The New Wave of Foodservice Technology in Senior Care

Risk Management

Tragedy in Connecticut reinforces need to protect vulnerable populations

Safety and security is a matter that every type of LTC facility should take very seriously. Assuming that seniors are immune from the type of violence that was witnessed at Sandy Hook Elementary School is a mistake. Read More »

Prepare for disaster before disaster strikes

Creating a detailed emergency response plan—and keeping it updated—is crucial to safeguarding your organization’s residents, staff and property. These disaster planning checklists can help you manage risk and keep your staff ready for anything. Read More »

Genesis HealthCare buys Sun Healthcare Group

One of long-term care's largest skilled nursing companies just got bigger, as Pennsylvania-based Genesis HealthCare adds to its service lines in a $215 million deal. Read More »

Brain fitness, risk and safety

The elderly can benefit from the “use it or lose it” tenet of good geriatric practice, which encourages them to make choices from among meaningful alternatives. This practice requires no special technology because it’s what we do countless times every day. Read More »

Thinking outside the box

The status quo never inspired innovation. Dr. Tellis-Nayak, a medical sociologist and Senior Research Advisor at the National Research Corporation, explains why improving long-term care means being willing to look beyond "the way things are" and considering the way things could be. Read More »

Short-term rehab soars to No. 1 service in SNFs

Still think the majority of residents at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are grannies? Not anymore. Check out the fastest-growing demographic in today’s LTC market. Read More »

Senior care planning takes a woman’s touch, men better at LTC’s financial aspects

When it comes to long-term care planning, it takes a village—or at least the input of both men and women. Read More »

Brookdale mulls restructuring options amid Medicare reductions

Brookdale Senior Living is considering several financial options to refit its operations in an era of Medicare reductions, announced Brookdale's CFO and co-president Mark Ohlendorf today at the Stephens Fall Investment Conference. Read More »

Piercing the corporate veil: Strategies to reduce corporate negligence claims in LTC lawsuits

Nursing home and assisted living operators are seeing a marked increase in “piercing the corporate veil” theories and corporate negligence claims in malpractice litigation. The good news is facilities can and should employ strategies that can help insulate them from these claims. Read More »

2012 LTC rate report: Nursing homes reach $90k, market ripe for adult day services

Skilled nursing facility private room rates rose by 3.8 percent compared to last year, reaching a national average of $90,520 per year. But two sectors of long-term care had no cost increases at all, according to the annual survey from MetLife Mature Market. Read More »

Blanket waivers issued for New York and New Jersey in Hurricane Sandy’s wake

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has granted blanket waivers for New York and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy, easing the regulations required of long-term care and other health providers. Read More »

What are your employees’ most expensive health risk factors?

A recent study links almost one-quarter of employer/employee health spending to a list of just 10 health risks. What’s the No. 1 health risk? Surprise: It’s not smoking. Read More »

ACA health benefits: Some employers rethink their workforce to avoid paying

The new employee benefits rules created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) don’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2014, but some employers are making changes to their workforce structures already, hoping to avoid the the coverage changes and penalties. Read More »

HHS waives Medicare, Medicaid requirements for NYC facilities affected by hurricane

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today declared a public health emergency for New York City. This declaration allows HHS to waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program requirements. Read More »

Henry Ford and Beaumont health systems to merge hospitals, LTC care sites

Updated: 5/21/13: Both parties have decided to cancel merger talks for now. The continuum of care gets bigger and broader in Michigan as two health systems join to form one of the largest non-profits in the state. Read More »

Nursing homes in Hurricane Sandy’s path…This is not a drill

A full moon, high tides and colliding storm systems are conspiring to create a “perfect storm” that will bear down on the East Coast next week. Long-term care facilities should initiate their disaster plans now. Read More »

Criminal activity found in background checks of disciplined aides

Long-term care facilities advised to conduct background checks on employees with direct access to residents to reduce abuse, neglect and theft. Read More »

How do you spell nurse retention? R-e-s-p-e-c-t

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? Don’t cringe; be prepared

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 »

LTC trends report: Reimbursement #1 challenge, technology #1 game changer

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 »

Managing risk in volunteer programs

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 »

RICO suit filed against nursing home workers unions

HealthBridge files a RICO lawsuit against nursing home workers unions as the strike begun in July continues. Read More »

Seniors’ #1 reason for life insurance is life, not death, survey shows

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 »

AHCA/NCAL: Keynote inspires the big heart in LTC’s small businesses

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 »

AHCA/NCAL: Future of LTC relies on leadership and resilience

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 »

Washington Post buys LTC company, invests in home and hospice care

One of the nation's best-known newspaper companies just joined the long-term care market. Read More »

LTC caregivers had lowest rates of vaccination in 2011-12 flu season

Caregivers know the importance of protecting seniors from the dangers of seasonal influenza. So why are long-term care workers in last place, when it comes to getting vaccinated themselves? Read More »

Former assisted living CEO indicted on $130 million in fraud

Former Sunwest Management CEO Jon Michael Harder surrenders to federal authorities, facing more than 50 charges of fraudulent activities and accusations of $130 million in investor losses. Read More »

Disaster Recovery Requires Pre-Planning

Planning for the unexpected means forming a clear plan of action and knowing who to call when disaster strikes. Read More »

Incident reports, surveys and privilege: Protecting QA material from enforcement action

Skilled nursing facilities should carefully consider what constitutes legitimate quality assurance or otherwise privileged documents and how best to protect those documents. Read More »