Most nursing assistants in nursing homes enter the field to help others, according to the National Nursing Assistant Survey, a detailed sampling of the attitudes and opinions of nursing assistants. Released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the survey was prepared by the Division of Health Care Statistics, Long-Term Care Statistics Branch.

While the focus of regulators' "Open Door Forum" conference call Tuesday might have first appeared to be about getting ready for the December rollout of a new nursing home ranking system, officials quickly made it clear much more was at stake.

The federal government won 66 of 71 appeals cases brought by nursing home providers last year according to a recent report from the Center for Medicare Advocacy. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services won all 18 cases decided on the merits at the Appellate Division; it won 48 of 53 cases at the Civil Remedies Division.

Many in the nursing home field have been taken aback by the Government Accountability Office report released last week. Now one state, which ranks among the worst in the country in terms of nursing home inspections, according to the report, is speaking out against the GAO's findings.

Healthcare costs are the third-most common economic problem for U.S. residents, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. More than one-fourth (28%) of respondents said the changing economy has caused them a serious problem paying for either insurance or healthcare.

Federal regulators' "Nursing Home Compare" Web site now lists facilities that rank in the lowest 10% in quality based on state inspection results, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services disclosed Thursday.

A quick glance at the oldest baby boomers: They've been married only once; they have 2.4 children average; and conservatives outnumber liberals by two to one.