Month: December 2015

Obesity and nursing homes

As obesity rates among older demographics continue to increase, will skilled nursing facilities have the equipment, staff and knowledge to care for them? Maybe not, according to recent findings. Read More »

Ousted nursing home CEO could be back in charge

James G. Burkhart, former CEO of American Senior Communities LLC, has agreements with Health & Hospital Corporation that could allow him to own 63 nursing homes he used to manage. Read More »

Celebrating the season with people with dementia

The holidays are a time of togetherness and traditions. That can pose additional challenges for people with dementia. Changing how the holidays are celebrated can help everyone enjoy the season. Read More »

Falling for hip protectors

An assisted living/independent living chain implements a program to assess falls risk and bring the use of high-tech hip protectors into fashion on its campuses. Read More »

SNF employee charged over resident video

A California CNA who allegedly took a video of a partially clothed resident and laughed at her as she and another assistant took her to the shower has been charged and fired. Read More »

AADNS names Grachek and Hurley to exec team of new DON association

The two leaders will bring experience from ACHCA and the National Gerontological Nurses Association to the new director of nursing services association launching in the spring as a sister-association of AANAC. Read More »

AGS studies person-centered care definitions, quality scope

What does “person-centered care” entail? The American Geriatrics Society teamed up with The SCAN Foundation and the University of Southern California to research the definitions and quality scope of healthcare that is focused on the person and not on the condition. Read More »

Holiday time

Resident blogger Kathleen Mears gets a new bit of holiday cheer for her room, while spending quality time with her sister--showing that the little things mean a lot. Read More »

AANAC to launch new association for LTC DONs

In 2016, AANAC will launch a new organization made specifically for LTC nurses and directors of nursing services. Read More »

iN2L gets a new CEO

Thomas Bang joins the company as CEO, as Jack York becomes president. Read More »

MatrixCare to buy AOD Software

The two electronic health record companies intend to combine product lines, serving every major sector of long-term care. Read More »

$5M lawsuit filed in Ga. retirement community fire

The legal troubles continue over the June fire at Marshall Square Retirement Community, Evans, Ga., which killed one resident and displaced more than 80, as a new lawsuit alleges flawed management and a dangerous "shelter in place" policy. Read More »

Ohio SNF employee shot by estranged spouse

A nursing home caregiver is killed outside the Canton, Ohio, nursing home where she worked, police say. Read More »

NCAL names new CEAL board chair

The organization elects its director of workforce and quality improvement to the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living board helm. Read More »

Norovirus sickens 69+ at Calif. CCRC

Updated Dec. 11: The number of cases has grown to nearly 100 but is expected to peak today, according to reports from Santa Barbara County. Clinical and facility operations teams at the Santa Barbara retirement community enact infectious disease protocols to restrict the spread of the outbreak. Read More »

GreatCall acquires Lively Inc.

Two California active aging technology companies join forces to provide better remote monitoring and sensor-based home healthcare. Read More »

Proactive medication management

Having an LTC pharmacist on the care team can provide aggressive strategies against adverse drug events and reap the benefits of a specialized skills set in the tricky business of geriatric medication management. Read More »

Low levels of BRCA1 protein in brain linked to Alzheimer’s disease

New research suggests BRCA1 proteins, which repair damaged cells, facilitate normal learning and memory in neurons. Lower levels of BRCA1 proteins in the brain are associated with neurological disorders. Read More »

5 Flu Falsehoods

Is your staff really up to speed on the importance of flu vaccines? Do they know how to talk with residents and families about it? The CDC offers some simple talking points to smooth the road. Read More »

Researchers trace origins of Yarumal’s curse

Much research has been conducted on the residents of Yarumal, Colombia, which has the world’s largest population of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Now researchers have traced descendants to identify the origins of the rare gene mutation for early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Read More »

In memoriam: Robert N. Mayer, healthcare visionary and philanthropist

Mayer, the founder and president of the Hulda B. & Maurice L. Rothschild Foundation, served as a healthcare and aging services advocate for more than 20 years. Read More »

Amyloid protein buildup could account for memory loss

Researchers have found the accumulation of vascular amyloid plaques along blood vessels could disrupt blood flow in the brain. They could also account for some of the neural degeneration and memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Read More »

A list of health technology hazards for 2016

Inadequate cleaning of flexible endoscopes continues to be a chief concern for healthcare providers in the coming year, according to an independent nonprofit medical labratory testing organization. Read More »

Turning over a new leaf

Getting along with aides can be a struggle sometimes, but resident blogger Kathleen Mears finds a way to work it out. Read More »

CDC launches 2015-16 National Influenza Vaccination Week

Get your flu shot yet? This season’s flu activity has had a slow start so far, but the CDC warns that peak flu season is yet to come, and the big risks are far from over for those age 65 and older. Read More »

Signature HealthCARE acquires Elmcroft Senior Living’s SNFs

Signature HealthCARE has acquired the skilled nursing division of Elmcroft Senior Living in an attempt to build the first post-acute network in Kentucky, where both companies are headquartered. Read More »

ACHCA elects new president and CEO

Cecilia Sepp, CAE will serve as president and CEO of the American College of Health Care Administrators beginning Jan. 4, 2016. Read More »

Capital One acquires GE Capital Healthcare Financial Services

The acquisition has resulted in the formation of Capital One Healthcare, which will provide more than $11 billion in total outstanding balances of financial services to the healthcare industry. Read More »

National health spending picks up steam

The national healthcare spending growth rate has accelerated for the first time after five years of sluggish growth, according to new annual data from CMS. Read More »

Brookdale to expand memory care wings in Georgia facilities

Brookdale Senior Living is spending $9.5 million to expand beds and common areas at two Georgia facilities. The number of people in the state with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is expected to increase by nearly half by 2025. Read More »