Administration

Student nurses make the rounds

SNF resident blogger Kathy Mears writes about her experiences with nursing students doing clinicals at her nursing home. Read More »

Nursing home discharges under scrutiny

Residents, ombudsman, associations and consumer advocates are raising their voice about a growing number of allegedly improper evictions and discharges. Read More »

Editors’ pick: 2017’s top staffing and training stories

2017 brought attention to staffing shortages, initiatives to cross-train and a new push to educate caregivers in person-centered memory care. Here are our Editors’ Top 6 stories for 2017 on staffing, training and job leadership. Read More »

Humana joins the Kindred buyers’ table

The Kentucky insurer is the latest to buy a piece of Kindred, and the deal could have significant impacts on Humana’s competitive edge in seniors’ at-home care. Read More »

Clean air helps Brookdale residents shelter in place during wildfires

Proactive attention to air purification helped 22 facilities harbor safely during the emergency. Read More »

The heartbreak of caring

Caring can come at a cost for residents and aides, but the hurt is worth it, says SNF resident blogger Kathy Mears. Read More »

DOJ tallies $57M in Medicare fraud busts in two weeks

Medicare fraud squads are closing out 2017 by catching a wide range of health service providers in the crosshairs of crime, including several cases of opioid-related fraud. Read More »

Tips on bringing loved ones home for the holidays

Brookdale Senior Living offers families tips for a successful visit when Grandma comes home for the holidays. Read More »

Home care workers need more training in dementia care: PHI brief

Most states don’t yet require dementia training for home care workers. Will deeper training in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias become the market differentiator in the home care sector? Read More »

Lyft expands healthcare offerings

The rideshare company announced its latest partnership with startup company Circulation to expand non-emergency medical transportation options. Read More »

End-of-life wishes by video

More physicians are warming to the idea of video-recorded advance care wishes. Does your facility offer this ability to residents? Read More »

The secret to reducing hospitalizations: APRNs

A Missouri skilled nursing program reduced unnecessary hospitalizations by nearly 50 percent by using full-time APRNs, according to a CMS report. Read More »

CMS puts 18-mo. hold on certain enforcements, 5-star ratings

The agency has issued a temporary moratorium on the enforcement of eight specific Phase 2 F-Tags, although the new survey process begins this week as scheduled. Read More »

Fire safety for the holidays

Deck the halls, but be safe about it. National fire and life safety expert Stan Szpytek shares tips on reducing fire risk during the holidays. Read More »

2017 OPTIMA Award: The power of No

The winner of the 2017 OPTIMA Award for Excellence in Memory Care has slashed its use of antipsychotics to just 3 percent by retraining its staff and implementing a strict “just say no” policy. Read More »

Volunteer hospice offers rural community end-of-life care for 40+ years

Since 1978, a volunteer hospice has offered end-of-life care for a remote Pacific Northwest city. The unlicensed and unregulated hospice operates on an annual budget of less than $400,000 and cares for 300 people each year. Read More »

2017 OPTIMA Award: Under one roof

The winner of the 2017 OPTIMA Award for Excellence in Resident-Focused Care started an intergenerational living program to give new life to aging services and solve staff shortages at the same time. Read More »

CMS adds online tool for quality measures

The web-accessible version of the CMS Measures Inventory Tool (CMIT) will make it easier for providers to track their quality measures across the care continuum. Read More »

AARP Foundation sues to stop nursing home evictions

The organization is taking up its first court case on behalf of a woman with Alzheimer’s who was discharged from her nursing home without warning. Read More »

End-of-life planning—for caregivers

A new report finds fewer than half of surveyed hospice workers have advance directives.  Read More »

Deer crashes into nursing home

A deer visited a Bronx nursing home, causing panic for residents, staff and the deer. Read More »

Ready for anything

As the new CMS emergency planning regulations go into effect this month, a crisis-filled 2017 has already given many states multiple reasons to be ready for anything. Read More »

Healthcaresource acquires Vikus

The two companies will combine their talents in healthcare workforce management and senior care hiring solutions. Read More »

Three employees fired for videotaping residents

An assisted living facility is investigating after employees shared videos on social media that made fun of residents. Read More »

LTC associations urge Congress to keep the medical expenses tax deduction

The tax deduction for medical expenses is on the chopping block in the Trump Administration’s new tax reform bill, an elimination that could seriously hurt all seniors, especially those with dementia. Read More »

CMS proposes new Immediate Jeopardy policy for nursing homes

The draft policy could reduce the likelihood of high civil money penalties against skilled nursing providers for immediate jeopardy deficiences that resulted in no harm or death.  Read More »

Another involuntary discharge

SNF resident blogger Kathleen Mears shares her experiences on being involuntarily discharged and how she thinks the process could be avoided. Read More »

Financing memory care

Ready to expand your memory care offerings? Investment experts weigh in on how organizations can position themselves for the best financing options, whether it’s for new construction or retrofitting existing units. Read More »