The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has new rules about discrimination and retaliation, and your organization's employee drug-testing policies may need to be revised to stay in compliance. Read More »
State and federal health officials seek fines for more than $100,000 at a Chicago nursing home after five residents overdosed on heroin inside the facility. Read More »
A federal judge has issued a temporary halt on CMS’ final rule ordering LTC facilities to remove all arbitration agreements from their admissions materials. Read More »
Set your infection preventionist up for success by understanding the role and responsiblities beyond what's mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Read More »
Omnicare will pay more than $28 million to resolve allegations it solicited and received kickbacks from pharmaceutical manufacturer Abbott Laboratories in exchange for promoting the anti-epileptic Depakote. Read More »
"My employees want to carry a concealed weapon to work." The decision to allow or prohibit "concealed carry" on your premises is a lot more complicated than you think, even if state law allows it. Read More »
Genesis Healthcare has reached an agreement in principal on settlement terms for four separate U.S. Department of Justice investigations in the amount of $52.7 million, to be paid in a five-year period. Read More »
A resident death at a five-star facility shows that accidents can happen anywhere—and serves as a reminder to shore up documentation and diligence during shift changes. Read More »
The old reel-to-reel movies may have given way to DVDs and streaming videos, but keeping your “movie night” legal still requires public performance license. Luckily, there's a sale on licenses for the rest of 2016. Read More »
Despite sunshine and warm temperatures, influenza season is right around the corner. Are your staffers trained in the policies and protocols concerning vaccinations? Read More »
A Florida court has charged an assisted living LPN with aggravated manslaughter—a felony charge rarely seen in the assisted living setting and one that comes with serious jail time. Read More »
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has passed rules that forbid retaliation and discrimination for reporting injuries, including post-accident drug testing and "incentive" programs that retaliate against those who bring workplace safety violations to light. Read More »
The new Drug Enforcement Agency rules on medication reclamation and disposal protocols have been out since October 2014, but some nursing homes are still using improper methods to deal with unused or expired medications. Read More »
Resident-to-resident elder mistreatment is highly prevalent in nursing homes, according to a new study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued draft guidance to reduce sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams per day. One in three Americans has high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Read More »
Mistakes and “near misses” can and will happen. But, how a facility discloses an error can affect everything from the CMS response to the family’s reaction. Read More »
The long-term care industry is facing a workforce shortage. This Kentucky high school might be on to a solution, writes Senior Editor Nicole Stempak. Read More »
When family emotions and workplace stressors combine, long-term care communities can become powderkegs of conflict. Train staff how to spot conflict breweing and how to intervene. Read More »
State labor citations at an Alaska assisted living home have other LTC operators checking the status of their staff training on workplace violence. Read More »
The Department of Justice announced the launch of 10 regional interagency task forces designed to protect seniors in nursing homes by holding operators accountable for the quality of care they provide. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has imposed steep fines and threatened to terminate Woodbriar Health Center from its programs if serious problems are not resolved by next week. Read More »
Employees at Woodbriar Health Center were retrained on falls-related injuries following the death of a resident, according to a revised plan submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Public Helath. The department says the second fall-related resident death is the result of deficient care. Read More »
Workers who drink or use drugs may be able to hide their impairment from the boss, but sometimes the residents can tell right away, explains SNF resident blogger Kathleen Mears. Read More »
Residents have a right to visitors, but SNFs must maintain safety and the rights of others. Long-Term Living's Legal expert Alan C. Horowitz shares some complicated cases and offers intervention strategies from chief medical directors. Read More »
