$1.3 million settlement marks second recent deal over SNF supervision of therapy providers
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 16, 2014
A Maryland nursing home company has agreed to a $1.3 million settlement over charges that it did not prevent overbilling by its contracted therapy provider, federal authorities announced Monday. This is...
MedPAC chairman: Three-day stay requirement is ‘archaic’
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 16, 2014
The government should pay for skilled nursing care without a preliminary three-day hospital stay, and the recovery auditor program should be reformed, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission members said...
Nursing homes can’t carve out billing, collections in arbitration agreements, AR Supreme Court...
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 16, 2014
A nursing home arbitration agreement largely reserved the provider’s rights to sue residents while limiting residents’ legal options, causing it to fail a “mutual obligation” requirement,...
Five-star ratings: What a racquet?
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 16, 2014
The provider community can sound downright oxymoronic when it comes to the five-star rating system for nursing homes.
Assisted living communities continue to make a terrible first impression on prospective customers, university...
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 15, 2014
Assisted living communities consistently do not make a good first impression with prospective customers, and they haven’t improved this skill set in the last decade, according to data from George...
Latecomers to hospice frequently are male, have certain cancers, Penn researchers find
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 15, 2014
Men and patients with certain types of cancer are among those less likely to enroll in hospice, suggesting that healthcare providers should focus on presenting these groups with all their end-of-life care...
Nursing homes should think twice before using a well-known tool for diagnosing depression, researchers...
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 15, 2014
A familiar tool for diagnosing depression in dementia patients might not be very effective in the nursing home setting, according to findings recently published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Giving nurses more control over their schedules could lower pressure ulcer rates, findings suggest
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 12, 2014
Nursing homes might be able to cut their pressure ulcer rates by giving nurses more control over when they work, according to findings forthcoming in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.
Nursing homes tend to administer high-risk medications to returning residents, study shows
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 12, 2014
Nursing homes may be ratcheting up high-risk medication use for certain residents who return to the facility after a stay in the hospital, according to recently published findings.
Nursing home agrees to $225,000 settlement over charges of asbestos exposure
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 12, 2014
A California nursing home has agreed to a $225,000 settlement over charges that it did not handle asbestos properly during a renovation, according to local news sources.