Advocacy

Report declares dementia a global public health crisis

According to research, the number of people living with dementia worldwide, estimated at 35.6 million in 2010, is set to nearly double every 20 years, reaching 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050. Read More »

New AARP network to foster age-friendly communities in U.S.

The new program aims to provide a system to “educate, encourage, promote, and recognize improvements that make cities, towns, and counties more user-friendly not only for their older residents but for residents of all ages,” according to the release. Read More »

Alzheimer’s research funding questioned

A senator says that while he supports Alzheimer’s research, "this $80 million isn’t happening," referring to funding President Obama proposed earlier this year. Read More »

Elder abuse quadruples risk of nursing home admission, report finds

The report argued that while the Elder Justice Act—signed into law with 2010’s Affordable Care Act—authorizes $777 million to combat elder abuse, it has actually “received no appropriations to date.” Read More »

Harness the power of your residents to promote legislative reform

LTC providers should be as proactive and savvy as the American Medical Association when it comes to lobbying Congress by convincing residents to go to war for them when necessary. Read More »

LeadingAge awarded $700k grant to study affordable housing

The LeadingAge Center for Applied Research will study the role that publicly assisted, service-enriched housing for older adults can play in helping residents "age in place." Read More »

Saluting today’s (and tomorrow’s) LTC administrators

It’s time to ring in Long Term Care Administrators Week. ACHCA's Grachek begins the celebration by reflecting on the profession’s challenges, praising your resolve and encouraging all to remain steadfast toward the future. Read More »

From great silence to loud booming: The changing face of senior care

As the Greatest Generation begins its curtain call, the Baby Boomers are waiting in the wings of the long-term care theater. Providers need to begin changing their settings now--There is no intermission. Read More »

HHS releases draft plan to address Alzheimer’s

A draft national plan to address Alzheimer’s disease presents action steps to accelerate research together with proposals for improving care and services. Read More »

Revising the five-star quality rating system: What stays, what goes?

As the fruits of this system are borne each winter to national attention, so too are its faults—to the providers who are affected, and those who remember the recent past. AHCA and LeadingAge offer up areas for improvement. Read More »

AHCA tasks members to reduce hospital readmissions, off-label use of antipsychotics

The four “Quality Initiative” goals have been defined for the next three years to set specific benchmarks for long-term and post-acute care quality improvement. Read More »

LTC providers offered guidance to measure preventable hospitalizations

The Long-Term Quality Alliance released a white paper reporting the lack of quality measures in long-term care to prevent unnecessary hospital readmissions. Read More »

Caregiver advocates ramp up equality message on labor law

One of the more exciting aspects of covering an industry so heavily affected by government policy is to observe how provider associations and advocates aggressively lobby for change. But how often do groups actually demand it? Read More »

NQF endorses palliative and end-of-life measures

The 14 quality measures address a wide range of care concerns, including pain management, psychosocial needs, care transitions and experiences of care. Read More »

Skilled nursing provider groups blast Obama’s 2013 budget

The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care called Obama’s approach to achieving the proposed $4 trillion in deficit reductions a “strategy of ‘cuts only’ without reforms.” Read More »

Two sides of the elderspeak fence

"Dear Abby" readers have weighed in on an important resident issue--elderspeak. Sugary terms of address are no-nos when conversing with an elder, but are they always disrespectful? Read More »

Poll: Most voters oppose reducing Medicare funding for SNF care

The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care, which announced the poll's findings, intends to broadcast the results “on Capitol Hill and in states across the nation.” Read More »

PHI’s Dawson to step down; Sturgeon to take helm

Dawson, PHI’s founding president, will continue to serve on the PHI staff in a newly created position of “strategic advisor.” Read More »

Are we meeting the needs of LGBT seniors?

LGBT seniors should not have to return to the closet to get the services they need—that is a hardship no one should endure. Like all elders, LGBT people want to be treated with dignity. Read More »

Pork gets political for nursing homes

"Don’t mess with residents’ dietary requirements" is the rallying cry of Jewish nursing home advocates after a past veto by Mitt Romney for funding kosher meals garners renewed attention. Read More »

AMDA names interim executive director

Harvey Tillipman will serve as interim executive director until the association completes its search for a permanent executive director. Read More »

AHCA finds providers commit to quality in 2011 despite threat of cuts

The industry is focused on reducing hospital readmissions and improving patient and staff satisfaction, AHCA/NCAL said. However, those goals may be in jeopardy with the likelihood of diminishing reimbursement. Read More »

ALFA partners with new senior living association in India

The Assisted Living Federation of America is aiding the development of Association Senior Living India. ALFA Director Steven Vick will serve on the new association's board. Read More »

Intergenerational relationships: The other is us

First Year Seminar photos courtesy of UMBC New Media Studio At the LeadingAge conference in October, Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel spoke about Read More »

Magic or mayhem: What’s ahead? Part 2

Editor's note: Last month, Long-Term Living readers were treated to five of Richard Peck's predictions for the industry in the coming years Read More »

One-two punch: CLASS demise and budget cuts

Bob Gatty The hits from Washington keep coming for the LTC industry, already reeling from a series of Medicare and Medicaid cuts, and now facing Read More »

Nursing homes: Past, present and future

Judah L. Ronch, PhD The ancestors of the modern nursing home were the almshouses of the colonial era. Over time, settings for the care of the Read More »

Is CLASS really over?

Like thousands of other long-term care industry providers, educators, advocates, vendors (and journalists) making final preparations to attend this Read More »

Employers fight proposed union election timelines

Bob Gatty Business organizations, including representatives of the long-term care industry, have mobilized to fight a proposed new regulation from Read More »

AHCA/NCAL conference report: ‘Our industry is under attack’

Rat Pack tribute? Check. Cheesy Elvis impersonator? Check. Scantily clad showgirls? But of course. It’s conference week in Las Vegas for the Read More »