HHS and the Office of Health Reform announced today that customers will get money back from insurers who didn’t meet 80/20 rule. Payors will also have to explain why they didn't meet the mandate. Read More »
The stability in nursing care market fundamentals continues, as occupancy remains essentially flat, according to NIC MAP. In 1Q12, nursing care occupancy was 88.2 percent, which is unchanged from the prior quarter and a 30 basis point decrease in the past year. Read More »
NASL’s Cynthia Morton shares insights on Congressional legislation and CMS innovation projects with attendees at this week’s eHDS User Group meeting. Read More »
A basic strategy you should use to grow qualified referrals is targeting physicians for referral development. Consider these recent successes by clients employing this strategy. Read More »
While not every prospective adverse event can be mapped out with anticipated responses and scenarios, there are steps owners and providers can take, especially in the first 24 hours after a serious event, to better protect residents, their families and employees. Read More »
A study shows how ApoE4 can unleash an excess of the protein cyclophilin A into the cardiovascular system, causing inflammation in atherosclerosis and other conditions. The study also found that ApoE4 makes it more likely for cyclophilin A to accumulate in cells that help maintain the blood-brain barrier, reducing blood to the brain and allowing toxic substances to infiltrate. Read More »
The Senate Appropriations Committee today struck down several amendments aimed at putting a chokehold on funds allotted by the Affordable Care Act, including a prevention fund containing millions for eldercare initiatives. Read More »
A detailed economic forecast, released this week by Health Affairs, predicts national healthcare spending will experience “modest growth” during the next nine years, but will spike in 2014 when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage expansions activate. Read More »
AANAC’s Judi Kulus provides a roadmap through the maze of recent MDS 3.0 updates and errata releases, while pointing out some potential pitfalls in handling resident interviews, assessments, file error correction and queries to CMS. Read More »
Owner/operator, management contractor or lessee, how you approach business risks depends upon what side of the coin you fall. Business risks (and strategies) differ depending on a facility’s business model. Read More »
A new report found that half of violent victimizations of persons age 65 or older involved serious violence, based on data from crimes known to Michigan law enforcement from 2005 to 2009. Perpetrators of elder abuse were often related to the victims. Read More »
Another bitter battle is brewing on Capitol Hill over how to prevent student loan interest rates from increasing from the current 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1, and believe it or not, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities may be asked to help pay the tab. Read More »
Nursing homes that foster an environment in which workers feel they are valued contributors to a team of caregivers provide better care to their residents, according to a new study. Read More »
Can religion add quality to life in advanced age? Can it do so when dementia sets in? Ethnographic evidence, abundantly found in long-term care, speaks of the salutary contribution religion makes in advanced age. Read More »
When a book that addresses architecture and design for an aging population landed on my desk last week, I was eager to review it. However, the ideals it promotes are tempered by current harsh economic realities in the LTC industry. Read More »
The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) tell Congress to stop eyeing Medicaid tax rates as rescue funds for student loans. Read More »
The Obama Administration seems determined to keep patients in their community settings and out of nursing homes for as long as possible. Obviously that will mean fewer admissions to long-term care facilities, so those facilities must be thinking of ways to adapt in order to remain viable. Read More »
When it comes to building a team, forget corporate retreats and singing “Kumbaya” around the campfire. Here are five practical, easy-to-incorporate strategies you can use at your nursing stations starting today. Read More »
Funds for improved access for consumer information on community services and supports for seniors and others with disabilities is on the horizon. Read More »
Ultraviolet light treatment works better than bleach to control outbreaks of Clostridium difficle infections (CDI) in resident spaces, and UV cleansing technology may be a smart addition to routine housekeeping and infection-prevention measures, researchers find. Read More »
Experts at this week’s International Society of Advance Care Planning & End of Life Care conference discuss medical ethics, caregiver responsibilities, and a culture of avoidance when it comes to end-of-life care decisions. Read More »
In my years as a med nurse, unit manager and DON I always enjoyed working with hospice. My experience was that they were also there for the resident and staff. That is why hospice belongs in long-term care. Let us help you help the resident. Let’s collaborate and share the load. How can we help you today? Read More »
The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) conference, held earlier this month in Dallas presented this observer a close-up look at the critical issues and opportunities facing a senior living sector in transition. Read More »
CMS announces a new partnership initiative to combat the improper use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes. Through better reporting and data sharing, the partnership vows to cut the use of antipsychotics in nursing homes by 15 percent before the end of this year. Read More »
The challenging nature of long-term care can make caregivers easy victims of job stress and depression, putting both the residents and the organization at risk. Learn how to assist employees in maintaining the balance between taking care of others and taking care of themselves. Read More »
Strong revenues may please corporate shareholders, but CMS data shows that many nursing homes are providing substandard care for residents. Read More »
According to NCAL, both proposed rules would disqualify a community-based provider, such as assisted living or a group home, from participating in Medicaid because they are on or near a property containing an institutional setting. Read More »
