Lawmakers suspect Kindred of misspending public funds before closures at LTC facilities
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 17, 2018
A group of state legislators is asking Massachusetts’ attorney general to investigate Kindred Healthcare’s plans to close four nursing homes and an assisted living facility in and around Boston,...
How to do it… EMR and billing integration
By
John Hall
Sep 04, 2015
Over the years, providers have tried every trick in the book to get electronic medical records and billing systems to mesh. This is not a project for the faint of heart. But diligent homework and a reliable...
Providers still adjusting to new Medicare rules
By
Julie Williamson
Jun 01, 2011
New MDS and RUG-IV rules are revamping how Medicare services are provided and reimbursed. But every indication is that additional changes are coming
Time to come clean: Long-term care providers’ infection control practices are becoming more intensely...
By
Julie Williamson
Jun 01, 2010
In the battle to contain and prevent the spread of infections, staying vigilant about hand hygiene and other cleanliness procedures is critical in facilities
Standard surveys continue to lag, with infection control a major tripwire
By
Kimberly Marselas
Oct 24, 2023
A year and a half after a federal watchdog blasted the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services over extensive delays in nursing home inspections, year-end data for fiscal year 2023 shows there has been...
Climate threats grow but many nursing homes don’t know: Yale
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jessica R. Towhey
Jan 11, 2023
Two new studies on wildfire and hurricane-related flooding threats to nursing homes demonstrate a need to bolster emergency preparedness in a sector where many leaders may be unaware of evolving weather-related...
Vision impairment, blindness affect 66 percent of nursing home residents in study
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 29, 2022
Vision impairment and blindness were linked to morbidity in a study across 74 facilities. But corrective lenses may play a big role in improving resident outcomes, researchers say.
Nursing home reform likely coming under Biden, experts warn
By
Danielle Brown
Jan 13, 2021
Skilled nursing and other long-term care providers may need to prepare for major nursing home reform efforts, including increased penalties, under President-elect Joe Biden’s administration, according...
Don’t shelve rapid tests as COVID cases climb, advocates implore nursing homes
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 03, 2020
Industry advocates say it’s time for facility operators who have not made full use of rapid antigen tests to start doing so — before nursing home deaths begin to spike again. CMS must “take to...
Providers disappointed with final rule’s ‘unnecessary’ arbitration ban
By
Sep 30, 2016
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ newly released final rule for long-term care is a whopping 713 pages, but one provision in particular has earned more backlash from provider groups than...