Technology & IT

Home care company partners with National Parkinson Foundation

Honor, a senior home care startup, has joined forces with the National Parkinson Foundation to train caregivers how best to provide non-medical care for clients with Parkinson’s disease. Read More »

Front Porch Center highlights technology innovation

The Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing has launched a new web site to showcase innovative technology projects and educational resources for caregivers. Read More »

Collision in my new power chair

Getting used to piloting a new power chair was part of SNF resident blogger Kathleen Mears' planned day out, but not the crash inside the salon. Read More »

Researchers build biosensor to detect Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancers

A new portable and inexpensive nanometric biosenser can detect moleulular reactions at very low levels, offering early diagnostic testing for degenerative diseases that are not readily or easily detectable. Read More »

Challenges to EHR implementation

A new study on implementation of electronic health records (EHR) has identified several obstacles for doctors, chief among them poor user experience. Read More »

The murky LTPAC interoperability landscape

Providers, vendors and techies are gathering at the 2016 Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Health IT Summit in Reston, Va., this week to discuss the challenges to interoperability and the cost felt by patients, providers and payers. Read More »

Computer engagement reduces antipsychotic usage, improves quality of life

A Chesapeake Bay nursing home's two-year pilot uses technology to improve social engagement and life quality for those with dementia. Read More »

Cedars-Sinai, HomeHero partner to help patients safely transition home

The Safe Transition Home program is designed to reduce impatient hospital readmissions, raise patient satisfaction and improve health outcomes.  Read More »

LeadingAge CAST adds new EHR adoption model

The site-adaptable model is being added to the organization’s portfolio of long-term care electronic health record selection tools. Read More »

Waiting for a new power chair

SNF resident blogger Kathleen Mears relates how shopping for a new power chair can include a lot of adjustments and a lot of waiting. Read More »

Play a mobile game to advance Alzheimer’s research

The new mobile game Sea Hero Quest asks players to help a grown son recover his father’s memories lost to Alzheimer’s disease. Data collected from the game will help scientists study spatial navigation.  Read More »

PointRight names new president and CEO

Newly appointed president and CEO Steven Scott will be tasked with scaling predictive data analytics company PointRight for growth in both the payer and provider markets of long-term post-acute care. Read More »

LTPAC exec services and software companies partner

Pathway Health and Prime Care Technologies will help long-term post-acute care providers capture data and use business intelligence to improve enterprise performance.  Read More »

Useful Apps Club evaluates senior tech and services

Got apps? One non-profit group is using tech-loving seniors to test and evaluate the best apps for seniors and providing lessons in how to use them. Read More »

MatrixCare launches next generation CRM

The new system builds on the company's 25-year success with long-term care leads tracking and marketing solutions. Read More »

AHCA to Congress: Rural SNFs need better technology

Skilled nursing providers in rural areas need better access to broadband connectivity to keep up with the rapidly changing senior care landscape, providers said in testimony before the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Read More »

Adding color to ICD-10 codes

A group of health information technology nerds enjoyed finding obscure and absurd ICD-10 codes like toxic effect of venom of bees, intentional self-harm. They thought others might, too, so they found their favorites, formed a publishing company and illustrated them for your amusement. Read More »

USF study: Brain exercise lets seniors drive on

University of South Florida researchers say certain types of brain exercise can improve reaction times, staving off cognitive decline and letting seniors hang onto a key piece of independence: a driver's license. Read More »

In the future: ‘Droney’ the helper

Drones could someday provide the ultimate in customer service in nursing home setting, delivering sheets, fetching water and monitoring hallways for wanderers. But, would residents want it? Read More »

mmLearn.org expands healthcare training video collection

The Web-based training company adds new training resources based on current trends and industry demand to fill employee healthcare training gaps, increase job satisfaction, reduce turnover and ultimately improve patient care.   Read More »

CMS solicits advancements, interventions in care delivery through Special Innovation Projects

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services seeks ideas for improving care delivery through a Special Innovation Program and will offer 28 awards totaling $8 million. Statements of Objectives will be available early April.  Read More »

Government to add nearly 6,000 updates to ICD-10

The CDC and CMS announced they will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the transition to the new classification system by implementing new diagnosis codes, hospital inpatient procedure codes and revision of existing code titles.  Read More »

Allscripts, Netsmart form $250M human services and PAC tech company

 Allscripts Healthcare Solutions and equity firm GI Partners entered a joint venture with Netsmart Technologies, Inc. to form the largest technology company solely focused on human services and post-acute care.  Read More »

RF Technologies launches small-site nurse call option

RF Technologies now offers many of the features of its enterprise system in an option for smaller nursing home settings. Read More »

Facility staff and cell phones

Resident blogger Kathleen Mears remembers when cell phones were first introduced in her nursing home and how much the etiquette and technology has changed. Read More »

Report: Patient engagement has a long way to go

A startling number of people across adult age groups are nonchalant about engaging in their own health and wellness, according to new survey data from Frost & Sullivan. Read More »