Long-term care advocates Wednesday applauded Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for acknowledging "inherent flaws" in the Five-Star Quality Rating System. The fourth annual McKnight's Online Expo will kick off March 24 with a webcast discussing issues related to nursing home quality.

State and federal lawmakers should find a way to legally recognize same-sex elderly couples to extend social supports, financial security and healthcare benefits to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors, a new report contends.

Giving nursing home workers a flu vaccine is ineffective at preventing the spread of influenza among residents, a new Canadian study suggests.

The nation's first nursing home rating system is an important tool for consumers, but changes can be expected, said the country's highest health official on Tuesday. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said criticism about always assigning certain percentages of facilities "excellent" or "failing" grades is "serious" and deserves further consideration.

Between 1997 and 2007, the number of nursing homes providing training and certification programs for certified nursing assistants (CNAs) fell by more than a third, according to a recent report.