Updated 11:05 p.m. Thousands of LTC facilities evacuate the coastline from Maryland to New York as Hurricane Sandy sets her sights on inland states. Read More »
The danger of complacency and not performing the necessary “due diligence” as it relates to the installation and maintenance of your facility’s generator(s) and emergency power systems can lead to catastrophic failures. Here are five tips to help ensure that your emergency power system performs to its maximum potential at all times. Read More »
I have lived in two nursing homes for over 16 years and at both facilities housekeepers still use dust mops, brooms and string mops to clean. I guess these tools can do an adequate job. But they can make messes and cannot easily clean up something quickly. Read More »
Need new service revenue? Two executives from the Francis E. Parker Memorial Home, Highland Park, N.J., share how offering adult day programs can open up opportunities to provide well-needed services while building new bridges to skilled nursing services. Read More »
A national learning collaborative, launched at this week’s LeadingAge conference, is focused on creating new financial and service strategies for senior living. Read More »
A full moon, high tides and colliding storm systems are conspiring to create a “perfect storm” that will bear down on the East Coast next week. Long-term care facilities should initiate their disaster plans now. Read More »
Those who accrue high healthcare out-of-pocket expenses got an unexpected cost-saver during the recent recession, according to a Health Affairs report. Read More »
Technology projects planned with the input of all departments have the best staff buy-in and training engagement, says a panel of long-term care project managers who have tackled the IT challenges in their own organizations. Avoid “tech trauma” by learning their tips on IT project strategy. Read More »
A facility laundry incurs many expenses--labor, equipment, energy and more--that factor into the costs of operation. Investing in new equipment and attention to detail can pay off. Read More »
The future of aging is in good hands as LeadingAge presented its 2012 awards to outstanding individuals dedicated to serving America’s senior population. Read More »
Long-term care facilities advised to conduct background checks on employees with direct access to residents to reduce abuse, neglect and theft. Read More »
The overriding message from LeadingAge thought leaders at the group's annual meeting is that providers must step up to the plate and demand a say in the future of the country’s bloated and broken healthcare delivery system. Read More »
The challenge of retaining quality nursing staff and reducing turnover rates can be eased through a few crucial changes in management strategy, say session leaders at this week’s LeadingAge annual meeting. Read More »
Crisis communications doesn’t have to make you cringe. If you plan accordingly and understand how to protect your reputation in a crisis, you can successfully navigate the situation and avoid the potentially negative impact an unexpected event could have on your long-term care organization. Read More »
As of the second quarter of 2012, construction in assisted living properties represented 3.0 percent of existing assisted living inventory within the top 31 metropolitan markets. Construction activity as a percent of existing inventory dropped as low as 2.1 percent in early 2010. Read More »
With the national elections drawing ever closer, the long-term care industry continues to turn up the heat on lawmakers, urging them to avoid additional cuts in federal funds for programs that support services to the elderly. Read More »
One of the challenges that we face in sales and marketing is making that initial contact with a prospective referral source that we have never met before. Cold calling, whether conducted over the phone or in-person is nerve racking and rarely successful--unless you have a plan! Read More »
Resident and family satisfaction rates in nursing homes show improvement from when the National Research Corporation began assessing satisfaction levels in 2006. Employees’ responses allow managers and administrators to address areas in need of improvement. Read More »
With more Americans considering staying at home in their elder years instead of moving to a retirement community, many senior living providers are experimenting with alternative service models, including innovative programming and service partnerships. Read More »
Amid the cuts in payments and struggles with occupancy rates, the current long-term care business environment has opportunities for innovation in cost models, care delivery models and technology-driven value, notes the 28th annual Licensed Nursing Facility Cost Comparison. Read More »
Volunteers are key components to the success of many organizations, especially LTC organizations. However, without a good risk management plan, volunteer programs can expose your organization to additional risks of a loss, damage to your reputation or even imperil operations. Read More »
Incontinence management is a critical issue in skilled nursing facilities, especially as it relates to increased regulatory oversight, budgetary considerations, rehospitalization rates and quality of life for residents. The proper documentation of incontinence is essential in the clinical record and in the MDS database. Read More »
Several recent studies show varying levels of success for infection-reduction programs, including efforts to curb MRSA, CLABSI and CAUTI rates. But the jury is still out on whether healthcare-associated infection (HAI) programs are making progress because of Medicare's new policies—or in spite of them. Read More »
Planning for an emergency at your LTC facility must start at home so your organization can help protect one of its most valuable resources--employees and their families. Read More »
The centralized MDS department and decentralized MDS department each has its pros and each structure can put organizations at risk for survey deficiencies, lost revenue and poor satisfaction among residents and staff. Read More »
Most Medicare beneficiaries are spending more than they need to on Medicare drug plans and should find Plan B within Part D, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health study. Read More »
Seniors have been accused of overusing the Emergency Room, often as a substitute primary care provider. But new studies from a national emergency medicine association say that their ER visits are usually justified. Read More »
