Omnicare reaches $124 million settlement in nursing home kickbacks case
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 26, 2014
The nation’s largest long-term care pharmacy has agreed to a $124 million settlement over claims of kickbacks to nursing homes in the form of price breaks on certain drugs, the U.S. Department of...
Standardized tool for assessing post-acute care is floated in House and Senate
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 20, 2014
Lawmakers in both houses of Congress have unveiled a draft bill calling for post-acute care providers to furnish standard assessment data, with the goals of enabling better quality oversight and driving...
Draft bill proposes counting observation stays for SNF coverage, limiting RAC oversight
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 24, 2014
Hospital observation stays would count toward establishing Medicare eligibility for post-acute services, under comprehensive reforms in a new draft bill from the House Committee on Ways and Means. The...
New website offers training videos on oral care for nursing home residents with dementia
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 09, 2013
Long-term care workers can now refer to oral care resources on a new website launched by the nonprofit organization Oral Health America. Tools include video training programs on providing daily oral care...
Real-time video enhances post-stroke therapy, researchers say
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 31, 2014
Therapists in skilled nursing facilities might help stroke survivors achieve faster progress by incorporating real-time video in sessions, suggests recently published research.
Nursing home theme of the summer: medication
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 18, 2013
The first day of summer is not quite upon us, but it seems the season’s blockbuster movie and hit song may already have been decided. And when it comes to long-term news, I’m ready to declare...
Lengthy ‘doc fix’ hearing could mean bad news for provider payments
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 23, 2015
Long-term care providers could have good reason to worry that forthcoming Medicare reforms could cut into their reimbursements, following a two-day hearing on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers reiterated pledges...
‘Derek’ returns, focuses on nursing home privacy
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 03, 2014
When the Ricky Gervais show “Derek” hit Netflix last year, I sat down to check out an episode and ended up binge-watching the whole season, captivated by the storylines set in an English nursing...
Government would pay seniors to create advanced directives under Senate bill
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 16, 2014
Medicare beneficiaries would be paid to create advance directives and store them in an easy-access system if a recently proposed Senate bill were to become law.
Nursing home residents appreciate caring staff, but workers could do a better job honoring resident wishes,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 10, 2014
Caring staff members who form close relationships with residents are a strength of long-term care facilities, but workers could more consistently honor residents’ choices and privacy, according to...