The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has revised the provider certification manual for hospitals, giving more in-depth guidelines around discharge planning. The goal is for hospitals to reduce readmissions by partnering with post-acute providers.
Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have introduced a bill that would require employers to make reasonable job modifications for pregnant women. The lawmakers were motivated in part by the case of Victoria Serednyj, a nursing home activity director who lost her job while pregnant.
Post-stroke treatments can benefit older people as much as younger ones, according to recently published research from the University of Georgia.
The federal government is ramping up efforts to reduce the number of disabled people in nursing homes through interagency initiatives. While many disabled people have already been moved out of nursing homes, a sharper focus is needed because the aging of the baby boom generation will increase the number of seniors with disabilities, the Education Department said in a Federal Register article.
An optometrist in Kentucky defrauded Medicare and Medicaid by filing claims for nursing home care that was unnecessary or not provided, alleges a False Claims Act lawsuit recently brought by the federal government.
Benedictine Health System President and CEO Dale M. Thompson will retire in December. Thompson is a former president of the American Health Care Association.
Advocat Inc., which operates 48 skilled nursing centers, changed its name to Diversicare Healthcare Services as of March 15. Its facilities already operated under the Diversicare name, and President and CEO Kelly J. Gill said the name change is to unify branding.
Aviv REIT Inc. netted nearly $279 million in an initial public offering of common stock. The Chicago-based company first tried to go public in 2008 but was stopped by the economic crisis, and a 2009 attempt was met with investor resistance.
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A four-person review panel would have to approve civil malpractice lawsuits against long-term care providers before the claims could go to court, under a bill that recently passed the state senate in Kentucky.
Virginia — State Sen. Bill Stanley (R) has introduced a bill requiring that nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other certified nursing facilities obtain minimum levels of insurance. If SB70 becomes law, affected facilities would have to maintain liability coverage of at least $1 million, and have levels of professional liability insurance defined by the state's medical malpractice caps.
The Florida Health Care Association (FHA) criticized a report that one in five Florida nursing homes appears on the state's watch list for failing to meet minimum care standards or correct violations within a specified time frame.
