Hospital

Elderly ICU, hospital patients might survive longer at home, research suggests

March 03, 2010

Seniors discharged from hospital or intensive care unit to skilled nursing facilities are significantly more likely to die within six months than those discharged home, according to a new study.

Acute care hospitals more likely to use feeding tubes on dementia patients from nursing homes, study finds

February 11, 2010

Advanced dementia patients are more likely to receive feeding tubes if they are taken from nursing homes to acute care hospitals, according to a new report. This occurs despite mounting evidence that using feeding tubes on these patients is not beneficial.

Need grows for therapy caps resolution

Liza Berger February 05, 2010

My how things change. Just a month ago a healthcare reform bill seemed en route to passage. Now its very existence is in question and, by extension, some key long-term care services are too.

Embattled CEO resigns over controversial closing of celebrity nursing home

February 04, 2010

After a year of conflict surrounding the shuttering of the Motion Picture & Television Fund's long-term care facility and hospital, Dr. David Tillman, CEO of the fund, has resigned his post.

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.

Most seniors can't name drugs prescribed during hospital stays

December 14, 2009

Nearly 9 in 10 hospitalized seniors could not name a single take-as-needed medication prescribed during a hospital stay, according to a recent study.

Federal regulators taking a closer look at hospitals' admitting practices

December 09, 2009

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has notified hospitals that they are being closely watched over concerns about how they have decided whether to admit certain individuals or refer them elsewhere.

Community-based MRSA poses greater threat to healthcare than previously thought

November 25, 2009

There has been a staggering seven-fold increase in the new community-associated strain of methycillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospital outpatient units over the last decade, according to new research.

CDC: States have received about 44 million doses of H1N1 vaccine

November 23, 2009

A total of about 54.1 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine have been made available as of last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday.

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.

C. difficile infecting more elderly outside of nursing homes, research finds

November 09, 2009

C. difficile, a bacteria common in nursing homes and hospitals, has been afflicting more and more people outside of healthcare settings—especially the elderly, according to new research.

Proposed rule would 'trigger' notification of breach of patient privacy

October 27, 2009

The Department of Health and Human Services should retain its "risk of harm" standard in the final rule on breach notification for unsecured protected health information, the American Hospital Association said in a comment letter to the agency on Friday.

Database of disciplined nurses still off-limits to nursing homes and hospitals

September 04, 2009

The Department of Health and Human Services over the years has kept hidden from nursing homes and hospitals a database of nurses and other healthcare workers who have been disciplined by state licensing boards, according to a radio news outlet.

Move to improve residents' quality of life a welcome development

Nancy L. Gorman August 04, 2009

Enhanced standards from The Joint Commission complement new guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Both emphasize improving the quality of life of long-term care residents.

States may suffer in long run with cuts to services for elderly, news accounts suggest

July 31, 2009

In an effort to overcome budget deficits for the new fiscal year, many states have reduced Medicaid spending on services for low-income seniors. And that could have negative long-term implications, according to news reports.