Long-term care (LTC) companies that acquire and understand their data will be in a much stronger position as hospitals, managed care organizations and accountable care organizations look for LTC partners, experts say. Read More »
In what the federal government maintains is one of the largest healthcare fraud settlements in U.S. history, Johnson & Johnson and subsidiaries will pay more than $2.2 billion for allegedly promoting three drugs for unapproved uses in the elderly and others as well as purportedly paying kickbacks to doctors and the country’s biggest long-term care pharmacy provider. Read More »
A $13.4 million initiative funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services hopes to improve care and communication within nursing facilities and between nursing homes and acute care institutions so that problems can be caught and managed before it becomes necessary to transport residents to the hospital. Read More »
As the end of daylight saving time approaches in most parts of the United States, here are some tips to keep you—and residents—healthy and alert in the coming weeks. Read More »
The first national survey of patient-controlled pain medication pumps has revealed red flags in how patient vitals are monitored and how risk factors are calculated. Read More »
Study investigates the geographical differences and patterns in drug prescribing and drug therapies for Medicare patients and the potential risks involved. Read More »
Technology is just one of many ways to help residents get enough sleep, according to recent research, which suggests ways to address staffing level and shift pattern issues that can lead to sleep problems. Read More »
A senior housing complex with a reputation for frequent calls to local paramedics saw a one-third decrease in the calls after implementing a new program. Read More »
Although seasonal vaccinations are good preventive steps to protect seniors from various health challenges, the inoculations may have some side effects. Kathleen Mears shares her experience with the shingles vaccination. Read More »
New recommendations from a group of 22 professional societies, health-related organizations, government agencies and industry representatives seek to increase medication adherence in seniors with multiple conditions, reducing medication errors, drug interactions and disease complications in the process. Read More »
Seniors with diabetes, COPD, heart disease or Alzheimer’s disease need to pay careful attention when choosing a drug coverage plan, a new study says. Read More »
Live from AHCA/NCAL: To be successful in your mission of person-centered care, you must include residents and their families in your care planning. It sounds obvious, but many facilities that think they are doing this are not. Here are some points to consider. Read More »
The faces of residents are changing and the industry is prepared to care for the “new” patients as well as the traditional long-term care residents it serves. Read More »
The American Psychiatric Association takes a stance against using antipsychotics as a first-line treatment option for the agitation and behavioral outbursts common in those with dementia. Read More »
It’s open enrollment time again for seniors to select their Medicare supplemental health and drug plans. According to CMS, Medicare Advantage plans will see a very slight increase from 2013 premium payments. Read More »
Long-term and post-acute care organizations now have a new tool to help them evaluate and select telehealth and remote patient monitoring systems. Read More »
As Falls Prevention Awareness Day approaches, experts offer tips staff members can implement to improve resident safety as well as insights into how falls contribute to vision-related costs to the government, private insurers and individuals. Read More »
Direct-care workers, previously exempt from national minimum wage and overtime laws, will now be considered the same as any other employee. Will the change in the compensation laws help or hinder the role of direct-care workers in the expanding field of home care? Read More »
Administrators and healthcare professionals have roles to play when it comes to delivering person-centered care to nursing home residents, according to new research. Read More »
The Eliza Jennings Senior Care Network is Long-Term Living's 2013 OPTIMA Award winner, honored for bringing a memory care program from a distant land to the United States and integrating the program's vision into the person-centered care delivered across its provider network. Read More »
Today, drugstores, supermarkets, wholesale clubs and discount stores advertise their flu, pneumonia and shingles vaccines. But, as Long-Term Living resident blogger Kathy Mears reminds us, immunization can avoid or minimize contracting a very painful case of herpes zoster, otherwise known as shingles. Read More »
Long-term care communities have made strides in technology acceptance, but most still lag far behind acute care in electronic health record system adoption. Read More »
