CMS: Lower COVID rates linked to higher nursing home quality ratings
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 02, 2021
Higher facility star ratings are tied to lower COVID transmission rates and fewer deaths, according to the agency’s chief medical officer and director of its Center for Clinical Standards and Quality.
Faithfully merging palliative care and infection control reduces harmful resident transfers: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 02, 2021
The more a nursing home adheres to the newer concept of integrated best practices in these areas, the fewer hospital transfers in residents with advanced dementia, researchers say.
Staff and residents differ in willingness to be vaccinated
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 04, 2021
There is a distinct contrast between the numbers of long-term care staff members and residents willing to receive the first round of COVID-19 vaccines, industry observers report. Education is key to supporting...
Lonely seniors may have shorter life, fewer healthy years than their peers: analysis
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 08, 2021
At age 60, people who report being lonely can expect to live an average of three to five years less than their peers who say they are never lonely. Years of active daily life are shortened as well, investigators...
Diaries of infection preventionists offer peek into pandemic struggles
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 06, 2021
Real-time reports from the height of the pandemic offer a glimpse into the highs and lows infection preventionists faced as they tackled unprecedented challenges.
Trump orders permanent telehealth service expansion
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 05, 2020
Telehealth use has exploded during the pandemic following temporary Medicare coverage expansions. The White House and CMS would like to keep the changes.
NIH study finds high rates of persistent chronic pain among U.S. adults
By
Alicia Lasek
May 17, 2023
In the U.S., new cases of chronic pain occur more often than new cases of other common health conditions. This pain is also persistent, lasting at least one year for most people, investigators report.
More seniors getting flu, shingles and pneumonia shots, but disparities remain
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 30, 2022
Vaccination discrepancies among older demographic groups are likely due to care access, hesitancy and cost, the AARP says.
While FDA moves to halt mask reuse, N95 access remains spotty, report finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 15, 2021
A new push to ensure that healthcare facilities stockpile single-use or reusable N95 respirators has arrived while some workers continue to lack access to the equipment and U.S. mask manufacturers can’t...
H. pylori more antibiotic-resistant since start of COVID: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 26, 2023
A common bacteria that causes ulcers and gastritis in the elderly has developed a high resistance to key antibiotics.