Maybe I just need to stop reading McKnight’s. That’s the bottom line. Because every time I flip through its pages, whether virtually or in print, I seem to discover researchers have found another horrible...
CDC releases HAI Data: How are we doing?
By
Jacie Volkman, MPH, CIC
Jul 16, 2014
For many years, healthcare institutions have been focused on different ways to decrease HAIs, as federal reimbursement initiatives loomed. So, what does this report card tell us? We’ve come a long...
Invite in infectious disease docs to LTC
By
Elizabeth Newman
May 22, 2014
If I’m predisposed to being fond of infectious disease physicians, it’s because I believe they offer insight beyond that of a general practitioner. This is not to say that a long-term care...
Budgeting for hand hygiene
By
Elizabeth Newman
Mar 06, 2014
One of my former colleagues, who had moved to the healthcare sector from television, shared with me the story of how she began her new job and was told, “Oh, yeah, you can figure out the budget,...
An easy way to reduce antibiotics
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jan 30, 2014
It is tempting to run to my internist and beg for an antibiotic to stem what could be a sinus infection, but is more likely, much like the polar vortex, a cold that won’t go away. I was reminded...
C. diff spotlight: Vaccine trial and caregiver checklist
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 07, 2013
Back in June, I declared medication to be the long-term care topic of the summer. But this week, a different topic has stolen the spotlight: Clostridium difficile.
FDA — full of poop?
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Jun 11, 2013
Every few days I read the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) news to see if there is anything relevant to eldercare that I should be aware of. Recently, I came across an extremely eye-opening item.
Preventing HAIs in long-term care
By
Tina Beskie
May 01, 2013
Preventing the spread of MRSA, CRE and other hospital-acquired infections(HAI’s) is quickly becoming a top priority in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities. Yet we often overlook disinfecting...
Inside the mind of an LTC shrink
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Mar 08, 2013
I sat in morning report as the nursing supervisor announced the arrival of a new resident. An 80-year old woman was taken to the hospital after a fall at home, where she received a below-knee amputation...
Taking steps to prevent Clostridium difficile infections
By
Irena Kenneley, Ph.D.
Feb 15, 2013
The numbers are in and they are grim. There are 165,000 cases, $1.3 billion in excess costs, and 9,000 deaths from Clostridium difficile infections that are healthcare-acquired in the United States annually.