Departments

One on one with… Chelley Antonczak

Chelley Antonczak shares Eliza Jennings' journey to bring the benefits of SAIDO Learning to the community's residents with dementia. The success of this 2013 OPTIMA Award-winning program is a tribute to the many people who collaborate, volunteer, and participate in a variety of ways. Read More »

SAIDO Learning in action: A typical session [VIDEO]

Three videos illustrate the overarching principles of the SAIDO Learning technique to slow or reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Read More »

OPTIMA Award: The SAIDO clinical trial

A simple, easy-to-learn program that can minimize or even reverse the effects of cognitive decline from dementia? One senior services network put skepticism aside and agreed to serve as the sole U.S. clinical trial site. Seeing is believing, the organization says. Read More »

SAIDO Learning: A timeline

The journey to bring the SAIDO Learning approach to treating Alzheimer's disease and dementia from Japan to the United States began in 2010, nine years after the technique had been developed overseas. This timeline details the process. Read More »

2013 OPTIMA Award: The gift of the present

The Eliza Jennings Senior Care Network is Long-Term Living's 2013 OPTIMA Award winner, honored for bringing a memory care program from a distant land to the United States and integrating the program's vision into the person-centered care delivered across its provider network. Read More »

Evidence-based design in long-term care

When applied to long-term care settings, evidence-based design can combine the latest design techniques with proven research on what makes residents feel calm, happy and "at home"--and what design elements may actually improve residents' quality of life. Read More »

Texas sees growth in SNF inventory; Ohio’s metro market declines

Three of the five fastest-growing cities for nursing care inventory in the second quarter are in the Lone Star state, while Cincinnati, Cleveland and Seattle see the greatest declines. Read More »

3-day hospital stays, hospice surveys under scrutiny

Industry leadership weighs in on proposed “observation stays” legislation and increasing the frequency of hospice recertification surveys. Read More »

Stress may precede falls, and new technology may detect them

New research finds that older men experiencing the death of a loved one or financial problems are more likely to fall within the next year. Technology under development may help detect such falls, however, and notify caregivers for assistance. Read More »

Pneumonia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia

Three recent studies provide new knowledge related to the development, prevention or prediction of dementia in various populations. Read More »

Trends in resident care services and infection control

Now that providing quality resident care has grown far beyond mere Activities of Daily Living, we asked Long-Term Living's readers to tell us about their communities' new care initiatives, including their clinical monitoring programs, infection control protocols and, of course, how they’re training their nurses and other caregivers to meet the new care quality levels demanded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Read More »

Technology grows as a priority for LTC business

Got tech? Many long-term care communities are already adopting electronic health records, but Long-Term Living’s readers told us their technology plans also include e-medication administration technology, wander management/safety systems and an increasing awareness of the business impacts of technology on delivering quality care. Read More »

Owners upgrade senior housing spaces for new uses

Long-Term Living's readers told us about their communities' new rooms, revamped spaces and operational changes during the past year. New renovations and a shift in onsite services are at the fore, including a rapid adoption of in-house memory care services and the creation of dedicated spaces to host them. Read More »

Happy Labor Day

Long-Term Living will be taking a brief break over the Labor Day Holiday. We'll be back with news, articles and blogs on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Read More »

An elevated experience

Air Force Village I, San Antonio, takes the top prize in this year's Environments for Aging Remodel/Renovation Award competition by turning the little-used top floor of its high-rise community into an upscale dining venue and piano bar. Read More »

Assisted Living 2.0

As more seniors age in place, the assisted living model undergoes a substantial redesign to meet the needs of the coming Baby Boomer generation and the increasing need for memory care. Read More »

9 new quality goals for nursing homes unveiled by initiative

Nursing homes participating in a new initiative may gain competitive advantages, organizers say. In the process, they could collect data helpful in establishing uniform national standards and evidence-based best practices. Read More »

Fire safety compliance still troubles SNFs, deficiencies loom

The recent CMS deadline for fire sprinkler compliance finds more than 1,000 long-term care facilities lacking sprinkler coverage in at least some areas—and risking exclusion from Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement. Read More »

Assisted living rate pricing: Impacts on margin

Are you over- or undercharging residents for living in your assisted living facility? Two industry experts offer advice oncapturing variable costs to achieve bottom-line objectives. Read More »

5 keys to finding and retaining resident-centered employees

Discovering candidates' internal motivators underlies success in the hunt for passionate employees whose work ethic meshes with the goals of your organization. Read More »

OIG recommends revision of proposed CMS rule

The passage of the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2013 could resolve beneficiaries’ access to SNF care with revision of CMS rule on observation stays. Read More »

Remote patient-monitoring technology still faces reimbursement roadblock

Device improvements as well as changes in government incentives, nursing staffing levels and the size of the senior population will lead to greater adoption of telemedicine in long-term care, but reimbursement remains a challenge for now. Read More »

Nursing care occupancy declines not felt everywhere

Second quarter 2013 data from the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry shows nursing occupancy is down in 15 of the 31 largest metropolitan markets. Read More »

Early-onset dementia: 9 risk factors identified

New research identifying nine risk factors for early-onset dementia ultimately could lead to treatments to prevent development of the condition. Read More »

Hot cocoa may benefit memory, but blood glucose an issue, too

One study finds that regularly drinking hot chocolate may improve memory and thinking, while other research ties higher blood glucose levels to higher dementia risk. So should you encourage seniors to start sipping or wait for more research? Read More »

One-on-one with…Robert Van Dyk

From medical-model nursing homes to the advent of Medicare/Medicaid to the adoption of the ACA and beyond, caring for our seniors has been a constantly evolving mission and challenge. Read More »

What LTC nurses want from EHRs

The electronic health record (EHR) systems used in hospitals don't have all the functionality needed for use in long-term and post-acute care, say the industry's nurses. Amid new initiatives for closer care coordination between acute care and long-term care, technology experts and caregivers urge vendors to develop more robust health record systems for LTC. Read More »

Greenspring archers hit the bulls-eye in Cleveland

Steady hands and sharp eyes help two senior athletes score big at the National Senior Games’ archery competition, bringing home Gold and Bronze medals in their age groups. Read More »

Athletes conquer the field, set new records at National Senior Games

Live coverage from the National Senior Games: Whether it's running the track, tossing a javelin, pole-vaulting or throwing a discus, senior athletes prove that winning the long race is about camaraderie while striving for their personal best. Read More »

The power of partnerships

LTC facilities know that the best census maintenance comes from a great relationship with the local referring hospital. But increasingly, the community win-win factor for LTC is in making the right friends, and in partnering with the right local service partners before your competition does Read More »