News

Obama administration softens on employer-paid birth control requirement

February 10, 2012

The Obama administration has announced an "accommodation" to its controversial law requiring all employer insurance plans to offer free contraceptive services in their health plans.
 
News

Undiagnosed neurological condition could contribute to falls, fractures in the elderly, research finds

February 10, 2012

Undiagnosed neurological conditions such as cervical myelopathy could be the reason for many falls and hip fractures in the elderly, new research shows.
 
News

Survey: Most nursing home administrators say background checks are helpful, efficient

February 10, 2012

Criminal background checks have not been found to significantly limit the quantity or quality of candidates for nursing home jobs, a top nursing home advocate says. A recent government survey of nursing home administrators paints an accurate picture of what once was forecast as a contentious issues, LeadingAge Director of Advocacy Information Barbara Gay told McKnight's Wednesday.
 
News

Common pay system for three post-acute care settings appears doable, new report says

February 09, 2012

Relief could be on the horizon for providers, regulators and other stakeholders who have struggled to find common evaluation and payment models for individuals who move between post-acute care settings, researchers say.
 
News

Social Security recipients cannot opt out of Medicare, appeals court rules

February 09, 2012

Senior citizens who receive Social Security benefits cannot opt out of Medicare and rely solely on private insurance, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
 
News

Legislation would mandate special training for dementia care workers

February 09, 2012

Dementia advocates in Massachusetts are hoping to fix a loophole that allows nursing homes to advertise dementia units without requiring special training for workers.
 
News

Nursing home groups respond to Obama's proposed Medicare and Medicaid cuts

February 08, 2012

Provider groups are urging President Obama to consider nursing home funding when he releases his fiscal 2013 budget next week. The budget proposal is expected to include Medicare cuts worth $248 billion and Medicaid cuts of up to $72 billion.
 
News

Obama administration boosts Alzheimer's research with $50 million in funding

February 08, 2012

The Obama administration has said it will devote $50 million to fund Alzheimer's research this year, and an additional $80 million in 2013.
 
News

TN inmate escapes from custody while in nursing home laundry facility

February 08, 2012

Authorities in Tennessee are on the lookout for a prison inmate who escaped while working at a nursing home laundry facility Sunday, officials said.
 
News

Obama's budget proposal would reduce Medicare payments

February 07, 2012

President Obama's 2013 budget proposal calls for spending cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, including a reduction in Medicare payments to nursing homes.
 
News

Long-term care stakeholders submit quality measures performance report to HHS

February 07, 2012

As required by the Affordable Care Act, the National Quality Forum convened the Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) to develop a coordinated performance measurement approach across PAC and LTC settings.
 
News

Americans' lifespan shorter than previously thought, study finds

February 07, 2012

A group of researchers has developed a more accurate way of calculating mortality rates of the oldest Americans, which might lead to more realistic cost projections for Social Security and Medicare.
 
News

Federal Medicaid matching rate to decline in 2014

February 06, 2012

About 30 states can expect a drop in federal matching rates for Medicaid in fiscal year 2014, with only a handful seeing an increase, according to a new report.
 
News

Elderly nursing home residents are deficient in vitamin D, study says

February 06, 2012

Nearly all residents at a German geriatric rehabilitation hospital had insufficient levels of vitamin D, while more than two-thirds had severely deficient levels, a new study has found.
 
News

McKnight's Annual Online Expo is almost here

February 06, 2012

The Sixth Annual McKnight's Online Expo is just around the corner. The virtual trade show will get you up-to-speed on the hottest topics in long-term care: payment, capital, technology, wound care and quality. The event kicks off Wednesday, March 21 and continues on March 22.
 
News

OIG: Cutting Medicare and Medicaid fraud still a top concern

February 03, 2012

Eliminating Medicare and Medicaid fraud should be a priority for the Department of Health and Human Services as it works to implement healthcare reform programs, according to a new report.
 
News

Healthcare to account for sizable chunk of new jobs by 2020

February 03, 2012

Another batch of statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor paints a sunny picture for people pursuing jobs in healthcare. Healthcare and social assistance are the fastest growing sectors, and will account for one-quarter of the new jobs created by 2020, according to the Labor Department's Employment Outlook.
 
News

Senate committee approves extension of resources to combat elder abuse

February 03, 2012

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that includes protections for violence against the elderly.
 
News

Indiana passes anti-union legislation

February 02, 2012

Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) signed anti-union legislation Wednesday that will turn the manufacturing-heavy Indiana into a right-to-work state.
 
