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Home Care

The federal government should invest more in home care

Diane Walker February 22, 2010

The Obama administration is taking the right step in investing in programs to support family caregivers. It needs to do more.

New checklist for at-home palliative sedation

February 19, 2010

Spanish researchers have created a new checklist to help caregivers provide palliative sedation in home-care settings.

Group suggests slashing nursing home spending to help fix New York's budget problems

January 06, 2010

One Albany-based group is recommending significant cuts to nursing homes and home care as a way to pare down New York's $3.2 billion deficit.

Report: Medicare cuts in Senate bill could lead to earnings losses at some nursing homes

December 14, 2009

About one in five nursing homes, hospitals and home care agencies could fall into the red as a result of Medicare cuts in the Senate healthcare reform bill, a new government study finds.

McKnight's Newsmaker Videos: Take a tour through AAHSA's Idea House

November 19, 2009

The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging provided a model house for aging in place at its annual conference this month. See the various rooms and the technology in the house in a two-part video tour. Go to www.mcknights.com and watch the two clips in the video section on the right-hand side of the page.

Everyone needs a long-term care plan

Ken Dychtwald November 18, 2009

My parents wisely purchased long-term care insurance. They have showed me that now more than ever, it's important to think ahead.

CLASS Act would not increase federal deficit, AAHSA's Manard asserts

November 12, 2009

Barbara Manard, vice president of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, Wednesday countered criticism that the CLASS Act would contribute to the federal deficit.

Move toward certifying electronic health records must include long-term care

John Derr October 21, 2009

Long-term care must have have certified electronic health records to keep pace with the rest of the healthcare industry.

Needlestick injuries a safety hazard among home-care nurses, study finds

October 08, 2009

Home-care nurses experience nearly 10,000 needlestick-type injuries per year, according to estimates from a report from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

Cantwell-Kohl bill would create incentives for states to increase home- and community-based services at the expense of nursing homes

June 15, 2009

A newly proposed bill would reform long-term care by offering more Medicaid money to states for home- and community-based healthcare programs.

Acting surgeon general stresses falls reduction as part of 'healthy homes' program

June 12, 2009

Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., said this week he will make prevention of senior falls one of the top priorities of his new program, "The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes."

Kennedy unveils sweeping healthcare reform bill with long-term care provisions

June 10, 2009

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) on Tuesday released a massive healthcare reform bill that includes long-awaited provisions for long-term care services and supports.

Wireless technology, home health expected to grow in seniors care and housing, survey finds

May 26, 2009

Operators of senior living communities believe that "smart home" technology and wireless connectivity will help to attract residents within the next five years. Other specialty areas predicted to boom include home health services, wellness programs, providing Web-based education and building smaller and/or "green" facilities, according to a new survey of 107 senior living organization in 13 states.

Sebelius: New nurse, home health aide surveys designed to increase worker satisfaction

May 19, 2009

The recently released Department of Health and Human Services survey of long-term care nursing assistants (CNAs), and a forthcoming survey of home health workers, reflects the department's commitment to the needs of the long-term care workforce, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says.

CMS threatens withholding stimulus funding if home health pay isn't reinstated

May 13, 2009

When the California state legislature act to reduce the state's maximum contribution to home healthcare workers' pay from $12.10 per hour to $10.10 per hour, it violated the terms of the recently passed federal stimulus package and therefore invalidates the state from receiving $6.8 billion in stimulus money, according to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ruling.

Disabled protestors arrested in Community Choice Act demonstration

May 01, 2009

Protesters from the Service Employees International Union and the disability rights group ADAPT turned out en masse this week to protest President Obama's perceived lack of support for the Community Choice Act. The measure would give home- and community-based services the same consideration under Medicaid that nursing homes receive.

Kaiser: Long-term care accounts for nearly one-third of all Medicaid spending in the United States

April 17, 2009

Long-term care consumed more than a third of the $320 billion spent on Medicaid services during fiscal year 2007, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report.

Officials rap home healthcare providers over fraudulent billing, abusive practices

March 16, 2009

Home healthcare, the fast-growing destination for many individuals who previously might have sought nursing home care, has been besieged by a spate of fraudulent Medicare reimbursement practices, government investigators say. Overstating a person's healthcare needs - or upcoding - is a significant problem, the government Accountability Office found.

Study finds home healthcare settings have many unsafe conditions

March 06, 2009

A recent study has identified a number of hazardous conditions found in home healthcare settings--conditions that are of special concern to both the elderly and their caretakers.

Long-term care reform hearing focuses on dual eligibles, home-based services

March 05, 2009

Public and private sector officials convened Wednesday to discuss the important role long-term care reform could play in a grander, overall healthcare reform scheme.

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.

New York pushes back against home-care benefits rule

January 27, 2009

The state of New York is urging the Obama administration to overturn a rule that denies couples receiving home care the same financial rights as those in nursing homes.

Family caregivers report abusing Alzheimer's patients

January 27, 2009

More than 50% of family members who care for Alzheimer's patients at home reported that they acted abusively, according to a recent British study.

Rhode Island caps Medicaid spending for five years

January 23, 2009

Rhode Island is experimenting with Medicaid spending caps, a controversial move that has grabbed the national spotlight.

SNF rates should remain unchanged in 2010, MedPAC says

January 12, 2009

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) last week recommended a freeze on reimbursements for skilled nursing facilities and inpatient rehabilitation centers for fiscal year 2010.

Federal nursing home spending gains speed while overall healthcare spending slows

January 06, 2009

Federal spending on nursing home and home health accelerated in 2007, even as overall healthcare spending grew at the slowest rate since 1998, according to a new spending report issued today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Congressional Budget Office analyzes long-term care policies

January 05, 2009

States may not have the infrastructure to support a potential increase in home- and community-based services, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The agency released a report highlighting the projected costs and ramifications of more than 100 healthcare policies, including many proposed for long-term care.

Medicare payments to nursing facilities may stay same in FY 2010

December 08, 2008

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) may recommend to Congress that skilled nursing facilities not receive a Medicare payment update in fiscal year 2010.

Major new Medicaid rule exempts nursing home residents

December 04, 2008

A major new Medicaid regulation gives states "unprecedented flexibility" in configuring their Medicaid programs. Exempted from the rule are nursing home residents, Medicare beneficiaries and medically frail individuals who have freedom of choice in participating in new coverage offerings.

CMS expert: Economic crisis could bankrupt Part A in eight years

December 03, 2008

Healthcare officials in recent years have projected that the Medicare Part A trust fund would become insolvent by 2019. Now some are saying that the program could run out of money even sooner as a result of the economic downturn.