An out-of-order elevator can not only be inconvenient, but it can also present a safety hazard, as one Canadian long-term care facility recently learned. Read More »
Over the next 10 years, SNFs will face $65 billion in Medicare cuts. Have they been pushed off the fiscal cliff as Medicare payments continue to be reduced for skilled care? Read More »
While the original filing deadline has passed, states have been given another extension for compliance with Obamacare’s health insurance exchange mandate. 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 »
MedPAC recommends that Congress vote to keep the special needs plans under Medicare Advantage, although some of the plans perform better than others. Read More »
Each year, hundreds of people die in fires caused by heating equipment, including portable space heaters, according to the National Fire Protection Association. While prohibited in smoke compartments where residents are present in skilled nursing facilities, portable electric space heaters continue to find their way into LTC facilities of all types. Read More »
Which marketing tactics are working best for your facility? Direct referrals aren't the only way to measure the worth of your marketing strategies. Read More »
When it comes to longevity, a healthy attitude about aging matters. Colorado researchers are working on a way to measure self-perceived age. Read More »
Because of the stronger likelihood that more women will access benefits than men, long-term care insurance providers are rethinking their policy premiums. Read More »
Another 106 provider organizations make the CMS list of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), bringing the number of covered beneficiaries to more than 4 million. Read More »
Properly installed bed rails can be protective devices, but if misused or improperly installed/maintained, they can be unsafe for the elderly long-term care resident—even deadly. Read More »
An especially aggressive influenza strain and a nationwide outbreak of norovirus are joining forces to form one of the worst flu seasons in decades. Read More »
When tidal surges and flood waters from Superstorm Sandy damaged or completely washed away homes this past November, many independent, elderly homeowners began to rethink their housing and safety options. Read More »
The Joint Commission has revised its skilled nursing and rehabilitation accreditation standards, and now offers specialty services facilities a new way to certify their expertise. 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 »
Congress is considering new legislation that would erase many of the barriers to telehealth adoption and create better incentives for providers. 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 »
“Respecting your elders” has gained a new meaning in China, where the national elder law has been amended to allow elders to sue their children for not taking care of them. Read More »
No one’s sure what key bargaining chips will be in play at today’s 3 p.m. meeting between President Obama and congressional leaders, but raising the Medicare age isn’t going to be one of them, according to a key Democratic Senator. 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 »
Placing brain health among the current national health priorities--like diabetes and heart disease--can give cognitive health the attention and respect it needs to foster awareness and better prevention habits, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Health Brain Initiative. Read More »
The long-term care industry was buffeted by forceful winds of change in 2012. Regulatory, political, economic and societal transitions tested providers’ mettle as the LTC landscape struggles to evolve and adapt. Technological advances and an improving senior housing market were bright spots in a busy news year. Read More »
Physicians now have a detailed guide for testing cognition and detecting impairment, blostering early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Read More »
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is paying apartment owners in nine states to convert their buildings to assisted living units. Read More »
