Long-term care facilities advised to conduct background checks on employees with direct access to residents to reduce abuse, neglect and theft. Read More »
The overriding message from LeadingAge thought leaders at the group's annual meeting is that providers must step up to the plate and demand a say in the future of the country’s bloated and broken healthcare delivery system. Read More »
The challenge of retaining quality nursing staff and reducing turnover rates can be eased through a few crucial changes in management strategy, say session leaders at this week’s LeadingAge annual meeting. Read More »
Crisis communications doesn’t have to make you cringe. If you plan accordingly and understand how to protect your reputation in a crisis, you can successfully navigate the situation and avoid the potentially negative impact an unexpected event could have on your long-term care organization. Read More »
As of the second quarter of 2012, construction in assisted living properties represented 3.0 percent of existing assisted living inventory within the top 31 metropolitan markets. Construction activity as a percent of existing inventory dropped as low as 2.1 percent in early 2010. Read More »
With the national elections drawing ever closer, the long-term care industry continues to turn up the heat on lawmakers, urging them to avoid additional cuts in federal funds for programs that support services to the elderly. Read More »
One of the challenges that we face in sales and marketing is making that initial contact with a prospective referral source that we have never met before. Cold calling, whether conducted over the phone or in-person is nerve racking and rarely successful--unless you have a plan! Read More »
Resident and family satisfaction rates in nursing homes show improvement from when the National Research Corporation began assessing satisfaction levels in 2006. Employees’ responses allow managers and administrators to address areas in need of improvement. Read More »
With more Americans considering staying at home in their elder years instead of moving to a retirement community, many senior living providers are experimenting with alternative service models, including innovative programming and service partnerships. Read More »
Amid the cuts in payments and struggles with occupancy rates, the current long-term care business environment has opportunities for innovation in cost models, care delivery models and technology-driven value, notes the 28th annual Licensed Nursing Facility Cost Comparison. Read More »
Volunteers are key components to the success of many organizations, especially LTC organizations. However, without a good risk management plan, volunteer programs can expose your organization to additional risks of a loss, damage to your reputation or even imperil operations. Read More »
Incontinence management is a critical issue in skilled nursing facilities, especially as it relates to increased regulatory oversight, budgetary considerations, rehospitalization rates and quality of life for residents. The proper documentation of incontinence is essential in the clinical record and in the MDS database. Read More »
Several recent studies show varying levels of success for infection-reduction programs, including efforts to curb MRSA, CLABSI and CAUTI rates. But the jury is still out on whether healthcare-associated infection (HAI) programs are making progress because of Medicare's new policies—or in spite of them. Read More »
Planning for an emergency at your LTC facility must start at home so your organization can help protect one of its most valuable resources--employees and their families. Read More »
The centralized MDS department and decentralized MDS department each has its pros and each structure can put organizations at risk for survey deficiencies, lost revenue and poor satisfaction among residents and staff. Read More »
Most Medicare beneficiaries are spending more than they need to on Medicare drug plans and should find Plan B within Part D, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health study. Read More »
Seniors have been accused of overusing the Emergency Room, often as a substitute primary care provider. But new studies from a national emergency medicine association say that their ER visits are usually justified. Read More »
Most people view life insurance as financial protection in the event of their death. But seniors are buying life insurance in case they live too long, an interesting twist to seniors’ views on retirement planning. Read More »
Studies on the effectiveness of a new Alzheimer’s drug developed by Eli Lilly score a hit with data that showed it reduced memory decline in patients with mild cases of the disease. Read More »
Is long-term care the corporate “little engine that could”? Business strategy author Jim Collins, the keynote speaker at Monday’s opening of the AHCA/NCAL Annual Conference and Expo, offers inspiration to attendees on being successful in business amid the challenges that the LTC market presents. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) skilled nursing facility 2012 Final Rule has had a huge impact on SNFs that were still adjusting to the transition to MDS 3.0 the previous year. Read More »
A few raindrops didn't dampen the spirits of more than 2,000 attendees and 350+ vendors who celebrated the resilience and discussed the challenges of long-term care on today's opening day of the AHCA/NCAL Conference and Expo in Tampa, Fla. Read More »
The results are in. Two surveys measuring resident and staff satisfaction show that participating assisted living providers are focused on not only resident satisfaction, but staff satisfaction as well. Read More »
A federal strike force from the Department of health & Human Services and the U.S. Atorney General’s office have charged almost 100 people with a total of $430 million in fraudulent Medicare billing practices. Read More »
Sharon A. Nazarchuk and Timothy Legg studied a pool of skilled nursing facilities to uncover discrepancies in survey data, including why skilled nursing facilities can fail to employ qualified activity directors yet still escape citations during the survey process. Read More »
CMS’ new program to make hospitals financially accountable for excessive readmissions stumbles at the starting gate, as CMS issues a document to correct errors in the final rule. Read More »
As the presidential debates begin this week, Medicare is predicted to be a hot-button topic. One private foundation released a report that explores the differences and similarities between the healthcare plans of both presidential candidates. Read More »