News

House repeals CLASS Act

February 02, 2012

The House of Representatives repealed the CLASS Act on Wednesday night, although its future is far from clear. Many observers expect Republican efforts to repeal CLASS will die in the Senate, where there is likely not enough support to push through the Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act.
 
News

Catholic nursing homes will be affected by HHS contraception regulation

February 02, 2012

About 500 Catholic nursing homes in the United States will be affected by a regulation requiring employer health insurance plans to cover contraceptive services.
 
News

CBO: Federal healthcare spending could double by 2022

February 01, 2012

Federal spending on Medicare and Medicaid is expected to double by 2022, reaching $1.8 trillion or 7% of the entire economy, according to a new Congressional Budget Office report.
 
News

Assisted living management officials saw a bump in salary in 2011, report finds

February 01, 2012

Assisted living facility chief financial officers had the highest salary increases among all management positions in 2011, with a 3.9% jump over last year to $122,226, according to a new report.
 
News

As states cut Medicaid funds, nursing home group proposes bad debt fix

February 01, 2012

Forty states have either frozen or cut Medicaid-financed nursing home care for seniors between 2009 and 2011, a new survey has found.
 
News

MedPAC takes an axe to provider payments

February 01, 2012

Many Washington politicians are railing against healthcare costs. Nobody can say their rhetoric isn't being heard by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.
 
News

Providers trail on MDS prep

February 01, 2012

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is paying very close attention to therapy payment claims, and that's something more providers need to do, says Leah Klusch, the executive director of the Alliance Training Center.
 
News

RNs may need 4-year degree

February 01, 2012

A firestorm of commentary broke out last month upon news that New York lawmakers might soon again debate a bill that would require registered nurses to attain a four-year bachelor's degree.
 
News

Legionnaires' dries fountains

February 01, 2012

Healthcare facilities should shut down indoor decorative fountains to avoid the spread of Legionnaires' disease, according to a new study.
 
News

Bingo may help with cognition

February 01, 2012

Using large, high-contrast bingo cards improves cognitive skills and visual perception, a study finds.
 
News

Obama leans left in NLRB appointments

February 01, 2012

Anti-unionization proponents are wincing at the recess appointments of two new members of the National Labor Relations Board. The pair are viewed as strong union supporters.
 
News

Santorum: Let's get rid of CMS

February 01, 2012

Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum says it's time to eliminate the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Programs administered at least in part by CMS account for the most of the funding delivered to the nation's nursing facilities.
 
News

60 Seconds with Robin Arnicar

February 01, 2012

Robin Aricar, RN, FACDONA, President, NADONA
 
News

3 LTC groups make leadership changes

February 01, 2012

Three major long-term care organizations recently announced changes to their senior leadership.
 
News

Cuts illustrate need for new business models, experts say

February 01, 2012

As the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and other groups seek to trim public funding for long-term care, the industry needs to mesh with new, strong partners. Such action is the only sure way to preserve margins while improving care, several experts recently noted.
 
News

Ask the payment expert: How do I know if I need to complete a Change of Therapy OMRA?

February 01, 2012

The Change of Therapy (COT) OMRA means that each therapy resident is always in a "look back" period. When an assessment is completed, either a scheduled assessment or an EOT-R assessment, it sets a new seven-day observation period.
 
News

Coordinated care pushed

February 01, 2012

Authors of a new report recommend creating an integrated care model for dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The result would be better coordinated care, and at a lower cost, they say.
 
News

CMS warns providers not to skip resident interviews

February 01, 2012

Skilled nursing operators, apparently overwhelmed or defiant, have not been completing resident interviews as mandated by the new MDS 3.0 resident assessment tool, a top official with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said last month.
 
News

I couldn't live without...The Compliance Store

February 01, 2012

Prior to subscribing to The Compliance Store's comprehensive database of regulatory documents and manuals, Barbara Baxter, an administrator, used to rely on periodicals and communications with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for regulatory guidelines.
 
News

Meager resource allocation can sink tech efforts: CAST

February 01, 2012

High expenses and poor internal collaboration often undermine provider efforts to implement new technology initiatives, according to a report from LeadingAge's Center for Aging Services Technologies.
 
News

No pain = all gain

February 01, 2012

When it comes to dispensing pain relief meds to residents, the old methods are no longer viewed as sufficient. Better medication management is key.
 
News

Ask the treatment expert: What are the key points of caring for venous stasis wounds?

February 01, 2012

Risk factors that may contribute to development of venous stasis ulcers include history of leg swelling, varicose veins, history of blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, prolonged sitting or standing, increasing age and associated immobility, multiple pregnancies, congestive heart failure and smoking.
 
