Advocacy

House proposes $350M increase for dementia research

The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee has proposed increasing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research funding by $350 million for the National Institutes of Health to $1.26 billion.   Read More »

“We are the solution,” industry execs tell Congress

A two-day AHCA/NCAL congressional briefing brings 450 long-term interests to Capitol Hill. Read More »

Crusading to protect the elderly

Are the new Justice Department Elder Justice Task Forces a smokescreen to cut costs? Long-Term Living's politics and policy reporter, Robert Gatty, examines the forces at play in the new initiatives. Read More »

HHS offers protection against sexual orientation discrimination through ACA

The Department of Health and Human Services has implemented regulations to protect the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community on the basis of gender identity and sex stereotyping in healthcare and insurance under the Affordable Care Act.  Read More »

A closer look at granny cams

To film or not to film—Two risk management experts discuss the pros and cons of cameras in senior living spaces. Read More »

Nursing home antipsychotic drug rates slowly declining

The Long Term Care Community Coalition reviewed Medicare data to see how effective a federal campaign to reduce inappropriate antipsychotic drugging in nursing homes has been since it was launched fin 2012. There’s still a long way to go, the advocacy group found.  Read More »

New association for DNSs launches

The American Association of Directors of Nursing Services (AADNS) will offer DNSs in long-term care and post-acute care training, certification and host conferences.  Read More »

Iowa won’t require nursing home employees to complete dementia care training

State legislators failed to pass a bill that would have required nursing home employees to learn how and be assessed on how they care for people with dementia.  Read More »

Predatory legal advertising: How nursing homes can respond

Legal advertisements that aim to exploit nursing homes often hit way below the belt, and nursing homes have the right to challenge them. Legal expert Alan C. Horowitz, JD, RN, explains what nursing homes can do to fight back against misleading and deceptive legal advertisements. Read More »

NJ governor vetoes staffing minimums

Gov. Chris Christie rejected legislation to set patient quotas for certified nursing assistants who work in nursing homes. The legislation was intended to improve residentsafety and quality of life. Read More »

Hawaii legislature proposes LTC benefits for seniors

Proposed legislation could make Hawaii the first state in the nation to offer long-term care benefits to seniors.  Read More »

Eden Alternative’s Bill Thomas joins Mainstreet

The investment firm's healthcare arm taps one of the country’s most famous senior care culture change gurus. Read More »

Brain Health Registry gets a boost

Thanks to a new partnership, the Brain Health Registry, a global online registry of volunteers who are taking part in data-gathering to uncover new clues about Alzheimer’s disease and how to treat it, could have thousands of new enrollees by fall. Read More »

New bill aims to eliminate manual lifting

Many in the long-term care industry applaud the proposed legislation to require assistive devices in all lifting cases, but no one is sure how compliance will be enforced—or who's going to pay for all the equipment. 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 »

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 »

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 »

CMS gets to work on new value-based fee structure

Now that the SGR is history, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is tackling the new value-based payment model. Leading long-term care organizations are playing important roles in advising the new policies. Read More »

CA advocates sue to stop illegal unloading of nursing home residents

California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform and three nursing home residents have filed a lawsuit against the state saying it is allegedly illegally allowing residents to be "dumped" from nursing homes to hospitals. Read More »

LeadingAge changes the name “CCRC” to reflect today’s senior values

LeadingAge is getting rid of the clunky term "continuing care retirement community," saying it's outdated and no longer reflects what seniors want or how they view themselves. A new term for the category is far better, leaders at the annual conference say. Read More »

HHS Alzheimer’s Advisory Council welcomes six new members

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services announced its new members this week. The council advises the HHS secretary on federal programs for people who have Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Read More »

Parkinson’s research: Summer Student Fellowships announced

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation and the American Parkinson's Disease Association announce new fellowships that provide opportunities for medical students to participate in Parkinson’s research. Read More »

AHCA/NCAL opening session: Team leadership, quality improvement needed in changing times

The opening general session of the AHCA/NCAL Annual Conference and Expo focused on the importance of cross-discipline teamwork, with special highlights on the role of the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Read More »

ALFA launches advocacy fund to support state-level issues

ALFA starts a fundraising campaign to support advocacy and engagement at state chapters. Read More »

Argentum names new COO, restructures organization

Argentum, formerly known as the Assisted Living Federation of America, creates new executive leadership position and restructures organization to emphasize advocacy, programs and education arms. Read More »

ALFA changes its name to Argentum

ALFA rebranding as Argentum reflects changes in the senior living industry and a new organizational focus. Read More »

PHI names new federal affairs director

The Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI), one of the nation's key policy advocates for the direct-care workforce, welcomes Daniel Rutherford Wilson as its new director of federal affairs. Read More »

CDC releases guidance to help nursing homes combat antibiotic-resistant infections

CDC data indicates that up to 75 percent of antibiotics prescribed in nursing homes are given incorrectly. This new tool encourages antibiotic stewardship in nursing homes. Read More »

The Joint Commission launches antibiotics awareness campaign

The agency’s new educational program aims to curb inappropriate antibiotic use by helping residents and families understand what antibiotics can—and can't—do. Read More »