Pamela Tabar
Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master's degree in English from the University of York, England.
CMS adds quality measures to 5-star rating system
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adds six new quality measures to the Nursing Home Compare system, including data on short-stay residents' trips to the emergency room. Read More » Post Acute Medical buys HealthSouth’s Beaumont Rehab Hospital
The Beaumont, Texas, location increases Post Acute Medical's market foothold in specialty post-acute care in the state. Read More » Are you ready for PBJ transactions?
With the new CMS reporting requirements looming, skilled nursing facilities are gearing up for the mandatory Payroll-Based Journal data transactions for direct-care workers. Read More » Hand hygiene and superbugs
New residents arriving from a hospital often have multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) on their hands that can spread quickly across the LTC facility, yet resident hand washing is still overlooked as a protocol, a JAMA study says. Read More » ACHCA honors 2016 award winners
The American College of Health Care Administrators annual conference lauded the brightest and best in its award program, including Long-Term Living’s resident blogger Kathleen Mears! Read More » Protein injection ‘promising’ as new Alzheimer’s treatment
Researchers have discovered a protein that can "digest plaque" and reverse cognitive decline in mice. But how do we translate the idea to humans? Read More » CMS proposes payment boost, new reporting system for hospice
Hospice may see a 2 percent increase in reimbursements in 2017, but new reporting requirements could go into effect as well, according to a new CMS proposal. Read More » Study: Injections improve knee osteoarthritis without surgery
Does the next promising treatment for OA reside inside our own blood? The surprising results from a new study say it's definitely worth researching. Read More » 2016 Leaders of Tomorrow: Awa Diouf
In our fourth installment of the Leaders of Tomorrow award winners, Awa Diouf is leading the culture change in memory care activities programming at The Residence at Watertown in Watertown, Mass. Read More » UnitedHealthcare pulls out of most state health marketplaces
The largest private insurer in the country has announced it will be ending its participation in most state healthcare marketplace exchanges, but it has some new plans for the future. Read More » AL, memory care costs keep rising, especially in South
Seniors can expect to pay $99 to $125 per month more for assisted living and memory care compared to 2014, especially in the Southern states. Read More » 2016 Leaders of Tomorrow: Rachel Pankratz, PT, WCC
In our second installment of the Leaders of Tomorrow award winners, Rachel Pankratz, PT, WCC, director of therapy at Larksfield Place, Wichita, Kans., shows what can be done when physical therapy and clinical teams combine efforts in the mission of proactive resident care. Read More » Advanced dementia doesn’t lead to more ED visits, study shows
Residents with mild or no dementia are more likely to make a trip to the emergency department than residents with severe dementia, says a new study by the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University Center for Aging Research. Read More » Guardian Pharmacy partners, expands to West Coast
Two long-term care pharmacy companies join forces to boost market share in California. Read More » OSHA gives whistleblower status for employee food safety complaints
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released the final rule that gives protection to employees who serve as whistleblowers on food safety violations. Read More » Having ‘the talk’ about death
National Healthcare Decisions Day is Apr. 16, and as most skilled nursing facilities know, an advance directive may be a little piece of paper, but it’s a big conversation process. Read More » JAMA study: Drug interaction risk doubles for older adults since 2006
Adults age 62 to 85 are using more concurrent medicines and dietary supplements than ever, a new JAMA study says, enhancing the need for detailed medication reviews to avoid drug interactions. Read More » Infectious disease orgs release new guidelines for antibiotic stewardship, combating C. diff
A good antibiotic stewardship program is more than a leaflet or two about drug resistance. New guidelines from two leading infectious disease bodies offer specific strategies to implement stewardship programs and improve antibiotic efficacy, including ways to handle staff training and the challenge of C. diff. Read More » AHCA to Congress: Rural SNFs need better technology
Skilled nursing providers in rural areas need better access to broadband connectivity to keep up with the rapidly changing senior care landscape, providers said in testimony before the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Read More » Rocking the drug reimbursement boat
Medicare is trying a new way of calculating the reimbursement for certain drugs, including expensive drugs to treat cancer. After barely a month, the pilot has riled physicians on both sides of the issue. Read More » COPD study: inhaled corticosteroids may not be for everyone?
Combination treatments, such as using an extended-release pill and an inhaled product, are a standard practice in therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But new research shows that many people with COPD may not benefit from the addition of a corticosteroid inhalant. Read More » ‘Alive Inside’ director to keynote Memory Care Forum
Michael Rossato-Bennett, the writer, director and producer of the award-winning documentary “Alive Inside,” will speak at the Institute for the Advancement of Senior Care’s Memory Care Forum in Philadelphia on how music therapy can improve the quality of life for people with dementia. Read More » New drug could become first FDA-approved treatment for Parkinson’s disease pyschosis
A new drug treatment for Parkinson’s disease psychosis has been given a major thumbs-up by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) committee, a crucial step in the agency's drug-approval process. If the drug eventually receives full FDA approval, it will be the first treatment of its kind, researchers say. Read More » AMDA names 2016 medical director of the year
A St. Petersburg, Fla. senior living medical director is AMDA's top CMD for 2016. Read More » USF study: Brain exercise lets seniors drive on
University of South Florida researchers say certain types of brain exercise can improve reaction times, staving off cognitive decline and letting seniors hang onto a key piece of independence: a driver's license. Read More » Fla. passes LTC wait-list prioritization law
The new law will require the state’s Department of Elderly Affairs to sort and prioritize those who are receiving long-term care services and those who are waiting for consideration. Read More » Calif. agrees to $15 minimum wage
The state of California legislature has passed a bill to raise the hourly minimum wage to $15 gradually over the next six years. Read More » TL Management buys Bon Secours NY
Bon Secours Health System sells its NY arm, including the Schervier Nursing Care Center and other senior living properties. Read More » AMDA announces 2016-17 Board of Directors
AMDA enters spring with a new president, new board members and a new logo. Read More » 