Average national liability costs to the long-term care sector have stabilized for the first time in nine years, according to a report released Monday by the Aon Corp.

After last season's flu vaccine struggles, the top five vaccine manufacturers have announced plans to produce a record number of doses - more than 143 million for the 2008-2009 season.

Senior housing stocks took a small tumble on Friday due in part to the steady decline of the residential market.

John Erickson, CEO, Erickson Retirement Communities

Both houses of Congress have delayed taking action on a war-funding bill that contains a moratorium on seven Medicaid cuts, until at least the middle of this week, following opposition in the House.

The Service Employees International Union has called into question the independence of HCR ManorCare's recently formed panel of quality advisers.

A higher dose of a flu vaccine has been shown to significantly improve the immune system's response to the actual virus, especially among the elderly, researchers told the American Geriatrics Society at the Annual Scientific Meeting earlier this month.

The Senate Thursday marked up its own version of a war-funding bill that includes a moratorium on seven unpopular Medicaid provisions. The House of Representatives attached moratorium legislation to a war- funding bill earlier this week.

Attendees at the Hurricane Summit in Orlando this week released new criteria for the safe evacuation of nursing home residents in the event of a natural disaster.

If you thought this last flu season was bad, you may be in for a shock. Experts from the World Health Organization said this week that the threat of a global influenza outbreak is as real as ever, despite advances in flu vaccinations and epidemiology.

House Democrats this week attached a high-profile Medicaid moratorium bill to war-funding legislation in an attempt to ensure the bill's passage.

The dark cloud of economic recession appears to have a silver lining for the healthcare field, according to a news report. More nurses are going back to work, taking on extra shifts, or delaying retirement as a result of higher gas prices, food costs and overall economic instability.

Profits at Kindred Healthcare Inc., one of the nation's largest nursing home chains, shot up by 87% in the quarter ending March 31, 2008, to nearly $15 million, as the company performed higher than expected, with particularly strong results in February and March, the company said.

Hands-on caregivers have added to the chorus of criticism against a newly issued proposed federal rule that would cut Medicare funding to nursing homes by $5 billion over the next five years. The funding cut would "undermine the growing complex care needs" of an increasingly sicker nursing home population, warned the leader of a caregiver coalition.