The use of psychotropic drugs in long-term care is a significant issue that every facility deals with. This article examines a highly unusual case and also suggests what nursing facilities can expect from government regulators. Read More »
Harnessing the energy of interior spaces can change an institutional building into a home. An interior designer takes a look at the power of light, variety and focus points to create peace and comfort within the care environment. Read More »
New codes, regulations and guidelines for the design of senior living facilities are being developed to support culture change and resident-centered care. Now is the time for long-term care providers to become involved in the development of these guidelines. Read More »
LTC providers are poised to play a big part in turning around the trend of high hospital readmissions with the ever-increasing tools and support continuing to be generated by the innovative within their own industry. Three providers share their effective strategies. Read More »
As the long-term care industry takes on more business in short-term rehabilitation and new expectations from the baby boomer generation, many facilities are finding themselves forced to renovate their buildings and their operations to keep up with the market changes. Read More »
Shelley Silverman King, RN, explains how a Massachusetts facility uses specially trained caregivers and a room full of sensory experiences—music, lighting, hand massage, aromatherapy and other stimuli—to reach its most isolated and lonely population: its residents with advanced dementia. Read More »
Ignoring resident issues that impact his or her quality of life may lead to depression, inactivity, self-pity or other emotional or physical problems. Read More »
Whether caring for seniors in the United States or in a village in the Pacific Rim, providing culture-specific environments and services is taking design in a new direction as seen in three international projects. Read More »
Most nursing home providers understand the importance of auditing the MDS against the medical record to ensure that the chart supports the coding decisions represented on the MDS. But analyzing MDS responses in the context of quality seems to be a missed opportunity for many providers. Read More »
Whether residents are in short-stay rehab or LTC units, providing the right physical environment backed by staff commitment, can improve mobility and, ultimately, reduce falls. Here’s how one LTC community did just that. Read More »
An increased focus by the Attorney General’s office on the conditions in SNFs throughout the state of California mirror the trend of enforcement and prosecution against those in the healthcare industry across the country. Read More »
Good design in environments for the aging improves not only the quality of life for residents, but it resonates, and hopefully improves, every aspect of the senior living business, from marketing to housekeeping. Nowhere will LTC professionals find a more comprehensive and qualified collection of minds from the architecture, interior design and building fields than at Long-Term Living’s 2013 Environments for Aging Conference. Read More »
This could be the year to address perennial problems plaguing your organization. Take advantage of the new year’s momentum by making minor adjustments in three areas for a big impact: appreciation, repair and organization. Read More »
Long-term Living will take a short break from news, articles, blogs and social media on Monday, January 21 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We'll be back on Tuesday, January 22. Read More »
Eating diets high in sugar and fat may not affect the health outcomes of older adults ages 75 and up, suggesting that placing people of such advanced age on overly restrictive diets to treat their excess weight or other conditions may have little benefit, according to a new study. Read More »
The fiscal cliff battle is behind us, but the nation is heading to another possible financial crisis caused largely by politics, and the nursing home sector—and their residents—could well be caught in the middle. Read More »
Too much wasted pharmacy stock, no access to the right drugs late at night and nurses spending more time with medication punch cards than with residents. Sound familiar? As managing the pharmacy delivery in long-term care becomes more complex, a mature technology sees a brand new life in long-term care. Read More »
As of the fourth quarter of 2012, units under construction in assisted living properties equated to 3.0 percent of the existing assisted living inventory within the top 31 metropolitan markets. Construction activity has been oscillating for more than a year, but has clearly moved past the lows established in 2009. Read More »
Hospitals have had electronic health records (EHRs) for years. Now it's long-term care's turn. Industry leaders weigh in on EHR technology and long-term/post-acute care's newly respected role in the patient-centered care continuum. Read More »
The long-term care market is poised for growth in 2013 after the industry experienced a significant increase in mergers and acquisitions activity, refinancings and development projects over the last couple of years. To access capital that is increasingly available, borrowers should review their funding options and do their homework about specific lenders before submitting a financing request. Read More »
Always a stressful situation, a trip to the ER and a subsequent admission present challenges for those with physical challenges that require adaptations in caregiving. Read More »
Want to play a game? Things that are fun CAN be good for you: Computer-enabled gaming can get residents to do their physical and occupational therapy regimens and keep their brains sharp, too. Read More »
In many LTC facilities, nurse aides and practical nurses don't always have the benefit of regular contact with physicians and registered nurses. Do your NAs and PNs have the training they need to recognize skin conditions and administer the best wound care? Read More »
Occupational therapists are trained to focus on a framework made up of the person, the environment and the occupational performance, which can be applied to healthcare design. Read More »
Long-term Living takes a short break from news, articles, blogs and social media on Dec. 31-Jan. 1. We'll be back on Wednesday, Jan. 2. Enjoy the holiday, and see you in 2013! Read More »
The new year is only days away, but it’s not too early to “think Spring.” Consider refreshing the environment of your facility or incorporating the “now” hues into your remodel or construction plans. Read More »
Long-term Living takes a short break from news, articles, blogs and social media on Dec. 24-25. We'll be back on Wednesday, December 26. Enjoy the holidays! Read More »
Long-term Living’s coverage from today’s "Public Workshop on Fostering Independence and Healthy Aging through Technology" in Washington, D.C.: Senior services leaders present the issues of “assistance technology” to keep seniors mobile and independent. Read More »
MedPAC proposes more cuts for 2014, and the skilled nursing industry objects. But the GAO issues a report that can only make the industry’s case more difficult. Read More »
