Four members of Congress have launched the Assisting Caregivers Today Caucus to focus on issues related to family caregiving, and the American Health Care Association has become a charter member. Read More »
A California nursing home is the first skilled nursing facility in the country to receive certification for memory care under the Joint Commission’s new program. Read More »
Restoring Medicaid funding, improving Medicaid managed long-term care and protecting seniors from unexpected medical bills are the three legislative priorities set by the Florida Health Care Association for 2015, the organization has announced. Read More »
Members of the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association recently lobbied Congress to urge legislators to allow patients to receive rehabilitation care in rehab hospitals rather than in nursing homes when their needs require it. Read More »
Assisted living communities and home health agencies will be some of the next frontiers for the federal government’s efforts to reduce the use of antipsychotic medications in those with dementia, following a recommendation from the Government Accountability Office. Read More »
Two recent fires—one a tragedy, one a triumph—prove the wisdom of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services mandate to require sprinkler systems in skilled nursing facilities. Read More »
An examination of recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Nursing Home Compare data generates disturbing insights on the number of fines levied on skilled nursing facilities. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has posted information explaining the changes to its five-star nursing home rating system, which you can use to help educate prospective residents and their families. Read More »
Not only does a SNF survey cause long-term care staff concern, but residents witness the process firsthand to see how the care they receive is evaluated. Read More »
As promised Feb. 12, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services publicly announced changes to the five-star rating system used on its Nursing Home Compare website Feb. 20. Some organizations representing aging services providers are expressing concerns. Read More »
A skilled nursing facility in a New York hospital has removed bed/chair fall alarm systems to becoming an alarm-free care setting in an innovative program to improve residents' quality of care and quality of life. Read More »
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 »
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 »
Two congressmen have reintroduced an act that would require hospitals to notify a patient within a certain period of time after classifying him or her as an inpatient or as an outpatient under observation. Read More »
Credentialing, standards and public policy in the senior living industry were on the agenda when the Assisted Living Federation of America hosted 35 of its state partners this week. Read More »
The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition says the MAC Transparency Act, if passed, would improve payment transparency within the Medicare prescription drug program. 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 »
Use of antipsychotic medications in long-stay nursing home residents has experienced a greater-than-expected decrease, according to new data. Read More »
Effective immediately, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will cover lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography for Medicare beneficiaries—with certain conditions. Read More »
July is the target for the start of the publication of star ratings on the Home Health Compare website, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Read More »
