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.
Omnicare settles $120M kickback suit
Long-term care pharmacy giant Omnicare has agreed to pay $120 million to end a lawsuit alleging kickbacks for skilled nursing medications. Read More » AMDA launches competency benchmarks for LTC physicians
A long-term care physicians group has developed a new set of core competencies for physicians who care for long-term and post-acute care residents, which could give facilities better ways to assess their attending physicians. Read More » 6 tips to fight osteoporosis
World Osteoporosis Day is October 20, so find out what can help keep bones strong and reduce the risk of fractures in all seniors, but especially in older women. Read More » CDC shutdown affects surveillance of flu & MERS
The government shutdown of the CDC means no one is watching the spread of infectious disease in the United States—and it’s not just about this year's flu season anymore. Read More » Seniors with chronic diseases overpaying for medications
Seniors with diabetes, COPD, heart disease or Alzheimer’s disease need to pay careful attention when choosing a drug coverage plan, a new study says. Read More » CDC warns of Salmonella super-strains
Stronger, antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella are emerging, creating extra challenges for caregivers—and greater responsibilities for food service and housekeeping personnel. Read More » Survey survival: Fall scene investigation
Plenty of attention is given to reducing the risk of falls. But after a fall happens, do your nurses know how to gather the information your surveyors will want to know? Read More » 7 tips for better customer satisfaction
Live from AHCA/NCAL: Are your customer satisfaction surveys a dreaded burden or an elusive holy grail? These tips can help communities increase customer satisfaction, but the best results come from customizing each one to individual residents. Read More » AHCA names ManorCare exec as government policy chief
A top executive from HCR ManorCare has been chosen to steer AHCA/NCAL’s lobby efforts and policy interests. Read More » S.C. health system ordered to pay $276M in billing fines
A South Carolina health system owes the government millions for fraudulent billings and violations of the Stark anti-kickback law for the way it funnelled business to its outpatient services. Read More » House, Senate spar over a delay to ACA; shutdown looms
After a weekend of squabbling over the federal budget, the Senate has rejected a proposal to delay the Affordable Care Act. With the budget crisis still unsolved in the 11th hour, what would a government shutdown mean for long-term care? Read More » Beyond rubber gloves: Housekeeping’s infection control role
The housekeeping department accounts for a large part of a facility's budget—and an even larger part of its infection control program. But even the most sophisticated cleanliness initiatives will go down the drain if staffers aren't properly trained in the specific protocols for each cleaning product. Read More » NY senior housing market shows resilience; Miami struggles
Compared to the 31-city metro housing composite, some senior housing markets have battled quite well against the slow economy, while others still wait for recovery, notes the latest data from the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry. Read More » Gentiva buys Harden Healthcare for $408M
Hospice services giant Gentiva expands its dual-eligibles population in an acquisition deal with Harden Healthcare. Read More » The road traveled less (and less)
If your "get up and go" has gotten up and gone, get it back in gear—and solve what will surely become one of skilled nursing's biggest challenges in the future. Read More » APA releases guidelines on antipsychotic drug use
The American Psychiatric Association takes a stance against using antipsychotics as a first-line treatment option for the agitation and behavioral outbursts common in those with dementia. Read More » CAST launches selection tool for telehealth/remote monitoring systems
Long-term and post-acute care organizations now have a new tool to help them evaluate and select telehealth and remote patient monitoring systems. Read More » Direct-care workers win battle for minimum wage
Direct-care workers, previously exempt from national minimum wage and overtime laws, will now be considered the same as any other employee. Will the change in the compensation laws help or hinder the role of direct-care workers in the expanding field of home care? Read More » Commission on LTC tackles tough issues but can’t agree on financial support system
The federal Commission on Long-Term Care makes headway but agrees to disagree on how to handle the financial burden of nation's long-term services and supports used by millions each day to assist with daily living. Read More » Rehab nurse wins McHugh LTC nursing award
LeadingAge honors a New York nurse with the 2013 McHugh award for excellence in long-term care nursing. Read More » Report: Less than 1/5 of LTC communities had EHRs in 2010
Long-term care communities have made strides in technology acceptance, but most still lag far behind acute care in electronic health record system adoption. Read More » NHPCO: Pain is not a complaint
Many residents believe pain is simply a part of growing older or living with disease. Not so, say palliative care organizations that are using September as Pain Awareness Month to re-educate caregivers and residents on how to converse about pain management. Read More » Need LTC transport? Don’t dial 911
Moving LTC residents to the hospital or from one care site to another has some senior care communities picking up the phone--but not to dial 911. Read More » RACs are effective, but CMS should provide better oversight, says OIG report
Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) are doing an effective job of rooting out Medicare fraud and billing errors, but federal Medicare agencies need to be more diligent about tracking cases, a new government report says. Read More » Happy Labor Day
Long-Term Living will be taking a brief break over the Labor Day Holiday. We'll be back with news, articles and blogs on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Read More » An elevated experience
Air Force Village I, San Antonio, takes the top prize in this year's Environments for Aging Remodel/Renovation Award competition by turning the little-used top floor of its high-rise community into an upscale dining venue and piano bar. Read More » Does Parkinson’s need to meet Mary Jane?
New drug-extraction techniques have turned the spotlight back on how CBD can help to treat those with neurological tremor disorders like Parkinson’s—and the new interest in a “transformed” version of medical marijuana. Read More » Fire safety compliance still troubles SNFs, deficiencies loom
The recent CMS deadline for fire sprinkler compliance finds more than 1,000 long-term care facilities lacking sprinkler coverage in at least some areas—and risking exclusion from Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement. Read More » 5 communities win gold from AHCA/NCAL
Five communities join the elite ranks of gold-level winners in AHCA/NCAL's National Quality Award program. Read More » 