Month: September 2011

Where are they now?

The Safety ProgramBortz Health Care of Traverse City Traverse City, Mich. 2002 OPTIMA Award Winner For the staff members at Bortz Health Care of Read More »

HHS releases Medicaid RAC final rule; program to save $2.1 billion

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today released its final rule for the Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Program, a Read More »

In light of survey, another DON bites the dust—or not!

The cars pull into our parking lot. The alert siren sounds throughout the building. Survey is here. I dread these few days out of each year, but Read More »

CBO estimates automatic Medicare cuts would save $123 billion

Cutting Medicare annually for the next decade by 2 percent each year would save the federal government $123 billion, according to a Congressional Read More »

Celebrating success in LTC

Our long, hot summer has finally come to an end and I'm not just talking about the weather. For months providers have felt the heat from Medicare Read More »

Careful language is good policy

Judah L. Ronch, PhD We have looked at language and its importance before, but what about policy implications? Is it possible to mandate the way we Read More »

Supply Side

NON-INVASIVE THERMOMETER The Exergen TemporalScanner TAT-2000 is a noninvasive thermometer used in long-term care facilities that is gentle enough Read More »

Prepare to prevent infectious outbreaks

Jane Kirk, RN, MSN, CIC Sherrie Dornberger, RN, CDONA, FACDONA Have you ever been at a meeting or conference and overheard someone say, “We have Read More »

Does HIT really affect outcomes?

Ingrid Johnson Serio, RN, BSN, MPP Traveling to a foreign, non-English-speaking country can make for a wonderful adventure-if you traverse the Read More »

Top 10 clinical innovations in LTC

Clinical innovations in long-term care might bring to mind invasive procedures and/or pharmaceutical interventions. At least that's how it used to Read More »

Cuts, market volatility rattle providers

For long-term care providers, summer 2011 will be remembered for a rollercoaster ride of congressional clashes over the U.S. debt ceiling, Read More »

Incontinence and associated skin care

Martha Sparks, PhD, GCNS-BC, NGNA Fellow There are four types of urinary incontinence (stress, urge, overflow, functional) and multiple types of Read More »

Culture change drives CHOICES

Photo by Rick Friedman Server Amy Laroche presents a tray of tempting delicacies to Villa Crest residents. Read More »

Scientific community talks fall prevention

For all the strife that was the Summer of 2011-what with its shameful debt deal-or-default fervor, or that punctuating 11.1 percent Medicare Read More »

It’s show time: Follow Long-Term Living at AHCA/NCAL, NIC

The Long-Term Living team is packing up its reporter’s notebooks and walking shoes in preparation for the busy fall conference season. First stop: Read More »

Mayo Clinic creates lab for ‘aging in place’

The Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation has created a new “living lab” within a continuing care retirement community to support research and Read More »

Fewer flu outbreaks in nursing homes with vaccinated workers, study finds

Higher flu vaccination rates for healthcare personnel can dramatically reduce the threat of flu outbreak among nursing home residents, according to a Read More »

Fact sheet argues Medicaid ripe for super committee’s shears

The congressional “super committee” responsible for finding $1.5 trillion to cut from the federal deficit or else initiate across-the-board cuts to Read More »

Researchers propose community weight loss programs for prediabetic Baby Boomers

Enrolling overweight and obese Baby Boomers with prediabetes between the ages of 60 and 64 into specific community-based weight loss programs could Read More »

Dealing with contentious aides

This is the story of resident, who shall go unnamed, in need of assistance with most activities of daily living. Particular aides are causing Read More »

Omnicare sues PharMerica to force buyout

Things got even more interesting this week between the top two U.S. institutional pharmacy services providers when Omnicare Inc. filed suit against Read More »

NYC art museum offers tours designed for people with dementia

The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is projected to increase as the Baby Boomers continue to age. Over the years, giant steps in Read More »

N.C. nursing home killer gets life in prison

Conflicting feelings flooded the news and Web this past weekend, for Robert Stewart, who killed eight people in a North Carolina nursing home in Read More »

State-by-state scorecard argues need for improved LTC services nationwide

A report released jointly today by AARP's Public Policy Institute, The Commonwealth Fund and The SCAN Foundation shows most states are struggling to Read More »

Federal appeals court tosses out challenge to healthcare reform law

In a surprise move, a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court based in Virginia has tossed out one of the most prominent challenges to the Read More »

Feeling the fire of SNF PPS rule

The final SNF PPS rule for FY2012 published in August will cause all operational professionals to stop and think about their implementation plans for Read More »

The mystery of the disappearing resident room (and the lost census)

In complex mysteries you may have more than one party that is responsible for missing rooms in a senior living community. The worst crime scene I Read More »

Assisted living fundamentals stable in 2Q11

Amid lackluster second quarter economic data and increasing uncertainty about future economic growth, assisted living fundamentals remained Read More »

Emeritus, Columbia Pacific joint venture to open senior care facility in China

Seattle-based Cascade Healthcare, a joint venture between investor Columbia Pacific Advisors and U.S. senior living provider Emeritus Corporation, Read More »

Sunrise to host family caregiver events on World Alzheimer’s Day

More than 250 Sunrise Senior Living communities are hosting educational events for family caregivers this year on World Alzheimer’s Day, September Read More »