Administration

One-on-one with…. Ruta Kadonoff

Senior Editor Pamela Tabar talks with Ruta Kadonoff, vice president of quality and regulatory affairs for the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), about quality in long-term care—and why being able to measure it will be important for business. Read More »

2% Medicare payment reductions begin today

The waiting is over. No resolution to the budget crisis means that sequestration begins—today. Long-term care facilities will feel the effects upfront, but a quieter casuality might be healthcare's information technology and data-sharing initiatives. Read More »

Fla insurance shutdown hits 100,000 Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries

Florida’s Universal Health Care Insurance suddenly closed its doors last week, giving beneficiaries three days to choose another insurance provider. Read More »

CMS dashboard to simplify best practices for chronic disease

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a new analytics tool to help providers understand multiple chronic conditions in seniors. Read More »

White House, Congress might consider combining Medicare Parts A and B

Sweeping changes may be on the horizon for the way Medicare billing is divided, as President Obama and Republicans put the idea of combining Medicare Parts A and B back on the discussion table, the New York Times reports today. Read More »

The case for nurse coaching

In recent years, a new approach has been added to the kit bag of thousands of nurses and scores of nurse supervisors across the country--nurse coaching.  Nurse coaching focuses on building a relationship-centered approach to supporting the growth and development of others. Read More »

REITs, acquisitions impact senior housing rankings list

It’s not exactly a building boom yet, but things are looking brighter for the senior housing market, according to ALFA’s new senior living provider rankings. Read More »

Study: Texting better than paging for speedy stroke treatment

Those who suffer a stroke may want the emergency medical staff to be busy texting instead of using an overhead paging system, a new study finds. Read More »

Pressure ulcers: What we don’t know can hurt us

Knowledge about the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers has come a long way, but has it come far enough to prevent and reduce the incidence of this problem in long-term care? Read More »

DOJ nabs more home health, therapy fraudsters

The Department of Justice and Medicare fraud teams continue to look hard at therapy and home care billing. Read More »

CMMI, Senate committee lock horns over innovation projects

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) got a tongue-lashing from the Senate Finance Committee, while CMMI’s director explains that testing new models takes time before payment reforms can be put into action. Read More »

Small changes have big impact on LTC residents’ sense of control, autonomy

When long-term care residents perceive control over what is generally a highly structured new environment, it helps them cope with stressors, reduces their depression and anxiety and increases their satisfaction with care. Read More »

Should prisoners move into nursing homes?

Mainstreaming elderly prisoners into LTC facilities has its champions and its critics. How do residents feel about sharing their space with convicts? Kathleen Mears shares her views. Read More »

Researchers discover signalling pathway to control Alzheimer’s

Researchers have discovered a key protein function that appears to “turn off” Alzheimer’s disease. Read More »

LTC industry applauds legislation to roll back therapy caps

Legislation that would roll back caps on therapy services to seniors in skilled nursing centers has been introduced in both the House and Senate and is being applauded by an industry reeling from one payment reduction after another. Read More »

Staff scheduling strategies for better care and better business

Are your staff scheduling processes as fair, balanced and tightly connected to your census and acuities as they should be? Two experts explain why even small changes in staffing can add up to big savings. Read More »

Boomers and seniors primed for digitial marketing

Seniors get a bad rap when it comes to technology, but they’re America’s fast-growing dempgraphic is certain digital technologies. Have you "seniorized" your media marketing streams? Read More »

Antibiotics: LTC’s double-edged sword

The days of antibiotics being a "silver bullet" are long over, especially in nursing homes. And when it comes to antibiotic medication, more isn't necessarily better. The challenge of treating bacterial infections without inadvertently creating new resistant bacterial strains has LTC facilities stuck between a rock and a hard place. Read More »

NCAL: More than one-third of states changed AL regulations in 2012

States have refined survey systems and are demanding more disclosure for assisted living, according to the Assisted Living State Regulatory Review, released Wednesday by The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). Read More »

Consistent nursing staff related to fewer rehospitalizations in SNFs

Licensed nurse retention seems to curb readmissions, and vice-versa. Read More »

Shooting at Pennsylvania hospice

A Pennsylvania hospice patient was shot by her husband, who then turned the gun on himself. Read More »

Report: 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia

A new report from the Alzheimer's Association shows that while deaths from other major diseases, such as heart disease, HIV/AIDS and stroke continue to experience significant declines, Alzheimer's deaths continue to rise—increasing 68 percent from 2000-2010. Read More »

MedPAC to Congress: Reduce SNF payments by 4% in 2014

Skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies face payment reductions, but hospices and long-term care hospitals get a first-round bye in MedPAC's latest Medicare payment recommendations to Congress. Read More »

CHF: Fighting the new readmission issue with an old drug

Cardiology researchers discover that the latest help in reducing readmissions of those with chronic heart failure may come from a drug considered as "old hat" 10 years ago. Read More »

LTC and mental health services: Collaboration is a financial win-win

Long-term care providers and behavioral health services should go hand in hand in aging care, experts say. If your facility can’t provide or fund mental health services, partner for them—and everyone wins. Read More »

Rethinking senior living models

Boomers seek diversity and innovation in their pursuit of the perfect aging-in-place setting. The good news is senior living providers can develop more options, think more innovatively and create more diverse market niches than ever before. Read More »

The impact of the aging population on acute care facilities

How is senior-centric care changing the way hospitals are designed? Anne DiNardo, senior editor of our sister-publication Healthcare Design, asks two design experts about the impacts of geriatric care on the rest of the care chain in this sneak-peek of what attendees will learn at our Environments for Aging conference next month. Read More »

AHCA promotes immigration reform before Congress to solve caregiver shortage

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) today will voice its support for comprehensive immigration reform and offer solutions to the nationwide mid-level caregiver staffing crisis before a House Education & Workforce Subcommittee on Workplace Protections. Read More »

Final 3 members appointed to LTC commission

President Obama adds the last three names to the Long Term Care Commission, completing the group's bipartisan membership. Read More »

JAMA: Elderly often given unnecessary tests for colon cancer screening

Colon cancer screenings save thousands of lives each year, but for those over age 75, the risks of invasive procedures like colonoscopies may outweigh the benefits, a new JAMA Internal Medicine study says. Read More »