Black SNF residents less likely to see ADL skills improve in post-acute stay, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 16, 2021
Black residents have significantly lower odds than white residents of improving independence in activities of daily living after hip fracture and stroke, a study of Medicare and MDS data shows.
Clinical briefs for Thursday, Dec. 16
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 16, 2021
All three U.S.-authorized vaccines less effective against omicron without booster … Federal court reinstates CMS vaccine mandate in 26 states … Idaho officials: 1 in 4 COVID deaths were in nursing...
Post-acute care in nursing homes is increasingly out of reach for many, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 15, 2021
Fee-for-service Medicare admissions have increased steadily in highly specialized post-acute care facilities, leaving some groups out of the picture, investigators say.
Omicron renders Pfizer vaccine less effective; variant surge to hit U.S. by January
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 15, 2021
The vaccine is less able to prevent infection, but retains 70% protection against hospitalization, a new study shows. The news comes as federal health officials warn that omicron is spreading rapidly in...
Clinical briefs for Wednesday, Dec. 15
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 15, 2021
CMS vaccine mandate’s enforcement blocked on appeal … Supreme Court denies religious challenge to NY vaccine mandate … Adults prefer in-person clinical visit over telehealth care: poll … Prescriber’s...
Anxiety meds, antidepressants tied to post-surgery delirium in seniors: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 13, 2021
Older patients should be temporarily weaned off these drugs whenever possible — well before their scheduled surgery, the researchers say.
COVID-19 booster lowers mortality risk by 90%, Israeli study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 13, 2021
A large comparison study of seniors has found that COVID-19 deaths and case rates were significantly lower among older recipients of a third Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shot.
CDC may be overestimating COVID-19 vaccination stats for older adults, state officials and experts say
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 13, 2021
The agency’s online tracker currently shows that 99.9% of U.S. seniors have been at least partly vaccinated against COVID-19. But this sky-high figure is almost certainly not accurate, observers...
Clinical briefs for Monday, Dec. 13
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 13, 2021
Omicron variant, lack of booster prioritization could haunt SNFs as occupancy dips … Diabetes drug semaglutide to be tested as Alzheimer’s treatment … Manchin opposes BBB dental benefits addition...
Staff vaccination rate tied to resident deaths in COVID-19 hot spots, national data show
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 10, 2021
Estimates reveal that if a large sample of U.S. nursing homes had averaged 83% staff vaccination coverage this summer, at least 700 fewer residents would have died from COVID-19 over a two-month period.