Culture Change

How to reduce variations in post-acute care

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is eyeing variations in treatments for those in post-acute care settings with similar medical conditions in an effort to mitigate negative clinical and financial effects. The scrutiny is call to action for LT/PAC operators. Read More »

Reauthorizing OAA: Maintaining flexibility, addressing demographic changes

The Older Americans Act should be reauthorized with a focus on maintaining program flexibility and addressing demographic changes, according to policy and aging experts who testified during a recent government hearing on the matter. Read More »

Survey shows how coupled seniors use technology

A new survey is providing insights into seniors’ use of the Internet, social media and cell phones and how these technologies affect their marriages or committed relationships. Read More »

Facility-to-community transition program success highlighted in report

A recent report highlights the success of a federal program to transition Medicaid recipients from long-term care facilities to home- and community-based settings, including reinstitutionalization rates and residential preferences of senior participants. 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 »

New research highlights the growing need for palliative care worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA) investigate the unmet need of palliative care globally. 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 »

One-on-one with… Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC

The rising acuity of nursing home residents and the prevalence of increasingly resistant infections are compelling many long-term care organizations to ramp up infection control training and institute antibiotic stewardship programs. Read More »

CMS issues final rule about home- and community-based programs

Alternatives to institutional care are the focus of a final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Read More »

U.S. spends more on SNF, CCRC care, but home healthcare spending growing faster: report

The United States spends more money for care provided at skilled nursing facilities and continuing care retirement communities than for care provided through home healthcare agencies, according to a new report, but spending for home healthcare is growing at a faster rate.  Read More »

9 resolutions for the new year

If you’re going to make a health-related resolution, why not make one (or more) that will increase the odds that you will live to a healthy old age? These habits could add up to 12 years to your life, according to the person who shared them. Read More »

Top 10 Long-Term Living stories of 2013

Long-Term Living's Leaders of Tomorrow Awards, senior living environments and nursing home regulations were among the hot topics for our social media friends and followers this year, as an examination of analytics reveals. Read More »

Type 2 diabetes: Its effect on dementia risk for older adults in ethnic minorities

Researchers explore Type 2 diabetes as it relates to high risk of dementia for certain ethnic groups, including Native Americans and African-Americans. Read More »

Tidings of comfort and joy

The holiday season also is a time of reflection and new beginnings that can make our lives more meaningful. Judah Ronch, PhD, shares his visit with The Sopranos' Dominic Chianese. 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 »

Volunteering has physical benefits for seniors

Seniors who regularly donate their time to their favorite causes are physically healthier than those who don’t, according to new research. So think about encouraging volunteerism among residents. Read More »

Eroding the payer/provider divide

Payers, providers and care networks are making vast efforts to combine care delivery, coverage and costs—merging control over the once-siloed segments of healthcare business. Will the post-acute care sector be the golden ticket to success or the cost-laden component that drags the system down? Read More »

Geriatric syndromes are not a part of normal aging

The aging process has various faces. Dr. Judah Ronch stresses the importance for long-term care executives to get to “know our elders.” Read More »

Hospitalization reduction is aim of nursing home resident study

A $13.4 million initiative funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services hopes to improve care and communication within nursing facilities and between nursing homes and acute care institutions so that problems can be caught and managed before it becomes necessary to transport residents to the hospital. Read More »

10 cited for innovation, excellence at annual meeting

Live from LeadingAge: 10 individuals or organizations received awards at the annual meeting. Read More »

Connected community

Instead of building “tiny towns” within senior residence communities, some housing models are incorporating the CCRC into the town instead. Read More »

Haunted all year

A recent experience reminded me of the haunted houses I attended in my high school days. The occasion was not as fun but was just as frightening, especially considering that 36 million people around the world have similar sensations daily. The memories will stay with me for a long time. Read More »

Proactive healthcare approach reduces senior calls to EMS

A senior housing complex with a reputation for frequent calls to local paramedics saw a one-third decrease in the calls after implementing a new program. Read More »

Increase in use of meal delivery programs could reduce LTC facility admissions

New research illuminates a way for 26 states to save on long-term care costs but would come with a price for nursing homes. Read More »

Fact sheet highlights LGBT information for nursing home residents

A new fact sheet details the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender nursing home residents. Read More »

Safety, quality goals of new NCAL collaboration

Reducing resident safety events in assisted living communities is the aim of one of two new initiatives announced at the recent American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living annual meeting. Read More »

Culture change continues to evolve

From the seeds that were planted many years ago, culture change continues to grow, spread its roots and reshape itself to the needs of the elders it serves. Read More »

7 tips for better customer satisfaction

Live from AHCA/NCAL: Are your customer satisfaction surveys a dreaded burden or an elusive holy grail? These tips can help communities increase customer satisfaction, but the best results come from customizing each one to individual residents.  Read More »

Remember: Resident is heart of person-centered care

Live from AHCA/NCAL: To be successful in your mission of person-centered care, you must include residents and their families in your care planning. It sounds obvious, but many facilities that think they are doing this are not. Here are some points to consider. Read More »

Are resident grievance committees effective?

Without administrative buy-in, leadership and active participants, resident committees have difficulty being effective and relevant. Kathleen Mears shares her experience on various resident committees. Read More »