Escalating healthcare costs in the United States cannot be pinned on an aging population demanding more services for chronic conditions. Instead, higher costs are primarily the result of price increases, according to a new analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Washington-based Premera Blue Cross will enter the Medicare Advantage market in 2014, the company announced Oct. 1.
Autumn is a busy season at Lutheran Life Community's Lutheran Home in Arlington Heights, IL. "We see a lot of transitions from room to room, or new starts in the fall," says Assistant Administrator Sarah Kurth. But Kurth is not referring to the home's nursing and assisted living residents — she's talking about its childcare program, Shepherd's Flock.
Many employee groups achieved significant increases in flu vaccination rates last season, but nursing home workers weren't among them, according to federal officials who handed out a "report card" on Thursday.
Initially many thought that the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act will be a popular piece of legislation. However, while provisions were popular with providers and some seniors, many were not especially among seniors who had coverage, those who will pay more (so-called wealthy seniors), and the insurance lobby. So what has changed and what will lead us to believe that ACA will last?
Seniors without diabetes but with higher than average blood sugar levels have an 18% increased risk for dementia, a new study shows.
Whether you are just starting out in the long-term care business, building a new facility from the ground-up, or simply swapping out finishes, fixtures and furnishings in existing spaces and units, there are special considerations for catering to your unique clientele.
Cultivating intergenerational relationships has become a top priority for senior care providers. Recent experiences in southern Africa have caused me to reexamine how we engage seniors.
The great South African golfer Gary Player has found an interesting way to gain additional media "exposure." The septuagenarian was recently seen gracing the cover of ESPN The Magazine. And by the way, a golf club was apparently the only thing he was wearing.
While an increasing number of long-term care communities have included serving the spiritual needs of residents as part of their mission, few have dedicated sufficient resources to meet the need. Research shows that when it comes to optimizing the potential for well-being, this is a missed opportunity.
The terms we use to describe and communicate with seniors have either positive or negative associations. We recently conducted a new survey asking 1,114 participants their feelings and associations with the language used to describe seniors and senior living. The survey revealed certain terms and labels acceptable a generation ago, have rapidly become taboo or downright offensive.
People who are depressed or lonely are at increased risk of Clostridium difficile infection, according to recently published research.
As you have conversations about being the partner of choice to help hospitals reduce readmissions, others are having conversations about how telemedicine in the home will become the new primary care office. As you strive to drive more Medicare business, experts are saying that there is excess care for seniors.
A plastic-foam ban could have a profound impact on the healthcare industry, from nursing homes and assisted living facilities to hospitals. Polystyrene foam cups have other advantages over paper cups in settings that cater to seniors.
Mental and physical stimulation improves seniors' memory and thinking skill, regardless of how rigorous the activities are, according to a recently published study.
Older adults who gained the most fat in their thighs and lost the most thigh muscle were at the greatest risk for a clinically meaningful decline in walking speed in a Wake Forest study of more than 2,000 adults between the ages of 70 and 79.
Sometimes I wonder if it's human nature - and business nature - to be suspicious of others. To be wary of learning from others because of our "uniqueness." As businesses, we have a tendency to look at others in our market and point out the things that they do that wouldn't work for us, instead of finding the points of intersectio
Seniors are increasingly likely to be hospitalized for respiratory problems as it becomes warmer, according to a recently released study.
The most expensive nursing home care is on average found on the East Coast, according to data released Wednesday.
Gaining a real understanding of your target market is more crucial today than it ever has been before. With increased competition and tighter budgets, you must know how to best spend your dollars and get the maximum return possible on that marketing investment.
As current residents "age out" of independent living and ALF settings, they are not being replaced by the next generation of seniors.
Among states with high percentages of seniors, Maine did the best, with 30% of its homes earning a five-star rating.
This season's influenza vaccine was largely ineffective for seniors, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers released Thursday.
The exclusion of nursing home residents should cast serious doubt on studies showing a positive relationship between obesity and lifespan, according to a new report.
Individuals with type 2 diabetes can eat immediately after injecting insulin without compromising their blood sugar level, according to a recently published study in the journal Diabetes Care.
A bipartisan group of legislators introduced a bill in the House of Representatives Wednesday to repeal the Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) called for by the Affordable Care Act.
The Institute of Medicine will host a workshop Wednesday that will focus on current and emerging technologies that can help seniors and disabled individuals live more independently. Among the highlights will be the unveiling of an updated LeadingAge "Ernesto" video focusing on assistive technologies. One of the keynote speakers will be Joseph Coughlin, director of AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who also was a top speaker at the LeadingAge annual convention in October. The daylong event can be attended in person in Washington or watched via live video webcast.
In the United States, nearly half a million hip replacement surgeries are performed every year because of trauma and various forms of arthritis. These conditions tend to affect older adults, and as a long-term care provider, there is a good chance that you will care for a senior who has had a hip replacement.
Retired people ages 65 and above do not have an increased chance of getting less rest, according to a joint study between the University of Pittsburgh's Sleep and Chronobiology Center (SCC) and University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR).
