LATEST NEWS

HHS Secretary: Expect tweaks to nursing home rating system

March 17, 2010

The nation's first nursing home rating system is an important tool for consumers, but changes can be expected, said the country's highest health official on Tuesday. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said criticism about always assigning certain percentages of facilities "excellent" or "failing" grades is "serious" and deserves further consideration.
 

Fewer nursing homes offer CNA training, report finds

March 17, 2010

Between 1997 and 2007, the number of nursing homes providing training and certification programs for certified nursing assistants (CNAs) fell by more than a third, according to a recent report.
 

Government offers funds to help switch seniors from terminated Fox Insurance plan

March 17, 2010

Some states will receive additional funding for insurance information programs for seniors after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services terminated a federal contract with Fox Insurance Company.
 

ADVERTISEMENT

A recent study reports that occupied skilled beds are decreasing throughout the US. Would you like to know your state's utilization trend? We can tell you. The information is free. Just click here. For more than 25 years, Marketing Dynamics has been a full-service marketing and consulting firm specializing in the LTC industry. Visit www.marketingdynamics.net or call 1-877-725-6774.

The BIG Picture: five-star survey system to the rescue?

John O'Connor March 01, 2010

Want to raise a colleague's blood pressure? Just casually mention the government's five-star rating system.
 

ADVERTISEMENT

Will Your Nursing Facility Be Ready for the New MDS 3.0 and RUG-IV or Potentially Lose Important Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursement Dollars- Join MDS-RUG expert Joel VanEaton as he gets you comfortable with these upcoming changes in his MDS 3.0-RUG IV Strategies for Success DVD and workbook program.  Plus get exclusive entry into Joel's "strategies" web site with an interactive ADL Table and PPS Assessment Schedule for your use. Discover more at www.extendedcareproducts.com.

More News

Skilled nursing bed prices increase by 4% in 2009, report finds

March 16, 2010

The average price per bed for skilled nursing facilities rose slightly in 2009, while the price per bed in assisted living facilities fell, according to the 15th edition of the Senior Care Acquisition Report from Irving Levin Associates Inc.
 

Obama: Healthcare bill would help seniors on Medicare

March 16, 2010

The healthcare reform package, if passed, will add almost a decade of solvency to the Medicare program, President Obama told seniors Monday during a stop in Ohio.
 

Illinois to move 4,500 mentally ill from nursing homes to community care settings

March 16, 2010

Nearly 4,500 of Illinois' mentally ill nursing home residents soon will have the option of moving into community-based programs, according to the terms of a groundbreaking settlement between the state and the American Civil Liberties Union.
 

Future of healthcare reform still remains cloudy for Democrats

March 15, 2010

After narrowly passing a healthcare stopgap bill that included a therapy caps extension package, Democrats in Congress are finding it difficult to bring their major reform proposal across the finish line, according to recent reports.
 

Clendenin to retire from NASL

March 15, 2010

Peter C. Clendenin, executive vice president of the National Association for the Support of Long Term Care, disclosed on Friday he will retire. A replacement has not yet been named.
 

FDA places black-box warning on blood thinner Plavix

March 15, 2010

The Food and Drug Administration Friday placed a black-box warning—its most severe safety labeling—on the blood thinner Plavix. In a statement, it said that the drug could put certain patients at increased risk for heart attack and stroke.
 

Obama targets Medicare, Medicaid waste

March 12, 2010

President Obama on Wednesday instructed the heads of all executive departments and agencies to increase their use of "Payment Recapture Audits" to reduce the amount of improper Medicare, Medicaid and other similar payments.
 

Advocat earnings sink in 2009 fourth quarter

March 12, 2010

Profits at long-term care provider Advocat Inc. plummeted in the fourth quarter of 2009 as revenues increased slightly.
 

Minorities at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's, leading association finds

March 12, 2010

Black and Hispanic Americans are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than white Americans, according to a recently released Alzheimer's fact sheet.
 

Medicare terminates prescription drug contract with Fox Insurance Company

March 11, 2010

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Tuesday ended its contract with Fox Insurance Company after an on-site review revealed serious policy violations. It represents the first time that CMS has terminated a contract with a Part D drug plan since the drug program began in 2006, according to CMS.
 

The Editors' Blog

The healthcare reform roller coaster

Liza Berger March 16, 2010

This week and next will largely determine the fate of healthcare reform. Of course, we in the media have been offering variations on that theme a lot during the past year.
 

McKnight's Online Expo, a valuable learning opportunity

Liza Berger March 11, 2010

Hungry for information? We thought so. That's why we're offering our fourth annual online expo later this month.
 

Guest Columns

Building a dining staff team has yielded long-lasting results

Patrice Griffiths March 16, 2010

Our dining department, which struggled with a communication gap, is now a stronger, more cohesive unit. The journey to get there has been educational and rewarding.
 

Latest Jobs


QUESTION OF THE MONTH:

"What do you find most challenging in your job?"

Send your answer to Associate Editor Liza Berger at liza.berger@mcknights.com. Your answer to this question will be gathered with others and may appear in an upcoming issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News.

Please include your name, title, the name of your facility or workplace, and its location.
 Subscribe to the RSS for this page  [view all our RSS feeds here]