Ground-level falls lead to high rates of SNF admission, return trips to the hospital, study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 12, 2014
Even if they do not hit the ground from a great height, elderly people who seek hospital care for a fall commonly go on to a skilled nursing facility, according to a recently published study. These seniors...
Remembering Philip Seymour Hoffman, long-term care firebrand
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 11, 2014
When Philip Seymour Hoffman died on Feb. 2, the world lost one of its great actors — and one of the most persuasive voices to speak out about the pitfalls of the changing long-term care system in the...
CMS: Nursing home Medicare cuts helped keep healthcare spending at historic low levels
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 07, 2014
Dramatic Medicare cuts to skilled nursing facilities played a significant part in keeping healthcare spending low in 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Monday.
Dallas utility company leaves nursing home without power over cold weekend
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 11, 2013
A Dallas skilled nursing facility went without power for days due to an apparent breakdown in communications with a utility company, according to local reports.
Close, specific hospital-SNF partnerships drive down readmission rates, researchers find
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 30, 2013
A strong relationship between a hospital and a skilled nursing facility reduces the readmission rate among patients discharged to that SNF, according to recently published research.
Renovating for rehab
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 01, 2013
A renovated facility is now in harmony with its surroundings, offering residents tranquility and motivation during their rehabilitation.
Fix flaws before changing nursing home pay: AHCA says
By
James M. Berklan
Aug 01, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should consider a higher market basket update for nursing homes due to improper calculations that could be costing providers, the American Health Care Association...
CMS updates SNF Medicare manual to implement sequestration cuts
By
McKnight's Staff
May 16, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated the online Medicare Provider Reimbursement Manual, modifying instructions related to the 2% reimbursement reductions resulting from sequestration.
The mythical standard
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 01, 2013
The Jimmo vs. Sebelius case, filed in January 2011 in federal district court in Vermont, has now been settled. The class action lawsuit challenged Medicare’s use of an “improvement standard”...
Ask the legal expert … how to deal with someone leaking information
By
John Durso
Mar 02, 2013
Someone leaked sensitive patient information to the press after we had a recent fire here. What steps can/should we take to investigate or determine who the leak was?