County COVID-19 rates will dictate staff testing frequency, new CMS guidance says
By
Liza Berger
Aug 27, 2020
Routine testing of staff now will be based on the level of COVID-19 activity in the community. That’s according to official new guidance released Wednesday in response to federal regulatory changes disclosed...
Coronavirus nursing home commission delivers draft of recommendations to CMS
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 27, 2020
A national commission tasked with reviewing nursing homes’ response to the coronavirus crisis has delivered a draft of its recommendations to the federal government.
Nearly 12k nursing homes receiving point-of-care testing in second distribution wave
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 24, 2020
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has unveiled the names of nursing homes set to receive the COVID-19 point-of-care testing devices in its second wave.
Multiple states using strike teams to combat COVID-19 in nursing homes
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 24, 2020
Multiple local and state health officials are leveraging strike teams to help nursing home providers fighting coronavirus outbreaks in their facilities. The strategy is proven to be helpful for many states...
Hundreds of thousands of nursing home residents’ votes at risk thanks to pandemic
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 21, 2020
Visitor restrictions at long-term care facilities and adapted voting procedures due to the pandemic are clouding the prospects of nursing home residents getting to a ballot box this November, advocates...
White House plan to distribute 7 million N95 respirators to nursing homes welcome, but more still needed
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 19, 2020
A plan to distribute 7 million N95 respirator masks from the federal stockpile to nursing homes is promising but a more coordinated strategy is needed to beat the pandemic, according to a leading industry...
2.2% Medicare raise slated for nursing homes
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 03, 2020
Nursing home operators will receive an aggregate $750 million Medicare pay increase for fiscal year 2021 under a final rule announced Friday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It would amount...
One-time COVID-19 testing at SNFs and ALFs would cost $672M
By
Danielle Brown
May 28, 2020
The total bill would be about $672 million to test every resident and staff member at each U.S. nursing home and assisted living facility just once, according to new data released by the American Health...
Work environment tied to rushed, missed care tasks in nursing homes
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 29, 2020
In-person surveys of more than 4,000 care aides found high levels of missed and rushed essential care in 93 Canadian eldercare facilities.
Also in the News for Wednesday, June 6
Jun 06, 2018
New Medicare scorecard compares state efforts, but still lacks detail … GAO: Soon-to-expand private program for VA patients has left them waiting months for care … Most Florida nursing homes...