News

Deficits in proposed ulcer cure, FDA says

February 01, 2012

The Food & Drug Administration recently sent a "major deficiency letter" to Sanuwave. Federal regulators said the company's application for a noninvasive foot therapy to treat diabetic foot ulcers lacked important product safety information.
 
News

Hidden autoimmune disease often prevents healing: study

February 01, 2012

Residents with wounds that won't heal also might have undiagnosed immune system problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, according to investigators at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington.
 
News

Ask the nursing expert: What can I do to support professional growth?

February 01, 2012

Focus on commitment and ensuring a culture of support. I find that sharing your commitment to providing the best care in an atmosphere of continuous quality improvement and ongoing demonstration of your commitment when making rounds on your nursing units provide a firm foundation.
 
News

Juggling work shifts raises diabetes risk

February 01, 2012

Women who work three or more night shifts per month, in addition to day and evening working hours in that month, have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women who worked only days or evenings, a study finds.
 
News

Lack of geographic mobility among nurses hurts access

February 01, 2012

Nurses' lack of mobility — the relationship between where they received training and where they ultimately end up making their living — can lead to recruiting challenges, a study finds. This has the biggest implications for people living in rural areas, where there are already more problems with access to care, experts say.
 
News

Henry to lead RehabCare

February 01, 2012

Kindred Healthcare Inc. announced in December that Pat Henry has replaced Chris Bird as president of the RehabCare division.
 
News

Ventas acquires buildings; stockholder to sell off stake

February 01, 2012

The agreement means holders of shares of Cogdell common stock will receive $4.25 per share. This represents a premium of 8% to Cogdell's closing price on Dec. 23, 2011, and 13% to the average closing price of Cogdell common stock over the previous 30 days, according to Ventas.
 
News

Governor earmarks funds for SNFs in budget

February 01, 2012

Due partly to the average 11.1% reduction in Medicare payments to nursing homes that took effect in October, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R) is asking state legislators to approve her state budget, which earmarks $8 million for skilled nursing facilities.
 
News

Ask the legal expert: What legal considerations should providers ponder before joining an ACO?

February 01, 2012

Your organization can add value by integrating with acute care providers, in an ACO or otherwise, and ensuring that individuals receive efficient, high-quality care as they transition from the acute to the post-acute and long-term care environments.
 
News

Feds say hospice firm erred in enrollments

February 01, 2012

The federal government has joined a whistleblower complaint that alleges a major hospice company defrauded Medicare.
 
News

Sun reaches settlement over worker vacation payments

February 01, 2012

Sun Healthcare will pay more than $60,000 in a settlement over a failure to pay vacation wages to former employees, the Massachusetts Attorney General said in December.
 
News

GE, Microsoft to launch health data firm

February 01, 2012

Microsoft announced that it will partner with General Electric to form a new company that makes healthcare information more accessible. The partners said they hope to optimize the treatment that healthcare providers can offer patients while reducing costs.
 
News

Marketing by hospices to be focus of federal investigation

February 01, 2012

Federal officials plan to spend more time this year examining how hospices market themselves to nursing homes, according to a 2012 work plan released by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General.
 
News

How to do it...Wound care

February 01, 2012

All long-term care nurses and aides need to consider themselves wound care "specialists." It also helps if caregivers can get residents engaged in facets of their own wound care. Experts advise here on some of the best ways to get residents involved effectively.
 
News

All roads lead to home

February 01, 2012

One facility's new wandering garden assists caregivers by ensuring residents don't get lost while exploring the space's sights and sounds.
 
News

Smart Money: Seeing through rates

February 01, 2012

Rates of return are often used as a benchmark for investment performance. As Joan Dixon, CFO of Morningside Ministries in San Antonio, TX, says, "performance reporting can at times be very confusing. It is important to know the difference between time and dollar-weighted returns so performance is accurately reflected in the reports."
 
News

Making a big difference

February 01, 2012

About a decade ago, Monster.com unveiled a brilliant ad campaign. The spots were black and white vignettes in which children talked about their aspirations. But these kids were already jaded.
 
News

Online Expo the answer for cabin fever, and more

February 01, 2012

With warmer days of spring around the corner, now is the perfect time to hunker down and get your professional affairs in order. I have a solution that involves no paperwork or heavy lifting.
 
News

Talking up speech language pathology

February 01, 2012

Despite low profiles, speech professionals have assumed expanded roles and are making increasingly critical contributions to rehab regimens.
 
