GAO has good points in how, why antipsychotics are given
By
Elizabeth Newman
Mar 04, 2015
The government recognizes the progress made in nursing homes with reduction of antipsychotics for residents with dementia, but also notes many who live in assisted living are receiving the drugs. It’s...
Quality improving in nursing homes: CMS review
By
John Hall
Mar 04, 2015
The 2015 National Impact Assessment of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Quality Measures Report shows “clear progress in improving the healthcare delivery system to achieve the three...
Tomorrow’s nursing homes must integrate palliative care
Jan 09, 2015
Palliative care, a form of patient-centered care focused on quality of life for the seriously ill, should be the standard of practice for all elderly patients with complex illness in nursing homes.
Hospice is growing fastest in skilled nursing facilities, new report shows
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 05, 2014
Hospice services increased in nursing homes more than in any other care setting last year, according to the latest annual report from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Depression tool’s accuracy questioned
By
Kimberly Marselas
Nov 01, 2014
A familiar tool for diagnosing depression in dementia patients might not be very effective in the nursing home setting, according to recent findings in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Nursing home antipsychotic use has dipped nearly 19% under national effort, latest figures show
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 31, 2014
The percent of long-stay nursing home residents receiving antipsychotic medication has decreased 18.8% under a nationwide initiative that started in 2012.
FL hospice, nursing homes, hospital passed patients back and forth to juice profits, whistleblowers charge
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 29, 2014
Two Florida nursing homes and a hospital allowed a hospice company to provide free services in exchange for patient referrals, according to recently unsealed whistleblower charges.
40 states plan to increase nursing home Medicaid rates
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 16, 2014
Reversing a trend of rate cutting during the Great Recession, most states are increasing Medicaid reimbursements for nursing homes, according to a recently released report. However, states also are accelerating...
Nursing home infection rates have increased across the board, hepatitis has surged 50%, Columbia researchers...
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 09, 2014
The rate of nursing home infections increased during a recent five-year period, with especially dramatic surges in multi-drug resistant organisms and viral hepatitis, according to recently published findings...
Lightbulbs as therapeutic tools
By
Michael Chotiner
Oct 08, 2014
Whether you’re 25 or 75, you may have experienced the effects of aging on your eyesight — and it tends to get worse as the years go by. Typical age-related eye pathologies — including...