As White House Conference on Aging staff members prepare for their next regional forum, Cecilia Muñoz, assistant to the president and director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, reflected on the first forum, Feb. 19 in Tampa, Fla. Read More »
Researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School and Johns Hopkins University share a strategy designed to calm the behavior of those with dementia in the British Medical Journal. Read More »
This year's flu vaccine has had an overall effectiveness of 19 percent, according to the CDC. With an eye toward next year, the FDA has recommended a trivalent vaccine that includes two strains that were not part of this year's vaccine. Read More »
A Philadelphia area health system is expanding its integrative medicine program beyond hospital patients to include those in long-term care, outpatient care and home care, as well as caregivers. Read More »
Independence at Home, operated by SCAN Health Plan, has added a new program for older adults that provides screening, assessment, counseling, brief therapy and action planning for individuals who may be misusing alcohol, drugs or prescription medication. Read More »
A growing number of tech-savvy seniors want to access healthcare services from home, but most of them don’t think that today’s technology is sufficient enough to do so, according to a new survey from the New York-based research firm Accenture. Read More »
The National Institutes of Health is launching a big data portal this week that aims to help Alzheimer's researchers develop new treatments for the disease. Read More »
The ONC’s latest proposals include health IT interoperability goals that could be tricky to accomplish without serious culture change and deeper understanding of long-term care’s workflow needs, say health IT leaders and EHR vendors. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it has found little evidence to support or refute the possibility that the use of quality measures has had unintended consequences in nursing homes and other settings. Read More »
Is your community's new program or initiative OPTIMA Award-worthy? Learn how you can submit your innovative, resident-centered programs for Long-Term Living's national honor. The submission deadline has been extended to May 22. Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has formed the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network to help the federal government move toward greater use of alternative payment models. Read More »
Four members of Congress have launched the Assisting Caregivers Today Caucus to focus on issues related to family caregiving, and the American Health Care Association has become a charter member. Read More »
A California nursing home is the first skilled nursing facility in the country to receive certification for memory care under the Joint Commission’s new program. Read More »
Restoring Medicaid funding, improving Medicaid managed long-term care and protecting seniors from unexpected medical bills are the three legislative priorities set by the Florida Health Care Association for 2015, the organization has announced. Read More »
Members of the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association recently lobbied Congress to urge legislators to allow patients to receive rehabilitation care in rehab hospitals rather than in nursing homes when their needs require it. Read More »
How one continuing care retirement community tackled campus-wide changes to embrace memory care services and to integrate quality care with dementia-friendly settings. Read More »
Assisted living communities and home health agencies will be some of the next frontiers for the federal government’s efforts to reduce the use of antipsychotic medications in those with dementia, following a recommendation from the Government Accountability Office. Read More »
Injections, blood draws and some testing procedures expose healthcare personnel to the risk of a sharps injury. A sharps prevention program is key to preventing the spread of blood-borne pathogens. Read More »
Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems have improved the quality of care and the efficiency of caregivers in long-term living facilities across the nation. With only a 50% adoption rate, the long-term care industry continues to lag behind the adoption rates of other care industries.In this second installment, we’ll examine some of the widely accepted best practices for adoption of today’s electronic health record systems (EHR). Read more to learn about the benefits of EHR adoption in a long-term care facility, the top reasons for adoption, and where to start in the process.Click here to read more. Read More »
Getting tasks or treatments completed on time can be challenging in a nursing home. But when it happens, staff should find a common-sense solution to make up for lost time without disrupting residents' activities. Read More »
