‘We want more tests, not less’: HHS doubles down on COVID antigen testing
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 27, 2020
Testing is critical to keeping the coronavirus in check in long-term care facilities as U.S. case counts trend back upward, said Adm. Brett Giroir, M.D. Federal agencies continue to deliver antigen tests...
LTC Properties to pivot from heavy investing to Q3 debt reduction
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 31, 2023
Following months of strong investment activity, LTC Properties will turn its focus to reducing leverage and supporting operators as they continue to recover from pandemic-era hurdles, executives said Friday...
Q&A: Maryland SNF joins ‘transformative’ palliative care study
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 07, 2022
Meadow Park in Catonsville, MD, will receive a $15,000 grant and gain the support of study partners in a palliative care program that it says will help change how the long-term care industry provides advanced...
‘Out in the cold’: LTC pharmacies ask to be matched with vaccination sites, relief funds
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 22, 2020
As their businesses groan under the weight of COVID-19-related expenses, long-term care pharmacists are pressing federal officials for relief funds and asking for a bigger role in coronavirus vaccinations.
New ‘weapon in our arsenal’: Antibody drug cuts COVID risk by 80 percent in LTC residents
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 22, 2021
Staff and residents who received Eli Lilly’s monoclonal antibody therapy were less likely to contract symptomatic COVID-19 than placebo groups in a late-stage trial. Industry advocates are hailing...
CMS update for long-term care: J&J vaccine interruption and signs of rare clotting
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 20, 2021
Concerned LTCF staff members and residents should be aware that cases of blood clots after vaccination appear to be “extremely rare,” CMS says. Nevertheless, the agency is encouraging healthcare...
The coronavirus likely began to spread worldwide last year, say researchers
By
Alicia Lasek
May 06, 2020
The pandemic may have started as early as October 2019, quickly adapting to its human host, according to a new genetic analysis.
LED lighting overhaul led to 43 percent falls reduction, Harvard study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 12, 2022
Resident falls in two long-term care facilities dropped by 43% after the installation of a dynamic lighting program tuned to natural sleep and wake rhythms.
Eliminating residents’ chronic pain not a realistic goal: Aim for quality of life, experts tell...
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 24, 2021
Even the best, multimodal treatment strategies may be only 30% effective, say the authors of a new review and pain management guide.
COVID-19 vaccine booster jab has 96 percent efficacy, Pfizer reveals
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 22, 2021
A third dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine restores protection against the disease to levels achieved after the second dose, a large new trial shows.