News

Still a caregiver at heart

February 01, 2012

The new leader of the American Hospital Association's Governing Council for Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation has been a chief executive officer for the past 15 years. But at her core, Patricia Ostaszewski still considers herself a nurse.
 
News

A Day in the Life: Culture change for a younger set

February 01, 2012

If you were to visit the young adult care unit at Ecumen Bayshore Health Center, in Duluth, MN, chances are that Lady Gaga would be playing on a resident's stereo, and a group would be gathered around a living room table playing board games. In other words, it would look and feel a lot like any young adult's house or apartment — and that's how the residents at this nursing home like it.
 
News

Affordable Care Act provides help for nursing homes, brief says

January 31, 2012

The Affordable Care Act benefits nursing homes and other residential care facilities, according to an amicus curiae brief filed in the Supreme Court by six aging groups.
 
News

Musical training heads off age-related hearing difficulties, study finds

January 31, 2012

Lifelong musical training — particularly when continued late in life — can help overcome age-related hearing loss, a new study finds.
 
News

GOP presidential candidates spar over kosher nursing home meals

January 31, 2012

Mitt Romney's Republican presidential rivals are now pouncing on reports that Romney eliminated kosher meals for Jewish nursing homes in Massachusetts in 2003.
 
News

PharMerica agrees with FTC lawsuit blocking Omnicare takeover

January 30, 2012

The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit blocking long-term care pharmacy provider Omnicare's takeover of its rival PharMerica. The federal agency said that a merger of the two largest pharmacy services providers would harm competition in the industry and allows Omnicare to increase prices of drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.
 
News

Pharmacist underpayments results in adverse events, citations, investigation finds

January 30, 2012

Nursing homes that provide below-average consultant pharmacist salaries may be getting what they pay for, a state investigation suggests.
 
News

AMDA announces interim executive director

January 30, 2012

The American Medical Directors Association has named Harvey Tillipman as its interim executive director.
 
News

Report: Correcting Medicare Advantage overpayments could save billions

January 27, 2012

Correcting overpayments in the Medicare Advantage program could save the federal government billions of dollars, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
 
News

SNFs focused on individual therapy, new government report reveals

January 27, 2012

Skilled nursing facilities are almost exclusively putting residents in individual therapy, a new report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid says.
 
News

Report: Correcting Medicare Advantage overpayments could save billions

January 27, 2012

Correcting overpayments in the Medicare Advantage program could save the federal government billions of dollars, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
 
News

Colorado considers mandatory flu shots for nursing home workers

January 27, 2012

Officials from Colorado's state health department have proposed mandatory flu vaccinations for all nursing home employees, regardless of religious or personal exceptions.
 
News

Senior housing market sees slow recovery, report finds

January 26, 2012

Although construction of senior living housing has continued its decline, occupancy rates grew slightly in the fourth quarter of 2011, a new report shows.
 
News

ALFA: Alzheimer's taskforce ignores assisted living options

January 26, 2012

In a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Assisted Living Federation of America said it was "dismayed to see the lack of acknowledgment of the role assisted living has in caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease," in the HHS taskforce plan released Jan. 9.
 
News

Diabetes-related lower limb amputations are declining, study finds

January 26, 2012

The rate of foot and leg amputations in diabetics over the age of 40 fell 65% between 1996 and 2008, according to a recent report.
 
News

President Obama snubs long-term care in State of the Union address

January 25, 2012

Despite calls from healthcare groups for President Obama to include long-term care in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, the request appears to have fallen on deaf ears.
 
News

Long-term care merger and acquisition spending rose 34% in 2011; upswing to continue, report says

January 25, 2012

Long-term care saw a significant jump in merger, acquisition and takeover activity in 2011, according to a new report.
 
News

Researchers discover women feel higher levels of pain

January 25, 2012

Women with chronic ailments experience more intense pain than men, according to a new study. Results and further research could eventually lead to more accurate pain-medication prescribing for both men and women, experts say.
 
News

Targeting hospital readmissions gives skilled nursing facilities opportunities, expert says

January 24, 2012

Skilled nursing facilities should know their track record and be able to spread word about it well if they want to thrive and help reduce rehospitalizations, a policy expert said Tuesday.
 
News

CMS clarifies provider termination criteria

January 24, 2012

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has clarified the terms under which states can terminate a provider's participation in state Medicaid programs.
 
News

Nursing homes residents have three-fold risk of infection after E.R. visit, study finds

January 24, 2012

Emergency room visits by elderly nursing home residents was linked to a three-fold risk of acute respiratory or gastrointestinal infection, a new study finds.
 
