Lois Bowers

Lois A. Bowers was senior editor of I Advance Senior Care / Long-Term Living from 2013-2015.

Complete coverage of ALFA’s 2015 conference

We've gathered Long-Term Living's complete coverage of the 2015 Assisted Living Federation of America annual meeting in one place for you. Read More »

An interview with ALFA’s James Balda

In an exclusive interview, the president and CEO of the Assisted Living Federation of America sits down with Long-Term Living to discuss the present and future of the organization and of assisted living in general. Read More »

Some nursing home construction put on hold in Indiana

A three-year partial moratorium on the construction of new nursing homes will go into effect in Indiana, prohibiting some projects through June 2018. Read More »

AHCA begins next phase of quality campaign

The American Health Care Association is expanding quality improvement efforts related to its skilled nursing facility members, which it began three years ago, the organization announced May 7. Read More »

ALFA speakers: Alzheimer’s needs more attention

The effort to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease faces challenges related to funding and clinical trial participation, among others, and yet reasons for hope exist, said members of a panel discussion at the Assisted Living Federation of America’s annual meeting. Read More »

ALFA recognizes five with Hero Awards

The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) recognized five assisted living community staff members who help improve the lives of residents in big and little ways. The awards were just some of the ones given during ALFA’s annual meeting. Read More »

Experts see two futures for assisted living

Assisted living may be divided into two types of providers in the future, according to two speakers at the annual meeting of the Assisted Living Federation of America. Read More »

ALFA chairs discuss past, present, future to mark 25th anniversary

Insights from past and present Assisted Living Federation of America Board of Directors chairs kicked off the group’s 2015 annual meeting in Tampa, Fla. Read More »

ALFA launches Senior Living 2025 initiative

The Assisted Living Federation of America has launched a new initiative, Senior Living 2025: A Roadmap, to establish a united voice around four major issues facing the industry. Read More »

Pioneer ACOs: Study finds savings without sacrifice of quality

The Pioneer model of accountable care organization has saved about $385 million without sacrificing care quality, according to a newly published study in JAMA. Read More »

One-on-one with…Paul Nussbaum, PhD

Brookdale Senior Living recently named Paul Nussbaum, PhD, its national director for brain health. Long-Term Living spoke with the board-certified psychologist to find out more about what he’s doing for the company, which has nearly 1,150 senior living communities in 46 states and calls itself the country’s largest provider of Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Read More »

Pharmacy groups says ‘lock-in’ provision is problematic

Seniors’ access to medications in skilled nursing facilities and other long-term care facilities could be restricted inadvertently under a Medicare Part D “lock-in” provision contained in a bill under consideration, two pharmacy groups say. Read More »

Long-Term Living wins two ASHPE Awards

The editors of Long-Term Living have been recognized for digital/print integration and blogging in the 2015 American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors awards competition. Read More »

GAO issues report on advance directives

A new report by the Government Accountability Office sheds light on the demographic characteristics of those most likely to have living wills and healthcare powers of attorney. Read More »

Project aims to unify perceptions of aging

The Leaders of Aging Organizations collaborative and the FrameWorks Institute have produced a report to help develop a narrative of the aging process that is shared by healthcare experts, advocates and older adults. Read More »

Florida passes assisted living reforms

Assisted living professionals are cheering the passage of new regulations in Florida. One group, however, says they don’t go far enough to protect residents of the Sunshine State, which has the second-largest population of people aged at least 65 years. Read exclusive interviews here. Read More »

Home health wages are conference topic

Several speakers at the April 27 White House Conference on Aging’s regional forum in Cleveland used the event as a platform to discuss low wages in the home health field. Read More »

Social Security vital, speakers say

Retirement security is another theme of White House Conference on Aging events, and many speakers at the conference’s regional forum April 27 in Cleveland took the opportunity to stress the importance of the Social Security program to retired adults. Read More »

Is it time for an attitude adjustment?

Speakers at the White House Conference on Aging’s regional event April 27 in Cleveland said the time has come for members of our society to change the way they think about the aging process and older adults. Do you agree? Read More »

Senate votes to continue Independence at Home pilots

Independence at Home demonstration projects would continue under a bill passed by the U.S. Senate. The legislation now awaits consideration in the House of Representatives. Read More »

Bill would expand veterans’ access to skilled nursing

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health deliberated today about a bipartisan bill that would expand veterans’ access to skilled nursing and other healthcare options. Read More »

If Walker becomes president?

Do the actions of a state governor foreshadow the approach he would take and the policies he would advocate if elected to this country’s highest office? If so, then those in long-term care may want to pay attention to what’s going on in the Badger State. Read More »

Trade bill would affect Medicare, groups complain

Four large healthcare trade organizations have sent letters to the Senate and House expressing concerns over a plan to use healthcare dollars to fund provisions in trade bills, resulting in cuts to Medicare. Read More »

Report examines state survey agency performance

A new report from the Long Term Care Community Coalition compares enforcement of nursing home standards in several categories across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read More »

HCR ManorCare accused of fraud but disputes claims

The federal government says that HCR ManorCare routinely submitted false claims for rehabilitation therapy services that were not medically reasonable and necessary, but ManorCare asserts that the lawsuit boils down to a “billing dispute.” Read More »

Fracture recovery research receives funding

Research to improve older adults’ recovery from low-impact fractures and hip fractures has received funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Board of Governors. Read More »

CMS proposes SNF changes

Payments to skilled nursing facilities, quality reporting, value-based purchasing and staffing data collection are addressed in a proposed rule published April 20 in the Federal Register. Read More »

Briefs shed light on economic indicators in healthcare

Three briefs from the Altarum Institute Center for Sustainable Health Spending provide insights into prices, spending and employment in nursing homes and residential care facilities, home health and other parts of the healthcare sector. Read More »

A touchdown for assisted living?

Assisted living and memory care for retired professional football players would be one goal of a proposed project. Read More »

House subcommittee hears about bundled payments from post-acute care groups

Fans and foes of the proposed BACPAC Act, which would bundle payments for post-acute care providers, testified during a recent House subcommittee hearing. Read More »