Organizations may serve as authorized representatives for nursing home residents in the Medicaid application and enrollment process, according to a final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
A stay in a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital that is not Medicare certified can in most cases qualify an individual for Medicare coverage of subsequent skilled nursing services, the Centers for...
Long-term care operators need to develop innovative contracts with network partners, expert says
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 21, 2013
The troubled rollout of online health insurance marketplaces has grabbed headlines recently. But one expert believes people are overestimating the importance of the Affordable Care Act’s enrollment...
Prolonging mealtimes could lead to health complications for LTC residents, study suggests
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 20, 2015
Long-term care providers should be aware that residents’ chewing and swallowing ability might be worse at the end of a prolonged meal, increasing the risk of aspiration pneumonia and other conditions,...
Jimmo guidance: Document goal before you provide care
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 01, 2014
Skilled nursing facilities should not claim that therapy was to maintain a patient’s condition if documentation reflected only an improvement goal.
People with dementia experience less depression in nursing homes than community living, large European...
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 17, 2014
People with severe dementia are less likely to be depressed if they are living in a nursing home rather than a community-based setting, recently published findings suggest.
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.
Fike 2.0: How national tragedy created a long-term care champion
By
Tim Mullaney
May 20, 2014
Last week, President Obama dedicated the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City. The occasion got me thinking about how the searing experience instilled in some survivors a fierce sense of mission. Katy...
Nursing home operator to repay $1 million in Medicaid fraud case
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 19, 2013
A South Carolina man will pay $1 million in restitution for his role in a nursing home Medicaid fraud scheme, the state’s attorney general announced Thursday.
Antipsychotics increase fall risk 50% for long-term care residents and those living in community, study...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 14, 2015
Taking an antipsychotic medication greatly increases the chances that a senior will fall or sustain a fracture, regardless of where that person is living, what drug is involved or what dose is taken, according...