News

Put resident privacy first in nursing home social media programs, advocacy group says

January 23, 2012

Nursing homes considering a social media program should first thoroughly outline their goals, according to a recent risk analysis.
 
News

Robot baby comforts nursing home residents

January 23, 2012

Japanese scientists have invented yet another type of robot aimed at making life a little it easier for senior citizens, this time in the form of a robot baby.
 
News

J & J pays $158 million to settle Texas Medicaid fraud lawsuit

January 23, 2012

Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $158 million to settle a Medicaid fraud lawsuit. The lawsuit accused J & J subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals of giving state officials kickbacks in exchange for putting the antipsychotic Risperdal on an approved list for Medicaid recipients.
 
News

Nonprofit nursing home jobs lose market share to for-profits, study finds

January 20, 2012

The nonprofit sector has shown 10 years of record job growth, while for-profit job growth has declined. However, the growth of for-profit nursing home jobs has outpaced nonprofit nursing home jobs, according to a new study.
 
News

CMS: Providers caught skipping resident interviews for new evaluations

January 20, 2012

Skilled nursing operators must complete resident interviews for MDS 3.0 evaluations, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official reminded providers Thursday on a national conference call.
 
News

Rethink frequency of bone density tests, investigators advise

January 20, 2012

Frequent bone density tests for senior women may not be needed, according to a new study.
 
News

Nursing home residents with dementia at greater risk for falls with some antidepressants, study reveals

January 19, 2012

Depressed nursing home residents with dementia are three times more likely to have serious falls if they take certain medications, a new study reveals.
 
News

House committee passes bill repealing CLASS Act

January 19, 2012

As expected, the House Ways and Means Committee passed a bill on Wednesday repealing the CLASS Act.
 
News

Report: HHS has missed critical quality measure development deadlines

January 19, 2012

The Department of Health and Human Services is in danger of missing critical deadlines in developing the quality measures used to evaluate the Affordable Care Act's cost-savings initiatives, a government report revealed.
 
News

States' Medicaid eligibility and enrollment remained stable in 2011, report says

January 18, 2012

Despite heavily burdened state budgets, states' Medicaid eligibility and enrollment was stable during 2011, thanks partly to the Affordable Care Act, a new report finds.
 
News

Iowa lawmakers propose special nursing home for sex offenders

January 18, 2012

A small group of Iowa lawmakers say the state needs a nursing home that serves registered elderly sex offenders.
 
News

House GOP continue with CLASS repeal efforts

January 18, 2012

With Congress back in session, House Republicans are back at trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act's disability insurance benefit.
 
News

Alzheimer's experts to finalize Obama administration taskforce plan

January 17, 2012

A panel of Alzheimer's experts is kicking off a two-day meeting in Washington today to formalize an Obama administration goal of developing effective ways to treat and prevent Alzheimer's by 2025.
 
News

FDA warns J & J on insulin pumps

January 17, 2012

Johnson & Johnson could face penalties for not reporting incidents where insulin pumps have failed, the Food and Drug Administration has warned.
 
News

State officials settle lawsuit to keep disabled out of nursing homes

January 17, 2012

Louisiana health officials will ask the federal government for 200 waivers that would allow disabled Medicaid recipients to receive long-term personal care services, according to the terms of a settlement.
 
News

U.S. assisted living group pairs up with new seniors association in India

January 16, 2012

A leading U.S. assisted living trade group has partnered with India's first senior living group, reflecting the growing global demand for senior care facilities.
 
News

NADONA announces Arnicar as new president; Dornberger named executive director

January 16, 2012

The National Association of Directors of Nursing / Long Term Care late Friday announced its new leadership slate for the coming year. Robin Arnicar was elected president in electronic balloting that concluded in late December. In addition, the Cincinnati-based group removed the "interim" label and named Sherrie Dornberger its executive director.
 
News

SNFs should focus on partnerships, quality, to weather uncertain future, experts say

January 16, 2012

In order to survive an uncertain financial and regulatory environment, skilled nursing operators need to look at partnering with other healthcare systems and improving the quality of care, analysts say.
 
News

Nursing home quality measures should address short-stay rehab residents, group says

January 13, 2012

The set of quality measures used on Medicare's Nursing Home Compare website should be updated to include more measures for short-stay rehabilitation residents, according to one panel of experts. The Nursing Home Compare program measure set contains a mix of process and outcome measures for safety and prevention of mortality, but there are some gaps, according to a new report from the Measures Application Panel (MAP).
 
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