with misrepresentation
Complaints filed with the FTC claim that two Internet-based LTC placement companies allowed consumers to believe that the companies researched the facilities they recommended. Read More » Days of inconvenience
Last week the toilet between my semi-private and the next was out of order. Since the three other residents using it are ambulatory, they could use the toilet in the shower room. But, finding a toilet for me (a quadriplegic) was more complicated. Read More » Investigation triggers Medicare coding questions; suspicions of upcoding
A new report reveals increased use of high-cost Medicare services, leading investigators to suspect upcoding and billing abuse. Providers defend their practices, saying increased costs are partly because of senior care. Read More » Implementing family-style dining
There are many ways to bring food to the table. Family-style dining encourages socialization, better nutritional intake and an improved quality of life for residents. Get staff on board to make this mealtime method a success. Read More » OMB: Medicare providers could see $11 billion in reduced payments in 2013
Medicare providers could be facing a $11 billion reduction in reimbursements if the government's sequestration process goes forward, according to an OMB report released today. Read More » Survey: Caregivers attribute Alzheimer’s symptoms to normal aging behaviors, delaying diagnosis
A new survey reveals that many caregivers mistakenly interpret various behaviors as a normal part of aging, rather than as symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. As a result, they believe those false impressions delayed their loved one’s diagnosis of the incurable brain disorder. Read More » Largest ACO model project sees significant savings among dual-eligibles
Five years of data from Center for Medicare & Medicaid’s largest experiment in performance-based reimbursement are mixed, but physician groups succeeded in slashing the costs for dual-eligibles. Read More » Seniors with hearing loss have higher dementia rates
Want to help reduce your chance of developing Alzheimer’s? Get your ears checked, researchers say. Read More » UTI payment study reveals big holes in datasets used for performance measures
What started out as a comparative analysis on reimbursement rates related to catheter-based urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) has opened a huge can of worms concerning hospital datasets and their reliability as performance measurements. Read More » California passes bill restricting emergency room charges for out-of-network patients
California legislature has passed a bill limiting what emergency departments can charge out-of-network payers. Will other states follow? Read More » Care during last five years of life could cost $38-66k or more, study says
The last five years of life can cost a bundle, even with Medicare coverage, reveals a new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Read More » Opioids, Pain Management and LTC
To achieve the best results, pain management interventions should be customized for each individual. Krista Das, director of marketing and communications for AMDA–Dedicated to Long Term Care Medicine, discusses the myths and methods concerning the use of opiods in LTC pain management. Read More » Floor cleaning day Part 2
I was concerned about my floor being stripped and waxed because it upsets my routine. Since I wanted things to run smoothly, I had my driver, Debra, come at 8 a.m. on Thursday to help the maintenance guys move things. That way I knew I would have some idea where things were put. Read More » Art Modell leaves hospice legacy in Cleveland
The late Art Modell, longtime NFL franchise owner, may still stir up feelings in the Cleveland sports scene, but the hospice legacy he leaves behind is one of serenity amid nontraditional end-of-life care. Read More » IOM report: Healthcare must behave more like a business, reward quality and learn from data
In a milestone report released today, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) analyzes why the U.S. healthcare system needs a new business-based attitude, and why it struggles to learn from its own data. Read More » 5 tips to prepare for QAPI
Mandating that nursing home providers institute both a formal, facility-wide compliance and quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) program while enhancing nurse aide training across their facilities, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to elevate the quality of care in America’s nursing homes over the next few years. Read More » Do you have a waiting list?
Senior living providers often discuss occupancy rates. They live or die by rates and the mix that is tied to them in order to make the proforma work. What If we changed the discussion from "What is your occupancy rate?" to "Do you have a waiting list?" The discussion becomes less about percentages and more about the customer experience. Read More » Evangelical Lutheran tops annual nonprofit operators list
Following the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society in the top five list of operators are the National Senior Campuses in Maryland, the ACTS Retirement Life Communities, Inc. in Pennsylvania, Presbyterian Homes and Services in Minnesota and Covenant Retirement Communities in Illinois. Read More » AHCA to CMS: Change rule on observation stays, Medicare A-to-B billing
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' rule on hospital "observation stays" has generated much controversy. The American Health Care Association strikes back with a long list of changes that should be made--and why. Read More » Offering continuing education benefits LTC communities
Developing relationships with potential referral sources is one of the most important duties of a senior living executive. One provider found that offering CE courses helped acquaint referral sources with its community while providing these professionals with valuable content. Read More » LTC, home care prime for technology that reduces doctor visits, report says
The best way to reduce the cost of trips to the ER and doctor’s office is to stay home. One study finds that remote health monitoring technology is ripe for home care and non-hospital care locations like assisted living. Read More » When resident room floors are cleaned
In over 16 years living in nursing homes I have spent many tense days waiting while my room’s floor was cleaned. For the last few weeks maintenance has been doing resident room floors. I have made my way around the furniture in the hallway, while maintenance men dashed between rooms stripping and buffing the floors. Read More » LTC facilities should prepare now for Social Security payment changeover, Feds say
In March 2013, the majority of nursing home residents will experience a radical change—no more government checks in the mail. Long-term care facilities should start now to educate their staffers and their residents on the new electronic direct deposit system. Read More » Study questions performance measures regarding stroke mortality rates
When it comes to performance based on 30-day mortality rates, care facilities may be getting skewed performance ratings for ischemic strokes, a new study says. Read More » 