CCRC

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 »

What 55+ consumers (don’t call them ‘seniors’) want in their living environments

Margaret Wylde, PhD, president and CEO, ProMatura, has her fingers firmly on the pulse of the booming 55+ demographic. She spoke with Long-Term Living Editor-in-Chief Patricia Sheehan in advance of her keynote address at the Environments for Aging conference, to be held April 6-9 in New Orleans. Read More »

Aging baby boomers and Blue Ocean opportunities

Expect changes as the Baby Boom generation ages. As in their youth, they will do things differently from their parents and create  their own concepts of elderhood. 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 »

AMDA Foundation names its 2013 Medical Director of the Year

AMDA Foundation presents its annual Medical Director of the year award at its 2013 conference in Washington, D.C. 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 »

Self-management of chronic diseases can keep seniors healthy

A new program of self-management of chronic conditions is designed to provide seniors with the tools to take charge of their conditions to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. 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 »

Puppy love can be risky for the elderly

Pets, especially pets trained to respond to the elderly, are welcome guests—and even permanent residents—at some nursing homes. However, research indicates that it might be better to leave pups at home. Read More »

‘Super cane’ melds mobility and monitoring

This is definitely not your grandfather’s cane—yet. 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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

Consistent nursing staff related to fewer rehospitalizations in SNFs

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

Is visiting an unhappy reminder?

Residents enjoy when family and friends come to call. However, these visits might trigger old memories or a glimpse of their own futures in long-term care. 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 »

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 »

Winter weather is a marketing opportunity

No one can control the weather, but we can control the risks that older people and their caregivers face when the snow piles up. Contributor Luke Fannon explains how the right strategy can turn the perfect storm into a powerful marketing opportunity. Read More »