Are transitions of care on your mind? You’re not alone. Read our on-site coverage of the National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC) Midwest Regional Summit, held this month in Cleveland, for tips and free tools to improve your TOC efforts. Read More »
Updated: 5/21/13: Both parties have decided to cancel merger talks for now. The continuum of care gets bigger and broader in Michigan as two health systems join to form one of the largest non-profits in the state. Read More »
One law firm has created a website to educate consumers about nursing home neglect—and to give them easy access to lawyers who specialize in eldercare neglect cases. Will other states follow suit? Read More »
Updated 11:05 p.m. Thousands of LTC facilities evacuate the coastline from Maryland to New York as Hurricane Sandy sets her sights on inland states. Read More »
Need new service revenue? Two executives from the Francis E. Parker Memorial Home, Highland Park, N.J., share how offering adult day programs can open up opportunities to provide well-needed services while building new bridges to skilled nursing services. Read More »
A national learning collaborative, launched at this week’s LeadingAge conference, is focused on creating new financial and service strategies for senior living. Read More »
A full moon, high tides and colliding storm systems are conspiring to create a “perfect storm” that will bear down on the East Coast next week. Long-term care facilities should initiate their disaster plans now. Read More »
Technology projects planned with the input of all departments have the best staff buy-in and training engagement, says a panel of long-term care project managers who have tackled the IT challenges in their own organizations. Avoid “tech trauma” by learning their tips on IT project strategy. Read More »
A facility laundry incurs many expenses--labor, equipment, energy and more--that factor into the costs of operation. Investing in new equipment and attention to detail can pay off. Read More »
The future of aging is in good hands as LeadingAge presented its 2012 awards to outstanding individuals dedicated to serving America’s senior population. Read More »
Long-term care facilities advised to conduct background checks on employees with direct access to residents to reduce abuse, neglect and theft. Read More »
The overriding message from LeadingAge thought leaders at the group's annual meeting is that providers must step up to the plate and demand a say in the future of the country’s bloated and broken healthcare delivery system. Read More »
The challenge of retaining quality nursing staff and reducing turnover rates can be eased through a few crucial changes in management strategy, say session leaders at this week’s LeadingAge annual meeting. Read More »
Gastroenteritis outbreaks are common in nursing homes. A recent study found that the rates of hospitalization and mortality increased during norovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks in nursing homes as compared with non-outbreaks periods. Read More »
With the national elections drawing ever closer, the long-term care industry continues to turn up the heat on lawmakers, urging them to avoid additional cuts in federal funds for programs that support services to the elderly. Read More »
Coming down with the flu can have serious complications in the elderly. Immunizing residents and staff can help to prevent a serious outbreak in your facility. Take a team approach to assess, plan, intervene and evaluate the threat of influenza for each individual and the facility. Read More »
One of the challenges that we face in sales and marketing is making that initial contact with a prospective referral source that we have never met before. Cold calling, whether conducted over the phone or in-person is nerve racking and rarely successful--unless you have a plan! Read More »
Resident and family satisfaction rates in nursing homes show improvement from when the National Research Corporation began assessing satisfaction levels in 2006. Employees’ responses allow managers and administrators to address areas in need of improvement. Read More »
With more Americans considering staying at home in their elder years instead of moving to a retirement community, many senior living providers are experimenting with alternative service models, including innovative programming and service partnerships. Read More »
Amid the cuts in payments and struggles with occupancy rates, the current long-term care business environment has opportunities for innovation in cost models, care delivery models and technology-driven value, notes the 28th annual Licensed Nursing Facility Cost Comparison. Read More »
I have had my new computer for a few weeks. I would like to say that I have been having a wonderful time with it. But, in fact, at times it makes me feel stupid. Read More »
Incontinence management is a critical issue in skilled nursing facilities, especially as it relates to increased regulatory oversight, budgetary considerations, rehospitalization rates and quality of life for residents. The proper documentation of incontinence is essential in the clinical record and in the MDS database. Read More »
Several recent studies show varying levels of success for infection-reduction programs, including efforts to curb MRSA, CLABSI and CAUTI rates. But the jury is still out on whether healthcare-associated infection (HAI) programs are making progress because of Medicare's new policies—or in spite of them. Read More »
The centralized MDS department and decentralized MDS department each has its pros and each structure can put organizations at risk for survey deficiencies, lost revenue and poor satisfaction among residents and staff. Read More »
Most Medicare beneficiaries are spending more than they need to on Medicare drug plans and should find Plan B within Part D, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health study. Read More »
Seniors have been accused of overusing the Emergency Room, often as a substitute primary care provider. But new studies from a national emergency medicine association say that their ER visits are usually justified. Read More »
Most people view life insurance as financial protection in the event of their death. But seniors are buying life insurance in case they live too long, an interesting twist to seniors’ views on retirement planning. Read More »
