The New Wave of Foodservice Technology in Senior Care

Skilled Nursing

How occupational therapists influence LTC design decisions

Occupational therapists are trained to focus on a framework made up of the person, the environment and the occupational performance, which can be applied to healthcare design. Read More »

New Chinese law: Visit your elderly parents—or else

“Respecting your elders” has gained a new meaning in China, where the national elder law has been amended to allow elders to sue their children for not taking care of them. Read More »

Obama, Senators set 11th-hour fiscal cliff meeting

No one’s sure what key bargaining chips will be in play at today’s 3 p.m. meeting between President Obama and congressional leaders, but raising the Medicare age isn’t going to be one of them, according to a key Democratic Senator. Read More »

CDC: Make brain health a national priority

Placing brain health among the current national health priorities--like diabetes and heart disease--can give cognitive health the attention and respect it needs to foster awareness and better prevention habits, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Health Brain Initiative. Read More »

Poor vision in older adults: A link to social isolation

Older adults with vision problems curtail social activities because of a fear of falling. Read More »

Holiday cheer

The key to having a happy holiday season is to think of others and give of yourself. Small gestures can have a great an effect on residents, friends and families. Read More »

Top 10 LTC news stories of 2012

The long-term care industry was buffeted by forceful winds of change in 2012. Regulatory, political, economic and societal transitions tested providers’ mettle as the LTC landscape struggles to evolve and adapt. Technological advances and an improving senior housing market were bright spots in a busy news year. Read More »

Washington Update: Republicans fail to support Boehner’s latest fiscal cliff proposal

On the Friday before the Christmas holiday, Congress is still nowhere on an agreement to avert sequestration and the fiscal cliff. Read More »

Alzheimer’s Association releases first comprehensive guide on assessing cognition

Physicians now have a detailed guide for testing cognition and detecting impairment, blostering early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Read More »

When high-tech meets low-tech

We’ve got high-tech flooring sensors, in-room monitors for falls management and remote home monitoring.. . but wait—did we forget to redesign the stairs? Today's IOM meeting in Washington, D.C., provides a backdrop for good discussions on technology, health space design and mission. Read More »

IOM’s “Fostering Independence and Healthy Aging Through Technology” conference

Long-term Living’s coverage from today’s "Public Workshop on Fostering Independence and Healthy Aging through Technology" in Washington, D.C.: Senior services leaders present the issues of “assistance technology” to keep seniors mobile and independent. Read More »

Are SNFs causing their own headaches?

MedPAC proposes more cuts for 2014, and the skilled nursing industry objects. But the GAO issues a report that can only make the industry’s case more difficult. Read More »

AHCA: Medicaid payment shortfalls projected at $7 billion for 2012

A new report released today by the American Health Care Association shows historic shortfalls in what Medicaid pays and what skilled nursing care actually costs. Read More »

5 tips for increasing LTC resident pay and reducing collections

As the resident pay portion in long-term care has increased over the last several years, many facilities are finding it difficult to collect the resident’s entire portion when the resident doesn't have the resources to pay all at once. Here are five key tips for increasing the collection of the resident pay portion, thus reducing the account receivables that end up in collections. Read More »

ONC releases final EMR testing specs for 2014

No more guessing: After months of drafting and reviewing, the Final Testing Method for electronic medical records (EMRs) has been published by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Read More »

Providing shelter in the storm

One of the more compelling stories that came out of Superstorm Sandy in late October was the major blow dealt to New York City-area nursing homes. Staff and management at The Hebrew Home at Riverdale, N.Y., went above and beyond the call of duty in offering shelter and care for displaced area seniors. Read More »

Tragedy in Connecticut reinforces need to protect vulnerable populations

Safety and security is a matter that every type of LTC facility should take very seriously. Assuming that seniors are immune from the type of violence that was witnessed at Sandy Hook Elementary School is a mistake. Read More »

Staying in style in LTC

Being a “beauty school drop-in” has its advantages when visiting an on-site salon for hair care and style maintenance is not an option. Read More »

Working with Workflow: Long-term care’s EMR Technology

Will your EMR grow along with you? Does your information system understand you facility's workflow? Senior care technology expert John Derr explains how to assess workflow amid information technology changes and upgrades. Read More »

Medicare policies complicate aging-in-place strategies

If aging-in-place is on the rise, why is it becoming more difficult for stay-at-home seniors to get mobility equipment? Read More »

IT predictions, trends and challenges for 2013 from IDC

What’s trending for IT in 2013? International Data Corporation (IDC) offers its predictions. Read More »

Injunction sends Conn. nursing home workers back to work

Nursing home workers return to work while their union and employer try to resolve the dispute. Read More »

7 tips to make your LTC facility shine for holiday family visits

The holiday season is a time when family members are more likely than usual to visit their loved ones in long-term care facilities. Now’s your chance to roll out the red carpet and show families what nursing homes are really about—caring treatment of their loved ones, an engaged staff that considers family members part of the team and good customer service. Read More »

Study: Constant assessment of medication regimens critical to patient care

A new study suggests that acknowledging healthcare practitioners’ varying perspectives on the purpose of medication reconciliation and their roles in the process might increase implementation in healthcare settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. Read More »

HHS says no to full funding for partial Medicaid expansions

The Department of Health & Human Services clarified its position Monday on funding ratios for state Medicaid expansions and published an extensive FAQ list on state health insurance exchanges. Read More »

Washington Update: Medicare, ‘doc-fix’ and the ‘fiscal cliff’

Healthcare policy expert Blair Childs, vice president for public affairs at Premier healthcare alliance, gives his "insider impressions" of what’s happening on the Hill regarding a possible "doc-fix," Medicare funding, and possible Affordable Care Act policy changes as the deadline clock ticks down on the fiscal cliff. Read More »

One-on-one with … Sharon Yester

Sharon Yester, chief asset management officer for CNL Financial Group, the investment management firm of CNL Healthcare, spoke with Long-Term Living on emerging senior housing markets, finding good operators to partner with and meeting the exploding demand for memory care products. Read More »

Deinstitutionalized dining in LTC

Eliminating tray service in the dining room has deinstitutionalized meal times. Resident satisfaction has soared and Winchester Rehabilitation and Nursing has saved money. Read More »

Drug company must repay Medicare up to $48M for selling unapproved Xenaderm cream

The Healthpoint pharmaceutical company has to give back millions in Medicare reimbursements for false marketing of a skin ointment cream. Read More »

A positive outlook on aging aids in recovery from disabilities

Maintaining a positive outlook on aging helps many seniors recover from disabilities and extend independence, study finds Read More »