Vaccination
Staff turnover needs to be considered in flu season plans for LTC, researchers say
October 16, 2017Long-term care providers should take their staff turnover rate into account when looking for ways to increase employee flu vaccination rates, according to a new research review. Because there could be frequent newcomers, managers should make sure flu-prevention efforts are continual and not pinned to just one day or week.
Flu shot — or not
October 05, 2017When it comes to flu shots, let's just figure out a way to make the whole thing more convenient for those who choose or are coerced to undergo this crucial or useless procedure.
Health officials implore healthcare workers to 'lead by example,' get flu shots; LTC still worst
September 29, 2017Healthcare workers should "lead by example" and get their influenza vaccinations sooner than later, health officials said on Thursday.
Chat up your in-house counsel
February 10, 2017Sessions at the LeadingAge Institute covered the need to have documentation and delegation to reduce nursing liability, and another reflected an in-house counsel's perspective on hot legal topics.
Tips on handling the flu with seniors
December 16, 2014Using these methods, the flu can usually be contained and treated for the benefit of both the seniors and their caregivers.
Face mask mandate dramatically increases healthcare worker flu vaccination
October 28, 2014Making nursing home workers wear face masks if they do not get a flu shot is a highly effective way of increasing vaccination rates, statistics in New York show.
State News for September 2014
September 01, 2014MAINE - The state's nursing homes will get their first Medicaid rate increase in six years after a breathtaking display of mid-summer political brinksmanship. But dark days still loom in a state beset with closures and an over-65 population ratio that's second only to Florida's.
CDC to families: Press long-term care staff to get vaccinated for flu
December 17, 2013Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention singled out long-term care professionals in a recent influenza vaccination briefing, calling on them to be vaccinated and urging family members of residents to question workers' vaccination status.
CDC: Low flu, pneumonia vaccination rates blemish a good picture of seniors' health
July 11, 2013Seniors in the United States are meeting most health targets, but many are still not being vaccinated for the potentially fatal conditions of influenza and pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Flu shots don't hurt turnover, study says
July 01, 2013Requiring flu shots is not a primary reason for employees quitting, an analysis finds. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all healthcare employees receive the annual flu vaccine, facilities vary on whether to make it mandatory.
Ask the legal expert ... about mandating flu shots
May 01, 2013We've decided that next flu season we're going to mandate our staff members get flu shots. Are we on firm legal ground?
Flu vaccine offered poor protection for seniors this year, CDC says
February 22, 2013This season's influenza vaccine was largely ineffective for seniors, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers released Thursday.
A matter of policy: Increasing flu immunization compliance
February 21, 2013Over the years we've tried a number of different approaches to incentivize employees, with varying success. The one thing we did not do was to make flu shots mandatory, as this wasn't compatible with our management philosophy. So we had to come up with a different strategy to motivate compliance among staff members.
More effective shots created
February 01, 2013New strains of genetically engineered bacteria may improve the efficacy of vaccines for diseases that include the flu and pertussis, University of Texas at Austin researchers say.
The economics of the flu shot
January 23, 2013In the hearty debates taking place around McKnight's stories about the flu shot, there's one angle that, quite frankly, hasn't been brought up much.
New flu vaccine could be used more widely than current versions
January 18, 2013A new type of influenza vaccine was approved Wednesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and will soon be available in limited quantities, providing another weapon against the seasonal virus wreaking havoc in long-term care settings around the country.
Healthcare workers losing jobs over flu vaccine refusals, despite data from nursing home studies
January 15, 2013Some healthcare workers have lost their jobs for refusing the flu vaccine, sparking controversy as the 2013 flu season officially reached epidemic status.
Early flu season has feds urging vaccinations
December 11, 2012Significant increases in flu activity in the United States have occurred in the last two weeks. With the exception of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, this is the earliest that the nation has hit the influenza-like-illness baseline in nearly a decade.
Flu hits early and hard, especially in South, CDC says
December 05, 2012Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas have already reported high levels of flu activity, officials said.
Study: Nurses help increase vaccinations
November 27, 2012Vaccinations from nurses drove a significant increase in at-risk adults and older people who received flu or pneumonia shots, according to a new study.
Vaccination rates are low among at-risk adults in the U.S., research shows
May 21, 2012Despite strong federal and regulatory support for mandatory vaccinations among healthcare workers, the U.S. adult vaccination rate is on the low side, according to a new research brief.
Early-season flu jab could reduce heart attack risk, study finds
September 21, 2010Receiving a vaccination in the late summer or fall could help reduce the risk of a first heart attack by an average of 19%, according to a new study.
