Departments

ACOs thwarted by lack of interoperability

Accountable Care Organizations have spent the past four years struggling to achieve the goals that set them apart. But ACOs still don't have the one thing needed for success: data interoperability. Read More »

Stewards of social work

Social work interns are assets to long-term care facilities. They can help bridge gaps and facilitate conversations among departments, residents and loved ones. They can help pick up slack and breathe new life into a team whose members are often overworked and understaffed.  Read More »

3-day waiver rule on the way out?

The 3-day hospital stay rule might be waving goodbye, but the American Health Care Association warns the new CMS proposal would put some nursing homes—and their residents—at a disadvantage. Read More »

HealthSouth’s data revolution

Few long-term care providers have embraced the data analytics revolution more than HealthSouth, the nation's largest rehabilitation hospital chain. Will its accomplishments serve as an example of what technology can do for long-term care providers in the bundled-payment world? Read More »

Push back on meal time rules

Resident blogger Kathleen Mears talks about the mealtime rules and where to draw the line with resident tardiness to the dining hall. Read More »

Antipsychotics, behavior and dementia: A psychiatrist’s view

Treating elderly residents—especially those with dementia—with antipsychotics requires a careful balance between medication and behavioral treatments. Read More »

Complaints about 11 Mass. nursing homes

Resident blogger Kathleen Mears discusses some shady practices at several Massachusetts nursing homes and wonders why the sites didn't require more background checks. Read More »

Activities are more than time fillers

An Activities Department does more than organize bingo games. The department helps residents maintain cognitive function and gives them a sense of independence and dignity. That deserves every department's respect. Read More »

Employee benefits: The personal touch

Are economic pressures and changing rules under the Affordable Care Act forcing you to pare down your employee benefits offering? Incorporating voluntary benefits can keep employees happy by allowing them to add on customized benefits. Read More »

Long-Term Living’s Top 10 news stories for 2015

A major change in CMS' five-star nursing home rating system, a promising new treatment for Lewy Body dementia and the biggest Medicare fraud bust to date were among this year's most popular news stories. Read More »

Data-driven decisions

Technology tools to analyze outcomes and measure performance will take a front seat in 2016, as more acute care and long-term care providers turn to data analytics to maximize reimbursement and prove quality measures. Read More »

Families are growing closer (or at least not moving far apart)

Holiday songs conjure images about family togetherness, but they often express themes of geographic distance. Those songs aren’t an accurate picture of American families. Read More »

Long-Term Living’s Top 10 articles for 2015

New CMS rules, changes in the five-star rating system, memory care programs—the industry had plenty to talk about this year. Here are the 10 most popular Long-Term Living articles for 2015! Read More »

Staff training on fire safety

There's more to fires than just putting them out. Fire protection systems need to be properly installed and maintained, and staff needs to be properly trained in emergency procedures. Read More »

The role of occupational therapists

Occupational therapy can promote healing, independence and well-being for residents, but all too often treatments are misunderstood or missing. That prevents barriers to providing the best possible care for long-term care residents. Read More »

Congress to consider VA provider agreement legislation

Will veterans soon be able to obtain care from non-VA LTC facilities? Long-Term Living's Washington reporter Bob Gatty takes a look at the proposed care model. Read More »

One-on-one with… Doug Leidig

The economy has been a challenge for some CCRCs in recent years, but what’s next for CCRCs? Asbury Communities President and CEO Doug Leidig discusses the opportunities and challenges for this market sector. Read More »

Obesity and nursing homes

As obesity rates among older demographics continue to increase, will skilled nursing facilities have the equipment, staff and knowledge to care for them? Maybe not, according to recent findings. Read More »

Falling for hip protectors

An assisted living/independent living chain implements a program to assess falls risk and bring the use of high-tech hip protectors into fashion on its campuses. Read More »

Proactive medication management

Having an LTC pharmacist on the care team can provide aggressive strategies against adverse drug events and reap the benefits of a specialized skills set in the tricky business of geriatric medication management. Read More »

CDC launches 2015-16 National Influenza Vaccination Week

Get your flu shot yet? This season’s flu activity has had a slow start so far, but the CDC warns that peak flu season is yet to come, and the big risks are far from over for those age 65 and older. Read More »

Person-centered care and resident choice: Giving elders a voice

Providers and clinicians often want to honor resident choice, but are afraid to do so. The key is finding the balance between providing quality care and keeping clients safe, and allowing choices that may involve risk but will enhance quality of life. Read More »

A subscription box that keeps on giving

Senior Care Box is a monthly care package designed specifically to help people age 65 and older reminisce about the good ol’ days and let them know someone is thinking about them this holiday season — and throughout the year. Read More »

I scream for…frozen dessert

An emergency room physician with a lifelong passion for ice cream was inspired by his patients to concoct a tasty and nutritious frozen dessert. Read More »

Understanding Parkinson’s disease psychosis

Educating caregivers and staff on the effects of Parkinson’s disease psychosis can help them react with understanding to a resident’s hallucinations and false claims. Read More »

Thankful for

A friend's close call with a heart attack is plenty to be thankful for, but a stranger's random act of kindness is something blogger Kathleen Mears won't ever forget. Read More »

CMS gets to work on new value-based fee structure

Now that the SGR is history, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is tackling the new value-based payment model. Leading long-term care organizations are playing important roles in advising the new policies. Read More »

Boost the bottom line by boosting staff morale

Surveys show that engaged staff improves morale, productivity and the bottom line. A healthcare staffing and engagement consultant offers four ways to engage with staff, shift the workplace culture and create a better experience for both staff and residents. Read More »

Music meets physical therapy

Music may soothe the soul, but a New York nursing home shows that combining music with physical therapy is very good for the body and the cognitively declining mind, too. Read More »

Authorities rule nursing home resident death a heroin overdose

A Southern Ohio nursing home resident died earlier this year from a heroin overdose. The woman had been an addict, and her husband has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for supplying the drugs. Read More »