The Administration for Community Living of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published the first federal regulations for the long-term care ombudsman programs in the Federal Register in an effort to improve consistency among state programs. Read More »
This month’s annual meeting of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology featured a keynote by HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell announcing the agency’s plan to increase the adoption of health IT. Read More »
When we think back to what the long-term care industry was like 10 years ago, technological innovation tends not to be top of mind. And yet, suddenly we’re surrounded by it. Adopting new technology, like any new idea, can be hard. The challenge for providers will not just be rolling it out, but also harnessing the power to do what you need to do. In this first article of a three-part series, we’ll look at factors in long-term care that have prompted our use of technology, specifically Electronic Health Records (EHRs), and begin to consider where we are headed as the technology we use continues to evolve.Click here to read more. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will make three main changes to the calculations used for the Nursing Home Compare website beginning with the information publicly reported for February, the agency announced in a Feb. 12 call to providers. Read More »
President Barack Obama’s proposed 2016 budget includes a provision that would expand the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly to serve younger individuals with disabilities, and one organization is applauding the move. Read More »
When care and assistance is needed, where can low-income seniors go to have the services they need delivered in a safe, secure and affordable environment? Read More »
Quality-of-care issues exist in all long-term care settings, but they are especially pronounced for those with advanced dementia, according to health economist David Grabowski, PhD, of Harvard. He details several potential opportunities to address the issues. Read More »
CMS has officially eliminated the practice of paying lower fees to long-term care (LTC) pharmacies that dispense Medicare Part D medications meant to be used for less than 30 days. LTC pharmacy associations weigh in on what the changes will mean. Read More »
Every organization experiences the occasional need to update itself. But what happens when what needs to be updated is the whole brand? One CEO explains how his organization embraced the future without losing hold of its past. Read More »
The 2016 federal budget announced by President Barack Obama on Monday is a mixed bag for senior housing and services providers, according to several organizations representing them. Read More »
The Precision Medicine Initiative proposed by President Barack Obama in his Jan. 20 State of the Union address would launch with $215 million in funding under the 2016 budget he announced Monday. Read More »
The new plan released by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology lays out near-term goals for achieving healthcare data exchange, including a call for solid standards and better definitions of what "interoperability" means. Read More »
Focusing on helping those with advanced dementia use the skills and abilities they still possess is the primary goal of habilitation therapy. The approach, how it differs from rehabilitation, and training for it were detailed in a recent meeting convened by CMS. Read More »
The CDC is seeing more cases of measles than in years past, with a more-than-usual number of them in adults. Here are five ways to reduce the likelihood that the outbreak will affect your employees, residents and their families. Read More »
Long-term care insurance is taking a bigger bite out of the incomes of residents and prospective residents who are buying such policies, according to trade group data. Find out why. Read More »
It's not always a good thing to make the Top 10 list, especially when it costs your organization money. Billing errors are so easy to make. According to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), some of the top billing errors are easily avoided. In this piece, we’ll discuss the most common mistakes that organizations make in billing and explore ways you can steer clear of them.Click here to read more. Read More »
A person with Alzheimer’s or other dementias lives in the moment. Sharing that moment with him or her creates a bond that can bring moments of joy. Read More »
When you want to use social media to communicate with residents or prospective residents, which networks should you use? New data provide some insights. Read More »
People with Alzheimer's or other dementias have found a champion in Gary Glazner, founder and executive director of the Alzheimer's Poetry Project. Blending poetry with the arts in an innovative program provides a pathway to the hearts and souls of people with memory loss. Read More »
A robust information technology architecture is needed to handle the new data influx from wearable devices while maintaining quality, says one expert. Read More »
Implementing an electronic health record system and integrating an automated wound management solution into it has resulted in numerous benefits for one nursing and rehabilitation center. Read More »
Finding a cure for diseases such as diabetes and cancer would be the focus of a new Precision Medicine Initiative proposed by President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address. Read More »
The long-term care industry’s adoption of electronic health records systems has made great strides in the past year. What needs to happen next? Read More »
More older adults are reporting falls, according to new research, but the authors aren’t sure whether seniors are falling more or just reporting more. Read More »
The staff-resident relationship is essential to quality care. Consistency of care, and the relationship fostered between the staff and residents over time, directly impacts the perceived quality of care for LTC providers. In this article, Jayne Warwick examines the unquestionable bond between staff satisfaction and patient satisfaction, and how to positively impact both of these elements to avoid unnecessary financial pitfalls.Click here to read more. Read More »
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has unanimously voted to recommend “site-neutral” payment for certain Medicare beneficiaries who need medical rehabilitation following injury or illness. Congress will decide whether to adopt the recommendation. Read More »
