In the quest for Medicare patients, Yelp stars outshine Care Compare
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 22, 2023
More consumers are turning to social media review platforms to help choose a nursing home for family members, but the reviews can be skewed by anecdotal and personal evidence, a new study shows.
CMS ‘naive’ about staffing minimum proposal details, professor claims
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 20, 2023
The proposed federal staffing rule is “shockingly low” and will not measurably improve working and care conditions in nursing homes, consumer advocates claimed during a webinar that was conducted without...
Unique partnership reduces polypharmacy for 16 percent of residents in year one
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 20, 2023
A new report offers guidance for safely “deprescribing” the number of drugs being administered to nursing home residents of which an estimated half receive nine or more medications.
With 80 percent of SNFs needing more nurses, analysis finds waivers likely to ‘mute’ mandate
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 19, 2023
Nearly all for-profit nursing homes, which account for two-thirds of US facilities, would need to hire more nurses to meet provisions of the newly proposed federal staffing mandate, results of a new analysis...
Feds try again to hold LTC management firm liable for residents’ racist treatment of employees
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 18, 2023
A federal agency is appealing a court ruling that removed some workers and released a retirement community’s management company from responsibility in a case alleging racist treatment by residents against...
Former union head leads state board able to set wages without funding them
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 18, 2023
The newly appointed head of Minnesota’s Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board managed Gov. Tim Walz’s campaign and headed up political operations for several labor unions but appears to have no experience...
LTC company bucks trend and adds skilled nursing beds
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 14, 2023
While many long-term care facilities are closing skilled nursing wings or decertifying beds, one healthcare company in northeastern Pennsylvania is bucking that trend and adding to its skilled nursing...
Maligned by ‘misperceptions’ and mainstream media, nursing homes reel from low marks in Gallup poll
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 13, 2023
Barely one-quarter of Americans believe that nursing homes are safe environments while fewer than 10% give such facilities high marks for the overall quality of care provided, according to a new Gallup...
More nursing assistants needed even as demand for nursing homes wanes: research
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 13, 2023
The need for nursing assistants in long-term care facilities continues to grow, even as demand for nursing home care overall is on the decline, according to new research.
More knowledgeable nurse assessment coordinators needed, group says
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 12, 2023
More than one-quarter of nurse assessment coordinators have limited on-the-job experience, potentially leaving providers at risk for survey deficiencies and leading to poorer health outcomes for facility...