CDC advisers: Long-term care workers, residents should receive first COVID-19 vaccinations
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 02, 2020
An influential committee on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to recommend that healthcare personnel and residents in long-term care should be the very first recipients of COVID-19 vaccinations. The vote reflects...
Most using agencies to cover shift gaps
By
Danielle Brown
Dec 01, 2020
A majority of senior housing and skilled nursing operators were relying on staffing agencies or temporary workers to meet their workforce needs as of mid-November, a provider survey revealed.
Hiring initiative to meet COVID-19 workforce challenges entails paying CNAs up to $25 an hour
Dec 01, 2020
Minnesota launched an “urgent hiring initiative” to help long-term care facilities struggling with staffing amid a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Curve Health capitalizes on new interest in telehealth
By
Kimberly Marselas
Dec 01, 2020
Six million dollars in seed funding will allow Curve Health to expand its platform, combining long-term care telemedicine, smart billing, health information exchange and predictive analytics, and attract...
How to do it … Designing safe, useful spaces
By
John Hall
Dec 01, 2020
COVID-19 has placed restrictions on many “nonessential” projects like renovation. Money is tight. To adapt to the current COVID-19 conditions on limited budgets, administrators and staff are repurposing...
CMS finalizes ‘shocking’ 9% therapy cuts, while affirming vast expansion of telehealth pay provisions
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 01, 2020
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services formally announced Tuesday afternoon that it has finalized its calendar 2021 physician pay rule, which cuts physical and occupational therapy payments to nursing...
COVID-19 inspires ‘overdue’ infection control innovation
By
John Hall
Dec 01, 2020
Shortage of supplies along with need for protocols relating to testing, cohorting, visitation lead to change.
Designing a 2021 resident engagement blueprint
By
Charles de Vilmorin
Nov 30, 2020
Eight months into the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that residents of nursing homes and senior living communities are experiencing rapid declines in physical and cognitive health as a result of...
Policy allowing asymptomatic caregivers with COVID to stay on job could worsen staffing, providers say
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 30, 2020
Providers in Oklahoma are skeptical of a new measure that allows asymptomatic healthcare staff members to continue working in long-term care facilities and hospitals even though they have COVID-19.
Feds mull shortened COVID-19 quarantine period
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 30, 2020
There is “a preponderance of evidence” that a shorter quarantine period, complemented by a COVID-19 test, could effectively prevent transmission of the disease, according to Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant...