LTC pharmacies lament financial distress, request pandemic relief … 421,000 COVID tests headed to assisted living communities from the federal government … Watch for dangerous atrial fibrillation...
U.S. labs predict COVID test delays, cite surge in demand
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 16, 2020
Long-term care facilities soon may face longer waits for PCR test results as diagnostic laboratories reach or exceed testing capacity, lab reps say. The warning comes as U.S. COVID cases spike upward.
It’s official: Community pharmacies partner with feds for COVID vaccine distribution
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 16, 2020
Future vaccines will be available to community pharmacies through partnerships with network
administrators, HHS has announced. The public-private collaboration will help cover expected distribution gaps,...
CDC toolkit covers flu vaccination for post-acute and long-term care workers
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 16, 2020
The toolkit offers strategies for reaching out to unvaccinated individuals, and for tracking and monitoring vaccinations as part of a quality improvement program.
Clinical briefs for Monday, Nov. 16
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 16, 2020
A few pounds of weight loss nearly halves diabetes risk, large-scale study finds … FDA: Only N95s are nearly 100% effective, but cloth masks also protective … Link between gut microbiome and risk of...
COVID test turnaround time tops 2 days for a third of nursing homes, data show
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 13, 2020
Among 13,000 facilities that provided their testing speed to the government, only 17% reported an average turnaround time of less than a day; and fully 29% waited three days or more on average for residents’...
Exercise may keep mild cognitive impairment from advancing to dementia
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 13, 2020
Study participants who began a weekly exercise routine after diagnosis with MCI had an 11% lower risk of progressing to Alzheimer’s when compared with people who did not exercise at all, a new study...
Cheerful outlook linked to better memory in later years
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 13, 2020
Individuals with higher levels of positive affect have a less steep decline in memory than their peers, say Northwestern University researchers.
Clinical briefs for Friday, Nov. 13
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 13, 2020
New Medicare coverage for COVID antibody treatment a boon for nursing homes … Anxiety drug may prevent serious COVID complications … Brain stimulation found to improve language in stroke survivors...
Relaxed regulations lead to spike in telehealth use, nursing homes report
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 12, 2020
Continued telehealth expansion under Medicare will be good for residents’ well-being, and may help administrators keep pace with other healthcare sectors, according to the Columbia University School...