Rising minimum wage a factor in 4-star nursing home’s closure
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 07, 2019
A four-star rated nursing home in Washington state will close in September, citing a lack of state financial support that is putting pressure on many of the state’s long-term care providers.
Rural towns ravaged by healthcare and job losses with latest nursing home closures
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 07, 2019
When Minnesota’s Twin Valley Living Center closed late last year, it took with it dozens of beds intended for the town’s frail and elderly. But, as with hundreds of other skilled care communities around...
Nursing homes happy to be left out of CON repeal
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 07, 2019
Florida last week repealed the Certificate of Need process once required to build new hospitals or add medical services, but officials left in place pre-approval rules for nursing homes and other facilities....
Also in the News for Monday, July 8
Jul 07, 2019
Governor vetoes 78 parts of state budget, approves nursing home increases of 8% … Legionnaires’ hits Ohio nursing home … Exercise, resistance training check frailty in elderly bariatric patients...
Medicaid’s shifting of residents from nursing facilities to home settings shown to be overrated
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 02, 2019
Elderly, dual-eligible Medicaid beneficiaries in long-term care settings aren’t more likely to be hospitalized than those receiving community-based care, even though long-term care residents tend to...
Joint replacement penalties for rehospitalizations may have hit their limit
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 02, 2019
A review of nearly 2.5 million joint replacement cases found an expansion of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ readmissions penalty program didn’t bring about significant changes in 30-day...
The Legislature promised providers a 7% increase. The governor hasn’t approved it yet.
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 02, 2019
Two-percent Medicaid increases have been the norm over the last few years in Wisconsin, but this year was supposed to be different. The Legislature last month passed a two-year spending plan that committed...
Also in the News for Wednesday, July 3
Jul 02, 2019
Trump administration agrees to delay health care “conscience” rule … Study probes how to tell elderly patients they’ve ‘aged out’ of cancer screening … AHRQ commits $2 million to develop...
Rough journey and smooth brushstroke inspire nursing home portrait sessions
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 02, 2019
During her junior year of high school, America Ordonez stepped into Oak Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for the first time, armed with a camera, a sketch pad and a box full of paints. Almost a year...
‘Staggering’ 75% of nursing homes almost never meet expected RN staffing levels, study finds
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 01, 2019
Three-fourths of the nation’s nursing homes never meet federal staffing expectations for registered nurse staffing, and RNs are often missing from such facilities on the weekends, according to a new...