‘Spending down’ for Medicaid is the most practical LTC financing plan for most Americans,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 14, 2014
Forgoing long-term care insurance and relying on Medicaid is the smartest financial planning decision for the majority of unmarried Americans, according to investigators at Boston College’s Center...
80% of nursing homes report misleadingly high staffing levels, Center for Public Integrity claims
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 13, 2014
More than 80% of skilled nursing facilities might have inflated registered nurse staffing levels on the Nursing Home Compare website, according to the Center for Public Integrity, a investigative journalism...
Current antipsychotics quality measure is too hard on long-term care providers, researchers argue
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 26, 2014
An updated quality measure would paint a fairer picture of nursing homes’ antipsychotic prescribing practices, say researchers at Miami University in Ohio and Rutgers, the State University of New...
Dedicated observation stay units could protect nursing home benefits, save hospitals $1 billion annually,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 06, 2013
Specialized hospital units for patients under observation status could dramatically reduce the number of seniors forced to pay out-of-pocket for skilled nursing care, according to findings in the current...
Dual eligibles more likely to go from hospitals to lower quality nursing homes, referral process might...
By
Tim Mullaney
May 27, 2014
People eligible both for Medicare and Medicaid go to lower-quality nursing homes after being hospitalized at a rate higher than Medicare-only patients, according to researchers from Brown and Harvard universities.
Increasing cynicism is No. 1 predictor of nursing home administrator turnover, research shows
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 06, 2014
Nursing home administrators with high levels of cynicism related to a feeling of professional burnout are most likely to leave their job, suggests new research from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Court tosses out citation for runny eggs, limits surveyors
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 01, 2013
Slapped with an Immediate Jeopardy citation for serving undercooked eggs to residents, a nursing home took its defense to a federal appeals court — and won. The court staked out limits on how government...
Also in the news for June 4, 2014 . . .
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 04, 2014
Surveyors to report infection control lapses to public health agencies … Home health providers stumble on infection control … Socializing improves seniors’ lungs … Medicare to cover...
Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers are 10 times more common than Medicare data shows, research suggests
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 16, 2013
The Medicare program often paints a far rosier picture of hospitals’ pressure ulcer rates than is indicated by data collected bedside by nurses, according to a newly published study.
CMS clarifies long-term care surveyor guidance on same-sex marriages
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 16, 2014
When they appear in Medicare and Medicaid regulations, terms such as “support person” and “next-of-kin” can include same-sex spouses in most instances, according to a recently issued...