5 states permanently increased nursing homes’ minimum staffing requirements since COVID, analysis shows
By
Danielle Brown
May 18, 2022
Nearly a dozen states have changed their minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
OIG: Older Medicare recipients often harmed during hospital stays
May 13, 2022
Fully 25% of older American Medicare beneficiaries are at high risk of being harmed during acute care stays, according to the HHS Office of the Inspector General.
Federal COVID funding averted skilled nursing ‘collapse,’ but new dangers ahead
By
Danielle Brown
May 12, 2022
Federal COVID-19 relief funding saved the skilled nursing industry from crumbling during the earlier days of the pandemic as providers struggled with increased expenses and historic occupancy lows, an...
Providers, patients fear loss of ‘critical’ waivers if vigilance lapses and PHE not extended
By
Danielle Brown
May 12, 2022
A group of 15 healthcare organizations on Tuesday warned a top health official that providers and patients could lose “vital” flexibilities if the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) isn’t extended...
DaVita exec skeptical pandemic is receding
By
Diane Eastabrook
May 11, 2022
The chief financial officer for global dialysis provider DaVita Health is throwing cold water on the notion that the COVID-19 pandemic is ending anytime soon.
Feds deny provider request to speed up process for prevailing wage for foreign RNs
By
Danielle Brown
May 10, 2022
The Department of Labor told long-care providers that it cannot expedite the prevailing wage determination process for foreign-born registered nurses after they called on the agency to streamline the system...
11% of state’s nursing homes facing closure, survey finds
By
Danielle Brown
May 09, 2022
About 11% of nursing home operators in Minnesota are considering selling their facility or closing their doors due to continued financial strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey has found.
Staff turnover hurting nurse-physician communication, study finds
By
Danielle Brown
May 05, 2022
Ongoing staffing shortages in nursing homes are making it difficult for nurses to communicate and efficiently share changes in conditions for residents, a new study has found.
Provider victory: Appeals court denies state’s bid to suspend license due to staffing shortage
By
Danielle Brown
May 05, 2022
A Florida nursing home can remain open and won’t be forced to transfer its residents after an appeals court denied a push by the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration to revoke its license.
Honoring our fallen
By
Sara Bender
May 04, 2022
“What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us.” — Helen Keller. These past two years of the pandemic have presented clinical challenges...