Risk Management

Best practices for LTC facility emergency evacuation

Four best practices can help your staff and residents when a natural or man-made disaster strikes. Consider these elements when developing or revising your emergency evacuation plan. Read More »

Murder case highlights nursing home responsibilities, residents’ rights

A five-year-old case in which a nursing home resident with dementia remains accused of strangling her roommate to death is continuing to raise issues of resident rights, family requests and legal responsibilities for long-term care providers. Read More »

OSHA resource looks to reduce, prevent LTC workplace injuries

Muscle strains, sprains, low back injuries and tendinitis are some of the workplace hazards LTC workers face each day. A new resource offers recommendations to prevent these painful and costly incidents. Read More »

Look out! Arbitration provision may not provide enough coverage

Facility agreements with individuals or their representative can sometimes come under attack as to their validity, putting a facility at risk. Can your arbitration provision take the heat? Read More »

The shock of elder abuse in assisted living

Recent research reveals that executive directors of assisted living communities may not be aware of all of the cases of elder abuse—especially sexual incidents—occurring in their communities. A gerontology expert shares four ways to recognize and combat abuse in long-term care settings. Read More »

Cleaning up infection control

Drug-resistant infection rates are rising in long-term care. Healthcare-associated infections result in at least 100,000 resident deaths per year. When was the last time you examined your facility’s cleaning and disinfection protocols? Read More »

Identifying hazards before an event occurs

OSHA safety compliance goes well beyond the National Emphasis Program on Long-Term Care. Are you watching for these other risks? Read More »

2 die in nursing home attack

A wheelchair part is the weapon of choice in a nursing home crime for at least the second time in six months. Read More »

Preparedness protected residents, Village Shalom chief says

One person was shot and killed outside an Overland Park, Kan., senior living community on Sunday, but the outcome could have been worse had staff members not been prepared for such an event, the community’s president and CEO says. Read More »

CMS proposes acceptance of updated Life Safety Code

Proposed Life Safety Code provisions are designed to advance and enhance healthy and safe environments and upgrade compliance requirements. Read More »

Medical directors: Key to quality care

A nursing home's medical director bears the greatest ultimate responsibility for ensuring that residents receive quality care. Find out what is required of facilities when it comes to this position. Read More »

‘Active shooter’ events: Balancing resident, staff safety

The mission statement and core values of your facility probably contain wording and ideology related to compassionate resident care. The active shooter policy for your facility also should consider that care, and it must consider the safety of employees, too. Part 2 in our series. Read More »

7 things your compliance plan must include

As home health and hospice care spending comes under increased scrutiny from the government, providers must make sure their compliance plans evolve to meet federal requirements and their own needs. Read More »

Managing resident personal funds

Tips to avoid financial risks when facilities take responsibility for a resident’s personal banking and purchasing. Read More »

Stolen documents renew focus on IT security

This week’s discovery of stolen files and network passwords for three New York nursing homes renews concerns about IT security. Read More »

Challenging surveys

Deficiencies and enforcement actions don't always have to be accepted without a challenge. Long-Term Living's legal expert, Alan Horowitz, explains the steps to appealing state survey deficiency reports. Read More »

Preparing for ‘active shooter’ events: Lockdowns

Does your facility have policies and procedures to handle the potential presence of armed intruders? Unfortunately, the scenario is not as unlikely as you might suspect. Lockdowns are one part of any good response. Part 1 in our series. Read More »

7 strategies for 2014

Grooming your business for 2014 and beyond involves fresh views, retrained skills and new ways to interact with the local markets. Read More »

12 steps to QAPI: Step 1: Leadership

In the first installment of our series on achieving Quality Assurance Performance Improvement, Nell Griffin, LPN, EdM, a quality improvement facilitator and TeamSTEPPS trainer, explains the importance of leadership engagement, responsibility and accountability through proactive care practices and administrative policies. Read More »

Fire and ice

A tragedy in Canada holds lessons in fire safety for us all—when was the last time you asked your employees to practice their fire emergency protocols? Updated: Jan. 30, 2014 Read More »

Death toll rises in Quebec nursing home blaze; officials question sprinkler laws

The recent tragedy at a Canadian nursing home prompts new discussions on fire sprinklers and fire safety protocols. When was the last time you reviewed your fire emergency process? Read More »

Death toll continues to climb in Canadian nursing home fire

A nursing home blaze leaves five people dead and more than 30 others missing. A search for the missing continues. Read More »

Improving the safety culture in 2014

Nowhere in a facility is entirely free of safety hazards. Finding and fixing the potential areas of risk is key to an effective and compliant safety program. Read More »

LTC insurance provider raises the bar for policy rating

No more "fixed-rate forever" policies, says one major long-term care insurance provider, who plans to re-rate insurance policies and tighten benefits on new policies in an attempt to control the soaring costs of long-term care. Read More »

Medication errors: Prescriptions for safety

Diligent strategies to avoid medication errors can improve resident care and reduce business risk. Read More »

Data power in the managed care era

Long-term care (LTC) companies that acquire and understand their data will be in a much stronger position as hospitals, managed care organizations and accountable care organizations look for LTC partners, experts say. Read More »

Chasing the healthcare dollar

These days, the definitions of "service lines" are blurring as traditionally separate entities merge, partner and expand to capture more and more of the consumer’s healthcare spend. As the lines between payers and providers erode, where will post-acute care end up? Read More »

Statewide patient evacuation system debuts in New York

Last year’s Superstorm Sandy magnified the need for not only solid evacuation plans, but for keeping track of the evacuees. Read More »

Misuse of pesticides in several states puts residents at risk

As many as 100+ nursing homes were treated with a pesticide contrary to manufacturer’s instructions. Read More »

Nine nursing home employees die at work in 2012, data show

The injuries and illnesses might not be dramatic, but government data show that nursing homes are dangerous places to work. Read More »