The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it has found little evidence to support or refute the possibility that the use of quality measures has had unintended consequences in nursing homes and other settings. Read More »
Injections, blood draws and some testing procedures expose healthcare personnel to the risk of a sharps injury. A sharps prevention program is key to preventing the spread of blood-borne pathogens. Read More »
Getting tasks or treatments completed on time can be challenging in a nursing home. But when it happens, staff should find a common-sense solution to make up for lost time without disrupting residents' activities. Read More »
Aging services providers are relative newcomers to purchasing and using electronic medical records (EMR) systems, but the necessity of such systems in long-term care settings is becoming more important. A continuing care retirement community shares its EMR selection and implementation experience. Read More »
Two recent fires—one a tragedy, one a triumph—prove the wisdom of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services mandate to require sprinkler systems in skilled nursing facilities. Read More »
An examination of recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Nursing Home Compare data generates disturbing insights on the number of fines levied on skilled nursing facilities. Read More »
New research reveals the most expensive states for care in nursing homes and assisted living communities and from home healthcare providers. Read More »
Not only does a SNF survey cause long-term care staff concern, but residents witness the process firsthand to see how the care they receive is evaluated. Read More »
Newly released data from the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers show where older Americans are living in nursing homes and residential care facilities or receiving home healthcare, hospice care or adult day services. Read More »
One community finds its firefighters performing assistance tasks that should be addressed by caregivers or staff at skilled nursing facilities. Read More »
A skilled nursing facility in a New York hospital has removed bed/chair fall alarm systems to becoming an alarm-free care setting in an innovative program to improve residents' quality of care and quality of life. Read More »
The federal government has produced a free guide to help senior living operators and staff members combat the financial exploitation of residents, which has implications beyond those you might expect. Read More »
The Administration for Community Living of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published the first federal regulations for the long-term care ombudsman programs in the Federal Register in an effort to improve consistency among state programs. Read More »
This month’s annual meeting of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology featured a keynote by HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell announcing the agency’s plan to increase the adoption of health IT. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will make three main changes to the calculations used for the Nursing Home Compare website beginning with the information publicly reported for February, the agency announced in a Feb. 12 call to providers. Read More »
When care and assistance is needed, where can low-income seniors go to have the services they need delivered in a safe, secure and affordable environment? Read More »
Quality-of-care issues exist in all long-term care settings, but they are especially pronounced for those with advanced dementia, according to health economist David Grabowski, PhD, of Harvard. He details several potential opportunities to address the issues. Read More »
Love can bloom in a nursing home and some resident couples can progress in becoming independent enough to reestablish able roots in the community. Part one of a two-part series. Read More »
Older adults being cared for at home rather than a nursing home experienced “significantly less” deterioration in their ability to perform activities of daily living after one year, a new study finds. Read More »
New website offers the latest information on risk management topics to keep your staff, residents and organization ahead of accidents or injuries. Read More »
