Resident Care

Pace steps down from Advancing Excellence, joins Alzheimer’s Association

One of long-term care's busiest advocates and policy influencers shifts leadership to the Alzheimer's Association. Read More »

PharMerica, Amgen reach settlement

Kentucky and 25 other states accuse PharMerica Corp.of accepting payoffs to switch nursing home residents to Amgen product for anemia. Read More »

How will you celebrate National Senior Citizens Day?

How are you celebrating the day with your residents?  Read More »

WVa now requires state, national criminal background checks for LTC workers

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources now requires fingerprint-based state and national criminal background checks for long-term care workers. Read More »

The buzz on granny drones

Technology has contributed to improved healthcare, communication and convenience, but is it going too far in devaluing the human experience? Granny may be seeing drones on the horizon. Read More »

CMS adds more participants to bundled payments initiative

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid announced that 2,100 participants have moved on to the contract, risk-bearing period of the bundling pilot program. Read More »

Nursing home sues state attorney general

One of seven New Mexico nursing homes being sued by state Attorney General Hector Balderas has struck back with a lawsuit of its own. Read More »

Nursing home residents at higher risk for dehydration

Seniors living in nursing homes are more likely to be dehydrated than seniors living independently, according to a new study. Read More »

AHCA/NCAL names the 2015 gold quality award winners

Four long-term/post-acute care providers have earned this year's top quality awards from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. Read More »

Researchers get one step closer to solving hereditary edema

The extreme tissue swelling caused by edema can aggravate many conditions, and scientists now think they’re discovered the genetic makeup of a new type of hereditary edema. Read More »

CMS extends execution delay for ‘two-midnight’ rule again

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has pushed the deadline for the "two-midnight" rule to the end of the year. Read More »

Power chair challenges: Part 1

Battery-operated wheelchairs can improve a resident’s quality of life. But what happens when it goes on the fritz? Read More »

Gearing up for OSHA lifting policy changes

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is about to get tougher on injuries casued by lifting- and transferring-related activities. Here's how to rework your lifting protocols and educate your staff. Read More »

MA lawmakers propose new rules for closing, selling nursing homes

Massachusetts lawmakers are asking that the process companies go through to sell or close a nursing home become more public.  Read More »

Let’s talk about dying

The biggest fact of life is that everyone dies. As the clock takes its final ticks—whether it’s counting down the life of a loved one or yourself—do family and friends know how to honor your wishes? Read More »

New app helps families and caregivers coordinate visits, tasks

CareMonster, a caregiving app startup, helps families take care of elderly loved ones, but also has a business model that can be adopted by providers. Read More »

Alzheimer’s Foundation stresses relationship building in new training video

The six-hour video training course taps the insights of several geriatrics experts and incldues the oppportunity to apply for an AFA certificate in dementia care. Read More »

FDA warns of errors with same-sounding drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration  (FDA) warns of prescribing errors among same-sounding drugs, including several that are used to treat conditions common among older adults. Read More »

Report: Antipsychotic drug use in nursing homes drops

Data from the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes shows a significant drop in the use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes. Read More »

Ohio may integrate convicts into nursing homes

The costs of caring for sick and frail older convicts are skyrocketing and soon so will the numbers of elderly inmates in the nation’s prison systems. The Ohio Department of Corrections thinks it has found the answer to reducing the state's costs of providing care. Read More »

Some dementia drugs contribute to weight loss

A new study ties some of today’s most common dementia drugs to sharper weight loss and gastrointestinal complications.  Read More »

Pennsylvania creates task force to oversee nursing home care

The task force has been asked to identify ways the health department can advance quality improvement in the state's LTC facilities.  Read More »

Senator questions integrity of five-star nursing home rating system

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.) has called for an investigation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid's five-star nursing home compare tool.  Read More »

MDS assessment accuracy and quality outcome success

MDS coordinators are charged with the responsibility to ensure all of the data accurately reflects all residents and the care that is being provided to them. Read More »

Jack’s quest for ice

Sometimes residents have simple needs such as a refilling a pitcher of ice. Is ice that precious a commodity that it has to be locked up? Or is it a safety issue to avoiding accidental spills and contamination? Read More »

FDA warns of infusion pump vulnerability

The federal Food and Drug Administration warns healthcare facilities using the Symbiq infusion pump system to be aware that the drug system is vulnerable to hacking. Read More »

Addiction in seniors: ‘It’s at epidemic levels’

A "silver tsunami" of addicted seniors is coming, warned a speaker at this week's National Conference on Addiction Disorders, hosted by sister-publication Addiction Professional.  Read More »

Technology advancements improve documentation and care

Point-of-care (POC) technology solutions reduce costs and improve quality of care for hospice, home health providers. Read More »

Coordinated data-sharing could cut “superbug” infections in half

Aggressive intervention using a coordinated approach could prevent healthcare-related infections and death, saving the healthcare system billions of dollars in treatment costs. Read More »

Senior mental health: Too many pills, not enough services?

Seniors seem to be getting plenty of mental health medications, like antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills. But a recent report shows that older adults are far less likely than younger adults to receive the supportive mental health services that often accompany a mental health diagnosis. Read More »