Unclear or incomplete documentation of end-of-life care choices makes a paramedic’s job even harder, especially when transferring residents from a nursing home to the hospital, says a British explorative paper. How much training are you giving residents and families on the importance of a POLST form? Read More »
A U.S. district judge ruled the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act doesn’t give individuals the right to sue states, thereby dismissing a lawsuit alleging California nursing homes denied Medi-Cal patients readmission. Read More »
Despite efforts to ease the backlog of appeals, no relief is in sight for the backlog of appeals from facilities that choose to appeal Medicare claims denials and deficiency citations. Read More »
Dennis McCullough practiced geriatric medicine for several years but it was his own personal experiences inspired him to rethink end of life care. He became an advocate for hospice and palliative care. Read More »
Congressional subcommittees have proposed changes to the Social Security Act to cover an initial care plan for Medicare beneficiaries newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias to help them understand the disease and treatment options. Read More »
The pressure is on for skilled nursing facilities: Compliance for CMS reimbursement means proper charting, documentation of therapy minutes and shaking out those RUGs. Read More »
Getting that handy touchpad laptop made life seem easier, but it wasn't so great for her hand's range of motion, says SNF resident blogger Kathleen Mears. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened up its new Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) initiative to 1,500 eligible primary care practices currently in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Read More »
Mistakes and “near misses” can and will happen. But, how a facility discloses an error can affect everything from the CMS response to the family’s reaction. Read More »
An OIG investigation determined the LPN had falsified charting records stating she had performed neuro checks after the resident had fallen out of his wheelchair. Read More »
New research suggests people who have been in relationships for decades are more likely to age to become more like each other mentally, physically and emotionally. That means doctors need to monitor the health of their patient--and their patient’s partner. Read More »
As the opening keynote at the Memory Care Forum in Philadelphia, NASL policy guru Cynthia Morton discusses what’s coming next from CMS on long-term care quality measures and how that data might affect your five-star quality rating. Read More »
Hawaii state lawmakers reviewed several proposals before their legislative session ended, including some related to the oversight and inspection of long-term care facilities. Read More »
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 »
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 »
The Department of Justice is cracking down on South Dakota, accusing the state of putting people with disabilities in nursing homes unecessarily rather than providing community-based services. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adds six new quality measures to the Nursing Home Compare system, including data on short-stay residents' trips to the emergency room. Read More »
With the new CMS reporting requirements looming, skilled nursing facilities are gearing up for the mandatory Payroll-Based Journal data transactions for direct-care workers. Read More »
Hospice may see a 2 percent increase in reimbursements in 2017, but new reporting requirements could go into effect as well, according to a new CMS proposal. Read More »
The largest private insurer in the country has announced it will be ending its participation in most state healthcare marketplace exchanges, but it has some new plans for the future. Read More »
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released the final rule that gives protection to employees who serve as whistleblowers on food safety violations. Read More »
Texas has one of the highest turnover rates for nursing home employees. The facilities are having trouble staying competitive with Wendy’s or McDonald’s, which can offer hourly workers a job with better pay and less stress. Read More »
Medicare is trying a new way of calculating the reimbursement for certain drugs, including expensive drugs to treat cancer. After barely a month, the pilot has riled physicians on both sides of the issue. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will test a new payment model that encourages doctors to focus on health outcomes rather than volume of visits or tests. Read More »
The Department of Justice announced the launch of 10 regional interagency task forces designed to protect seniors in nursing homes by holding operators accountable for the quality of care they provide. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has imposed steep fines and threatened to terminate Woodbriar Health Center from its programs if serious problems are not resolved by next week. Read More »
The Center for Innovation has invested more than $30 million for Indiana University’s project to reduce avoidable hospitalizations for nursing home residents by providing higher levels of care on site. Read More »
