With approximately 2.5 million people dying each year, the need for quality palliative and hospice services is at an all-time high. There is an increased focus on palliative and hospice care by the public and private sectors to ensure that high-quality end-of-life care is available to our aging population. Read More »
Following a procedure to have a kidney stone removed at a large university hospital, Kathy wonders why appropriate equipment could not be made available for a patient's most basic needs. Read More »
Many older adults with dementia live and die in community settings rather than nursing homes, contradicting the commonly held view that most people with dementia eventually move to nursing homes and die there. Read More »
Failure to notify residents or family members in skilled nursing facilities before administering antipsychotic medications may constitute charges of elder abuse for nursing homes. Read More »
Incontinence is associated with falls, skin breakdown and social isolation. An incontinence assessment is important for new residents and any resident who has had a change in their continence status. Read More »
2012’s winning senior living projects were feted at this year's Environments for Aging conference. Representatives of the four architecture firms responsible for creating exemplary and inspiring example of environments for aging accepted their awards before an audience of their congratulatory peers. Read More »
Mother’s Day kicks off the annual Nursing Home Week celebration. It’s time to honor those wonderful people who live—and work—in long-term care. Look for creative ways to engage residents, families and staff in this weeklong celebration of the positives long-term care. Read More »
The final rule, effective June 26, continues to require that all providers and suppliers who qualify for a unique identification number—the National Provider Identifier (NPI)—include their NPI on applications to enroll in Medicare and Medicaid and on all reimbursement claims submitted. Read More »
Picture a bedsore. Stare at it. Now, focusing on that same image, re-label it “skin failure.” Suddenly, the identical wound no longer looks or ‘feels’ the same. Here are suggestions for modifying commonly used words and phrases to clarify what is communicated to residents, families and others. Read More »
A state-by-state breakdown by the CDC demonstrates that healthcare-associated infections in hospitals have been declining since HHS first introduced its National Action Plan, which enters its third and final phase next summer with a focus on long-term care facilities. Read More »
Congratulations to the third of five Leaders of Tomorrow award winners profiled this week: Nancy Brody Kleinberg, CEO and administrator, Park Pleasant Nursing and Rehab Center, Philadelphia, Pa. Read More »
Long-Term Living's new awards program aims to recognize and encourage future leaders, who are so urgently needed during these times of great change, daunting challenges and uncertainty in long-term care. Read More »
As patients transfer from one point of care to another, medications that travel with them need to be reconciled for appropriateness and safety at the new care setting. Should those medications be restarted as the patient transfers to a skilled nursing facility? Read More »
Two new studies presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons looked at the effects of smoking on total joint replacement and found evidence of higher rates of failure compared to non-smokers. Read More »
When treating infections in the LTC setting it is imperative that staff members have defined roles in the treatment process and that facilities have clear procedures in place to effectively treat infections. Read More »
Beyond tangible, teachable skills, like how to set a table properly, training for thriving employees includes helping them break out of the status quo. When employees are able to take small risks in the service of making the community work better, they feel empowered and engaged. Read More »
Hospital emergency rooms that cater to the elderly are drawing attention for their special features (artificial skylights, thicker mattresses, absence of noise and rushing residents) and, most interestingly, their lower rates of return visits. Read More »
What should LTC developers know about operational and business challenges when it comes to memory care? And what do they need to know about developments on the regulatory front? Loren B. Shook, president and CEO of Silverado Senior Living, weighs in on these questions in an exclusive interview. Read More »
The most common predictor of hospitalization for venous thromboembolism—a potentially life-threatening condition that includes both deep-vein and lung blood clots—was recent exposure to an infection, according to the study in Circulation. Read More »
For the new National Emphasis Program, OSHA will target LTC facilities with a days-away-from-work rate of 10 or higher per 100 full-time workers. Read More »
Successful LTC facilities create an environment where hospice is just as “normal” as any other referral. Providers should have an understanding of disease progression and be able to convey it to the resident and family, alleviating fears through knowledge. Read More »
The Joint Commission online portal on health care-associated infections provides both free and for-purchase resources for combating central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections and other conditions. Read More »
The Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses mentoring program, which is supplemented with online resources, is designed to help nurses develop relationships and improve their caregiving skills. Read More »
A policy paper addresses the potential impact of payment reductions including the loss of at least 20,000 jobs industry-wide and cancellation of facility expansions or renovations that would have generated 20,000-25,000 new jobs. Read More »
