The CBO said outlays for Medicare would be $9 billion higher in 2012 alone if Congress overrides a scheduled 27 percent reduction under the SGR, which would take effect March 1. Read More »
"Don’t mess with residents’ dietary requirements" is the rallying cry of Jewish nursing home advocates after a past veto by Mitt Romney for funding kosher meals garners renewed attention. Read More »
The CMS rule, which implements prescription drug provisions of the Affordable Care Act, would increase transparency in drug pricing to ensure states are not overpaying for prescription drugs. Read More »
From a safety and risk perspective, the kitchen provides us with an immediate opportunity to develop a workforce that is “cultured” to prevent potential hazards and losses. Deviation from procedures is usually when an incident occurs. Read More »
Frontline servers are emerging leaders within senior care communities. Forward-thinking administrators recognize the value of arming their staffs with targeted hospitality training. Read More »
We don’t know as much about how infections start within the senior living environment as in acute care settings. But the essentials of infection transfer remain the same. Read More »
Gov. Quinn has boosted nursing home funding by millions of dollars to help carry out safety reforms passed in 2010. This is because the state won’t have to touch its own coffers to distribute the cash. Read More »
I wondered if John did not like his double portions of puréed food. Even though he was being watched, John was able to flip his tray onto the floor. Puréed food flew through the air, landing on the resident sitting across from him. Read More »
The complaint argues Omnicare’s attempted takeover would enable the pharmacy services provider to raise the price of drugs for Medicare Part D consumers and others. Read More »
The seniors housing average occupancy rate has risen in seven consecutive quarters and is 1.1 percentage points above its cyclical low of 87.1 percent in 1Q10, according to NIC MAP. Read More »
The end of life is not just a waiting game. It’s a time to respect the wishes of the dying and to celebrate his or her life. Surveys of older people indicate that they are not afraid of death, but they are worried about dying. Read More »
Not just for groups, music therapy using MP3 and iPod devices can enable playlist to be customized to the individual resident for a more meaningful experience Read More »
The condition appears to affect men and those who only have a high school education more than women and those who have completed some higher education, the Mayo Clinic found. Read More »
An internship program is a great way to find qualified staff, raise resident morale, generate new ideas and give back to the community by helping college students. The key is fostering positive relationships with local colleges. Read More »
The simple truth is that successful sales and marketing professionals are made, not born. Here are the five areas of skill and knowledge your team members must have to be successful in healthcare sales and marketing. Read More »
Find qualified staff, raise resident morale, generate new ideas, market your community relations, save money—it's a no-brainer, really. Just ask yourself: "Can we start an internship program of our own?" Read More »
One of the ways to prevent falls is to know who your residents are and respond to them as individuals, discouraging behaviors that could lead to injury. Read More »
With 91 people on its wait list, the word has spread that Silverado San Juan Capistrano, Calif., is doing some very good things in its community. And, as its proponents maintain, getting Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t have to mean the end of living—for residents or their loved ones. Read More »
The industry is focused on reducing hospital readmissions and improving patient and staff satisfaction, AHCA/NCAL said. However, those goals may be in jeopardy with the likelihood of diminishing reimbursement. Read More »
For Canadian nursing home residents who visited an emergency department, there was a three-fold risk of contracting a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection. Read More »
For-profit nursing home providers experienced job growth by 2.3 percent from 2000 to 2010, while nonprofits experienced job growth by only 1.3 percent, the report found. Read More »
With margins averaging 18.5 percent in 2010, MedPAC contends SNFs are making a killing on Medicare. Under the proposed rebasing plan, there would be a zero update in 2013, followed by an initial reduction of four percent in 2014. Read More »
At 63 years old, I am not interested in moving back into the community. The anxiety I have from living on my own years ago is still present, and I do not want to go back to being that desperate to live independently. Read More »
The drug maker was accused of providing state officials kickbacks in exchange for including its Risperdal antipsychotic drug on an approved list for Medicaid recipients. Read More »
Preparedness and safety are not to be ignored. They determine how successfully an adverse event may be mitigated. And in long-term care communities, disaster training and drills are required. Read More »
The four individuals under investigation were fired from Callaway Nursing Home when drug discrepancies were discovered in residents' medical charts. Read More »
The House Ways and Means Committee voted Wednesday to repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act from healthcare reform. Read More »
