Healthcare associations appeal to Congress to keep the therapy cap off the calendar for another year, as the clock ticks toward the December 31 Congressional deadline. Read More »
Creating a detailed emergency response plan—and keeping it updated—is crucial to safeguarding your organization’s residents, staff and property. These disaster planning checklists can help you manage risk and keep your staff ready for anything. Read More »
One of long-term care's largest skilled nursing companies just got bigger, as Pennsylvania-based Genesis HealthCare adds to its service lines in a $215 million deal. Read More »
Speaker of the House John Boehner delivered a new proposal to solve the budget crisis this afternoon-- including billions in healthcare cuts. Read More »
There are plenty of potential holes in the Meaningful Use incentives programs for electronic health records—and too many temptations for cheating, says a new OIG report. Read More »
The elderly can benefit from the “use it or lose it” tenet of good geriatric practice, which encourages them to make choices from among meaningful alternatives. This practice requires no special technology because it’s what we do countless times every day. Read More »
The status quo never inspired innovation. Dr. Tellis-Nayak, a medical sociologist and Senior Research Advisor at the National Research Corporation, explains why improving long-term care means being willing to look beyond "the way things are" and considering the way things could be. Read More »
The No. 1 factor impacting health status in residents with Parkinson’s disease isn’t the shakes and the loss of muscle control—it’s the depression. Read More »
I challenge LTC providers to think of creative ways to develop solid and meaningful relationships with their community’s first responders and providers of other essential services that will be mutually beneficial in good times as well as bad times. Read More »
President Barack Obama’s reelection ensured that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be fully implemented and your organization needs to be prepared for its potential impact on your facility or service. Here are some important aspects of the law you must consider when making strategic and tactical decisions that will impact the marketing of your services. Read More »
One way to enhance the brain’s “little gray cells” and to stave off the effects of Parkinson’s and dementia may be pedaling that bicycle, note researchers presenting at RSNA, the world’s largest radiology conference. Read More »
Still think the majority of residents at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are grannies? Not anymore. Check out the fastest-growing demographic in today’s LTC market. Read More »
Michigan has made a commitment to culture change. PHI serves as the convener for this multi-stakeholder group that includes resident advocates, provider associations, government agencies, culture change advocates and employee organizations. Read More »
The release of today's proposed rules brings the Department of Health & Human Services a few steps closer in building the rules for state health exchanges (HIX). Read More »
Throughout the years, it is inevitable that holiday celebrations change. Families grow, they shrink and other circumstances contribute to adaptations in family traditions. Kathleen Mears shares some of her Thanksgiving memories and plans. Read More »
Today was to be decision day for states on whether they intend to participate in the new state health exchange program, but an eleventh-hour extension from Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius gives the remaining eight states another few weeks to decide. Read More »
Brookdale Senior Living is considering several financial options to refit its operations in an era of Medicare reductions, announced Brookdale's CFO and co-president Mark Ohlendorf today at the Stephens Fall Investment Conference. Read More »
Nursing home and assisted living operators are seeing a marked increase in “piercing the corporate veil” theories and corporate negligence claims in malpractice litigation. The good news is facilities can and should employ strategies that can help insulate them from these claims. Read More »
Skilled nursing facility private room rates rose by 3.8 percent compared to last year, reaching a national average of $90,520 per year. But two sectors of long-term care had no cost increases at all, according to the annual survey from MetLife Mature Market. Read More »
Eileen Malo, CEO of Schervier Nursing Care Center in Riverdale, N.Y., shares her insights on continuing to provide efficient and compassionate care to the growing numbers of seniors whether they reside in an LTC facility or in the community. Read More »
The clarion call to action grows ever louder: In addition to lobbying their local lawmakers, long-term care providers must best position their organizations to serve a rapidly changing healthcare system or face demise. Read More »
The Department of Health and Human Services has submitted another rulemaking piece on state health insurance exchanges to the Office of Management and Budget—the last step before publication. Read More »
Long-term care organizations are using an aggressive advertising campaign to tell Congress to end the deep cuts to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Read More »
Under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Meaningful Use incentive program for the use of electronic health records, eligible providers have received more than $8 billion in incentive payouts since the program began in early 2011, according to this week's report. Read More »
Just as documentation requirements begin to heat up, healthcare technology circles are abuzz as executives confirm that electronic medical record system vendor Allscripts Healthcare Solutions may be up for sale. Read More »
A good percentage of disaster management is “getting your ducks in a row.” Most of this involves establishing appropriate relationships that may be premised on contacts, formalized agreements and memorandums of understanding with vendors of essential services and other facilities that may be needed to provide evacuation and relocation assistance during the disaster recovery phase. Read More »
Bathing a person with Alzheimer's or other dementias can be a challenge and a frustration for the individual and the caregiver. Cindy Keith, RN, BS, is a certified dementia practitioner, lecturer and trainer. Her practical advice can ensure that frayed nerves, tempers, and emotions will not "bubble" up to ruin what should be a pleasurable experience. Read More »
The votes are in: The Obama Administration now has four more years to further the healthcare initiatives begun under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. So, what happens next? Long-term care leaders, providers and industry experts weigh in on the implications of President Obama's reelection for the U.S. healthcare system and, specifically, the LTC industry. Read More »
