Staffing offers toughest trial
Workforce challenges that have plagued long-term care operators during the coronavirus pandemic will worsen as the crisis progresses this year, predicted Harvard healthcare policy expert David Grabowski.
Print Issue: November 2020
Deal gives residents new vaccine priority
Long-term care residents and staff members will receive coronavirus vaccinations at no cost, thanks to a program announced by the federal government in mid-October.
Feds vow weekly test supplies
A worrisome slowdown in federal distribution of coronavirus rapid-screening tests in mid-October was only a temporary aberration due to a production slowdown, federal officials disclosed.
Paid sick leave yields progress
States that gained access to emergency paid sick leave during the pandemic saw 400 fewer COVID-19 cases per day, according to a new study in Health Affairs.
Apathy tied to dementia risk
Severe apathy — a lack of interest and loss of desire to participate in daily activities — is tied to greater odds of developing dementia, a nine-year study has found.
CMS suspends NH Compare Quality data through 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has frozen SNF Quality Reporting Program data on the Nursing Home Compare site through 2022.
State order ending POC testing overruled
States that prohibit long-term care providers from using rapid, point-of-care antigen testing devices are in violation of federal law, the Department of Health and Human Services warned in October.
Music, not pills, to manage agitation, researchers hope
Group music therapy in an eldercare setting reduces agitation and may be a useful tool in managing aggressive behavior, according to a new study.
Falls may be an indication of Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease brain changes may be the culprit when an older person with no known cognitive decline has a fall, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Diseases.
