Bill seeks new structure, staff and standards for national LTC ombudsman program
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 23, 2024
Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) have introduced a bill to strengthen and expand long-term care ombudsman programs, calling for a new national director and a study to better understand the number...
Nursing home reform could move to the ‘side burner’ with Harris focused on reproductive rights
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 22, 2024
When the Biden administration dropped the final version of its nursing home staffing mandate in April, it was Vice President Kamala Harris who suddenly became the face of the initiative.
Staffing mandate would save 13,000 lives a year, Senator’s analysis contends
By
Josh Henreckson
Jul 22, 2024
The nursing home staffing mandate from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services could save nearly 13,000 lives each year, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania estimated this week.
Lower skilled nursing use post-pandemic could be ‘new normal,’ new report indicates
By
Josh Henreckson
Jul 19, 2024
Medicare fee-for-service use in skilled nursing stayed stable between the end of 2022 and the end of 2023 but still hasn’t returned to pre-COVID levels, according to a new report on the state of the...
White House hosts nursing home leaders, invites perspectives ahead of looming respiratory illness season
By
Josh Henreckson
Jul 19, 2024
Nursing homes were in-focus at a White House summit Thursday, as individual providers from North Carolina, Minnesota and New Jersey were invited by the Biden administration to present their strategies...
PharMerica reaches $100 million settlement over alleged SNF pharmacy kickbacks
By
Josh Henreckson
Jul 18, 2024
One of the nation’s leading pharmacy companies has agreed to pay $100 million to resolve allegations of false claims and kickbacks in its dealings with long-term care providers.
Nursing home staffing decisions and policies must go ‘beyond simple headcounts’: researchers find
By
Josh Henreckson
Jul 18, 2024
As nursing home staffing policies remain stuck in a national spotlight thanks to controversy surrounding the new federal staffing mandate, new study results indicate that improving quality of care is more...
Transition to managed care leaves state’s providers with weeks-long pay shortages
By
Josh Henreckson
Jul 17, 2024
Indiana’s transition to Medicaid managed care for long-term supports and services this month was billed as a way to streamline care options and better manage costs for seniors. But some long-term care...
Nursing homes ‘can’t escape’ need for increased palliative care access: researchers
By
Josh Henreckson
Jul 17, 2024
Nursing home residents could greatly benefit from expanded access to palliative care, but providers need more access to standardized tools, staff education and relationships with clinicians to make informed...
Nursing home infection control weaknesses persist, researchers warn
By
Josh Henreckson
Jul 16, 2024
Many of nursing homes’ infection prevention and control weaknesses initially exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic still demand additional support and resources, researchers warn in a new JAMDA study.