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Caregiving

Common steroid treatment could harm patients with pneumonia, research shows

February 25, 2010

Prednisolone, a steroid commonly co-prescribed as a treatment for pneumonia, has little benefit and may actually worsen patient outcomes, researchers say.

One-third of American adults provide care, new report finds

December 10, 2009

There are more informal caregivers in the U.S. than ever before. Nearly one-third of the population provides some level of care, according to a new study.

Report: 10% jump in Alzheimer's in five years

September 22, 2009

Rapidly accelerating rates of dementia worldwide will result in a 10% increase in the number of dementia sufferers in the 2005 to 2010 time frame, according to a new report from Alzheimer's Disease International. The acceleration of cases will lead to an Alzheimer's that will double every 20 years, resulting in an estimated 115 million dementia patients by mid-century, researchers said.

Rising number of childless elderly poses future long-term care challenges, new report suggests

July 23, 2009

The growing number of childless seniors in developed countries may cause caregiving problems in the future. That is according to a new report from the U.S. Census bureau, "An Aging World: 2008."

Promising discovery could help prevent age-related macular degeneration

June 16, 2009

Researchers at the University of Kentucky have announced a major breakthrough in the prevention and early detection of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The condition affects between 10 million and 12 million Americans and is the number-one cause of blindness among seniors.

Number of nursing home beds, residents decreasing, report finds

June 11, 2009

The number of both nursing home beds and nursing home residents in the United States declined between 1999 and 2004, according to the recently released results of the National Nursing Home Survey: 2004 Overview.

First reports of swine flu at nursing homes surface, professionals council issues guidelines

May 04, 2009

A council of long-term care professionals has issued guidelines for dealing with suspected or actual outbreaks of H1N1, or swine flu. The recommendations came out late last week, just hours before the first suspected cases of the flu at nursing facilities began to surface.

Study: Hispanics receive poorer nursing home care

April 13, 2009

Nursing facilities with a primarily Hispanic resident population generally provide lower quality care than facilities primarily servicing whites, say Brown University researchers who focused on pressure ulcer care.

Robot nurses to care for aging Japanese

March 30, 2009

Japan, like many countries around the world, is facing a serious shortage of caregivers to look after its rapidly growing elderly population. Unlike others, however, it is about to create an army of robot nurses.

Researcher says injections may be answer to incontinence problems

March 23, 2009

Women who suffer from stress urinary incontinence can be helped by collagen injections, even after surgery has failed, a medical researcher says. A majority of nursing home residents suffer from one or more types of incontinence.

Regulators see need to issue new guide for dining assistants in nursing homes

March 16, 2009

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has completed a guide for providers who want to employ dining assistants in their facilities. After a drawn out battle, CMS agreed five years ago to allow the use of paid feeding assistants--provided they achieve a certain level of training and have the approval of the state.

Study shows nursing homes beginning to lose funding dominance to HCBS

March 04, 2009

A handful of states are now spending more of their Medicaid funding on home- and community-based services than on nursing home care, according to a new report from AARP. The study also found that nursing home occupancy rates have remained static over the last five years, while HCBS funding has soared.

Think happy thoughts: views on aging tied to poor health later in life

March 04, 2009

Younger people who believe negative stereotypes about aging are more prone to suffer poor health when they themselves reach old age, new research suggests.

Ask the treatment expert: recognizing stage II and III pressure ulcers

Donna Sardina March 01, 2009

Donna Sardina, RN, MHA, WCC President, Wound Care Education Institute

Senior care groups want nursing home funding protected in Obama's first budget

February 23, 2009

President Barack Obama is set to unveil his 2010 budget proposal Thursday, causing anxious senior care groups to issue a call for Medicare funding protection.

Peanut butter recall list grows, providers urged to check food supplies

January 21, 2009

The list of companies and products affected by the peanut butter recall continues to grow as the Food and Drug Administration zeroes in on the source of the outbreak-a food manufacturer that supplies peanut products to long-term care facilities, hospitals and other institutions.

Report: More seniors have three or more chronic conditions

January 07, 2009

The prevalence of chronic conditions among Americans is on the rise with many people now saddled with up to three continuing afflictions. Nowhere is the up-tick more noticeable than among the senior citizen population, according to a report released Tuesday.

Initial results of five-star ratings: Nonprofit nursing homes deliver better care, analysis shows

December 19, 2008

Nonprofit nursing homes provide a higher quality of care than for-profit facilities, according to an analysis by USA Today of the first ratings of nursing homes by the government's five-star rating system.

Nursing home advocates laud Kohl's healthcare workforce bill

December 12, 2008

Sen. Herb Kohl's (D-WI) new bill, "Retooling the Health Care Workforce for an Aging America Act of 2008," garnered strong praise Thursday from the nation's top nursing home advocates.

Caregivers provide $375 billion in free services during 2007

November 26, 2008

The estimated market value of unpaid care to family and friends last year was $375 billion, according to AARP.

Quadrupled flu shot serves seniors better, researchers say

October 29, 2008

Giving seniors four times the usual dose of flu vaccine could give them twice as much protection from the bug, say researchers in a report released Sunday. Recent research has debated the effects of standard flu doses administered to the elderly.

CMS releases draft of MDS 3.0

October 27, 2008

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a draft version of MDS 3.0 last week. CMS disclosed details about it at a Long-Term Care Open Door Forum.

New infection control guidelines released; MRSA, c. Diff and urinary tract infections figure prominently

October 10, 2008

Many of the nation's most prominent infection-control groups on Wednesday released a new set of "consensus" guidelines to help curb the spread of six potentially fatal facility-acquired infections.

Nursing home workers fill void, honor deceased resident with full military funeral

October 10, 2008

A former soldier who died at a Manchester, NH, nursing home was given a full military funeral on Wednesday, courtesy of his caregivers at the facility he called home, according to local news reports.

Another hospital bed entrapment concern: 'power down' versus 'gravity down'

William A. Hyman October 10, 2008

There is more to bed-entrapment dangers than just side-rail risks. In a follow-up to his popular column on side-rail concerns, academic researcher William A. Hyman warns providers about the potential hazards of head- and foot-board entrapment.

'Never event' Medicare reimbursement rules now in effect

October 02, 2008

As of this month, Medicare no longer is reimbursing healthcare facilities for "reasonably preventable" medical errors. Also, hospitals are not allowed to charge patients directly for medical care resulting from such errors.

OIG: Nearly all nursing homes violated federal standards in 2007

September 30, 2008

More than nine out of 10 nursing homes in the United States last year were cited for violating federal health and safety standards, according to a report released Monday by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General.

Man honors nursing home with $2 million for care rendered 13 years ago

September 17, 2008

For long-term care workers wondering if their good work is ever noticed, this story's for you.

McCain, Obama advisers discuss long-term care at symposium

September 12, 2008

Surrogates for presidential hopefuls John McCain (R) and Barack Obama (D) spelled out their respective nominees' views on the future of long-term care in the United States at the third annual Long-Term Care Symposium in Washington this week.

Private equity firms do not affect nursing home quality of care, Harvard study finds

September 11, 2008

A year after a news report uncovered resident care and ownership problems at privately held nursing homes, a new report from Harvard Medical School finds the opposite: Quality at nursing homes does not suffer, and, in certain cases, may even improve under private-equity ownership.