Opponents of the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers are pursuing two fresh pathways to defeat it. Both challenges cite the pandemic’s current, less critical stage...
Vision impairment, blindness affect 66 percent of nursing home residents in study
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 29, 2022
Vision impairment and blindness were linked to morbidity in a study across 74 facilities. But corrective lenses may play a big role in improving resident outcomes, researchers say.
New CMS guidance nudges nursing homes to offer COVID shots, timely treatments
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 23, 2022
The agency reminds nursing facilities of the requirement to actively offer updated COVID vaccines and urges them to provide approved treatments early to keep mild symptoms from escalating.
White House announces big nursing home COVID-19 vaccination push and providers push back
By
Joe Bush
Nov 23, 2022
The Biden administration on Tuesday announced a six-week $475 million campaign to raise the COVID-19 vaccination rate among nursing home residents, and the sector’s leaders responded immediately with...
SCOTUS denies nursing home petition, keeping COVID care cases out of federal court — for now
By
Joe Bush
Nov 22, 2022
Lawsuits against nursing homes for allegedly failing to treat residents properly during the pandemic are more likely to be heard now in state and not federal courts. That’s one conclusion after the US...
Antimicrobial stewardship program appears to boost levofloxacin’s powers in study
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 22, 2022
A pharmacist-led program reduced the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics by 74% over a five-year period, and appears to have subsequently increased the ability of one of these drugs to fight common bacterial...
Providers warned: Ongoing relief fund audits may bring unprecedented info demands
By
Joe Bush
Nov 21, 2022
Provider Relief Fund audits have started in earnest, with the threat of federal investigators demanding more and different data than most skilled nursing providers have ever been asked to account for.
Older adults with atrial fibrillation remain undertreated with oral anticoagulants — despite the availability of new and better drugs, investigators say.
CMS, OIG agree on increasing scrutiny of psychotropic drug use
By
Joe Bush
Nov 18, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be increasing its oversight of the use of psychotropic drugs to pay closer attention to certain classes, warned the lead author of a federal report identifying...
Mindfulness-based stress reduction safe, effective for anxiety disorders
Nov 10, 2022
In a randomized study, mindfulness-based stress reduction was found to be noninferior to Lexapro (escitalopram).