Florida’s Universal Health Care Insurance suddenly closed its doors last week, giving beneficiaries three days to choose another insurance provider. Read More »
The federal government last Friday announced a final rule that provides 100 percent payment of the cost of certain newly eligible adult Medicaid beneficiaries. Read More »
In 1752, when Benjamin Franklin flew his kite in a storm, little did he know how people would rely on his discovery for centuries to come. When that energy is interrupted, complications arise and Kathleen Mears shares her experience with a computer and a power interruption. Read More »
The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a new analytics tool to help providers understand multiple chronic conditions in seniors. Read More »
Sweeping changes may be on the horizon for the way Medicare billing is divided, as President Obama and Republicans put the idea of combining Medicare Parts A and B back on the discussion table, the New York Times reports today. Read More »
In recent years, a new approach has been added to the kit bag of thousands of nurses and scores of nurse supervisors across the country--nurse coaching. Nurse coaching focuses on building a relationship-centered approach to supporting the growth and development of others. Read More »
Patients receiving antihistamines to suppress stomach acid are at greater risk of infection from Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, a common cause of diarrhea, Mayo Clinic researchers have found. Read More »
A new program of self-management of chronic conditions is designed to provide seniors with the tools to take charge of their conditions to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Read More »
It’s not exactly a building boom yet, but things are looking brighter for the senior housing market, according to ALFA’s new senior living provider rankings. Read More »
Pets, especially pets trained to respond to the elderly, are welcome guests—and even permanent residents—at some nursing homes. However, research indicates that it might be better to leave pups at home. Read More »
Those who suffer a stroke may want the emergency medical staff to be busy texting instead of using an overhead paging system, a new study finds. Read More »
Knowledge about the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers has come a long way, but has it come far enough to prevent and reduce the incidence of this problem in long-term care? Read More »
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) got a tongue-lashing from the Senate Finance Committee, while CMMI’s director explains that testing new models takes time before payment reforms can be put into action. Read More »
When long-term care residents perceive control over what is generally a highly structured new environment, it helps them cope with stressors, reduces their depression and anxiety and increases their satisfaction with care. Read More »
Mainstreaming elderly prisoners into LTC facilities has its champions and its critics. How do residents feel about sharing their space with convicts? Kathleen Mears shares her views. Read More »
Legislation that would roll back caps on therapy services to seniors in skilled nursing centers has been introduced in both the House and Senate and is being applauded by an industry reeling from one payment reduction after another. Read More »
Are your staff scheduling processes as fair, balanced and tightly connected to your census and acuities as they should be? Two experts explain why even small changes in staffing can add up to big savings. Read More »
A new study identifies predictors of complications and mortality following a hip fracture, including dialysis, cardiac disease, diabetes and a longer time before surgery—the only modifiable risk factor when patients are hospitalized. Read More »
Seniors get a bad rap when it comes to technology, but they’re America’s fast-growing dempgraphic is certain digital technologies. Have you "seniorized" your media marketing streams? Read More »
The days of antibiotics being a "silver bullet" are long over, especially in nursing homes. And when it comes to antibiotic medication, more isn't necessarily better. The challenge of treating bacterial infections without inadvertently creating new resistant bacterial strains has LTC facilities stuck between a rock and a hard place. Read More »
States have refined survey systems and are demanding more disclosure for assisted living, according to the Assisted Living State Regulatory Review, released Wednesday by The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). Read More »
While the skilled nursing care national occupancy continues to be stable, there has been variation in the trends among the individual metropolitan markets during the past year. Read More »
A new report from the Alzheimer's Association shows that while deaths from other major diseases, such as heart disease, HIV/AIDS and stroke continue to experience significant declines, Alzheimer's deaths continue to rise—increasing 68 percent from 2000-2010. Read More »
