FDA publishes face mask, respirator FAQs for healthcare providers
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 30, 2020
The new webpage includes links to detailed information on a variety of subjects, including how to report shortages of face masks, surgical masks and respirators.
Xofluza antiviral now approved for flu prevention
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 25, 2020
The Food and Drug Administration has expanded the use of the antiviral drug Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) for use in preventing influenza after exposure to an ill person.
Thanksgiving comfort: Phone calls, emails work best to reduce residents’ loneliness, boost spirits
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 24, 2020
According to the Yale School of Public Health, regular phone calls or emails may provide the most solace for people living in long-term care facilities. This includes remote calls, and phone calls while...
New coalition on infection control in nursing homes seeks industry input
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 24, 2020
The Yale School of Nursing and the New York Academy of Medicine have formed a coalition to address infection prevention in long-term care facilities. Industry leaders are invited to take part in a December...
POLST form triples odds that residents’ treatment wishes are known: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 23, 2020
Nursing home residents who had Physician’s Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment significantly increased the likelihood that their treatment preferences were documented in their medical record, a statewide...
Feds uncover coronavirus’s heavy toll on assisted living
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 20, 2020
As of Oct. 15, 22% of assisted living communities in 39 states reported cases of COVID-19 among residents and staff members. Rates ranged widely, from 1.3% of communities in Iowa to 93% of Connecticut...
COVID vaccine protects elderly; delivery program has buy-in from nearly all U.S. nursing homes
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 19, 2020
Fully 99% of skilled nursing facilities nationwide have signed on with the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program vaccine delivery initiative, HHS says. The news arrived just as Pfizer...
Chair-based exercise is safe and effective for nursing home residents: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 19, 2020
Participants experienced task-specific improvements in physical and cognitive functions, and enhanced well-being, investigators report.
New behavior management guidelines support person-centered dementia care
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 18, 2020
Properly addressing the distress that underlies dementia-related behaviors is key to improving quality of life and preventing rapid decline in these patients, according to new guidance from leading dementia...
Shingles vaccine effective and safe in frail individuals, analysis shows
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 18, 2020
Shingrix was “highly effective” in reducing the risk of herpes zoster (shingles) and associated illnesses for all frailty subgroups studied.