Month: May 2017

Care planning and assessments a lengthy process, AANAC reports

AANAC’s biennial study reveals how nurse assessment coordinators spend their time and how they’re compensated.  Read More »

Blood glucose peaks and dementia

Researchers are taking a harder look at how spikes in blood glucose can affect dementia risks. Read More »

Setting the lighting mood

Lighting can have a big impact on a resident’s day-to-day routine, comforts and well-being, resident blogger Kathleen Mears explains.  Read More »

4 dead in Ohio nursing home shooting

Two nursing home employees and the town’s police chief are among those killed. Read More »

CMS extends deadline for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Settings compliance

State Medicaid programs will get more time to comply with CMS’s new rules on Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) settings. Read More »

5 ways to evaluate your competition

Secret shoppers? Tours? Using multiple strategies to gather intel on your competitors can improve your sales and marketing strategies. Read More »

Celebrating nursing homes

May 14-20 is National Nursing Home Week, a chance to recognize the work of staff, the gifts of residents and the role of nursing homes at large.  Read More »

Sabra, Care Capital merge in $7B REIT

The combined REIT portfolio could contain more than 550 investments across the United States and Canada. Read More »

Aetna pulls out of ACA

The insurer, which withdrew from 11 states in 2016, will not offer ACA-participating policies in any state in 2018. Read More »

When a picture costs $1M

A Texas nursing home is being sued for negligence after a CNA captured footage of a sleeping resident rubbing feces on her face.  Read More »

CMS Final Rule: Compliance and ethics programs

SNF compliance and ethics programs aren’t optional anymore, and in some cases, may require additional staff roles. Are your programs survey-ready? Read More »

Asbury Communities launches campaign against ageism

In celebration of Older Americans Month, the national initiative tackles culture change and the stereotypes of seniors by asking, “What’s age got to do with it?” Read More »

Resident tapped to play ball

One lucky resident won the chance to throw the first pitch ahead of a minor-league baseball team. Read More »

Drug-resistant bacteria on hand—and in the nursing home

A new review shows that, on average, 27 percent of nursing home residents had multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) on them, highlighting the importance of infection prevention programs. Read More »

Pixie Scientific launches UTI sensor pads

The infection-detecting pads monitor for urinary tract infections and send an alert to care teams. Read More »

Leading a multi-generational staff

From senior volunteers to Generation Z, intergenerational staff teams can be an energizing force or an infighting nightmare. Read More »

Smooth sailing on the dementia cruise

An Alzheimer’s organization is planning a seven-day Caribbean cruise where people with dementia and their loved ones can relax, learn about the disease and meet others in the same boat.  Read More »

Better training, less medications

A new study has found that teaching staff to identify unmet needs in residents with dementia led to fewer “behaviors” and ultimately reduced use of antipsychotic medications. Read More »

Global Coalition on Aging releases first dementia treatment innovation report

The organization teamed up with Alzheimer’s Disease International to index dementia treatment best practices and readiness to combat the disease across G7 countries. Read More »

Dementia vs. delirium

Although the terms are sometimes confused among lay people, the two conditions often develop independently from each other. Having both can cause the fastest decline of all, a new study shows. Read More »

A roommate, as promised

Roommates can make for awkward and uncomfortable quarters as resident blogger Kathleen Mears is experiencing. Read More »

Case study: Improving hospice care coordination through HIE

New Hampshire’s Concord Regional VNA and Genesis Healthcare combine efforts to harness IT and make health information exchange a two-way street. Read More »

House passes AHCA bill by 4 votes

The promise of $8 billion for high-risk and pre-existing conditions pushed the bill in the GOP's favor. The bill now moves on to the Senate, where the margins for passage are predicted to be tougher. Read More »

Argentum honors caregiver heroes

The annual awards recognize excellence in providing care and resident quality of life. Read More »

Lending a hand to infection control

May 5 is World Hand Hygiene Day, a great time for a staff refresher in the importance of maintaining proper hand hygiene protocols. Read More »

Leading the charge to Argentum 2018

Senior care leaders convened at the annual Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference in Nashville to reflect on the past year and look forward to the year ahead. Read More »

Top 10 benefits that keep employees happy

What benefits do employees value most? MetLife’s latest benefit trends study shows how the workforce expectations are changing.   Read More »

Raising my voice

Resident blogger Kathleen Mears speaks about what it’s like to get laryngitis and why it’s especially scary and difficult as a quadriplegic.  Read More »

Will RUGs be swept under the rug?

A new advanced rule-making notice from CMS seems to indicate that Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs) may be headed for big changes, especially for SNF therapy billing. But, what will replace them? Read More »