Expanded surveys will focus on staffing, MDS coding
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 04, 2014
Special surveys to determine Minimum Data Set coding accuracy and nursing home staffing levels will occur nationwide in 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in an Oct. 31 memorandum....
Nursing home agrees to $225,000 settlement over charges of asbestos exposure
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 12, 2014
A California nursing home has agreed to a $225,000 settlement over charges that it did not handle asbestos properly during a renovation, according to local news sources.
No need for injury
By
Stephanie H. Kim
Sep 01, 2014
Due to dynamic factors in moving residents, facilities must invest wisely in lifts, slings and batteries to make sure workers stay safe while performing transfers
Dirty hands needed
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 01, 2014
Gardening is magic. Gardening is mindfulness. Gardening is therapist, physician and personal trainer without spandex or a copay. And now researchers have confirmed that gardening can help nursing home...
Congressman requests briefing on nursing home five-star rating system
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 28, 2014
A leader in Congress has called for an evaluation of the nursing home five-star rating system in light of a recent New York Times article. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) requested that Centers for Medicare...
CMS needs to get nursing home staffing information directly from payroll systems, Congressional leaders...
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 27, 2014
Federal regulators should start collecting nursing home staffing information directly from payroll systems as soon as possible, members of the Congressional Seniors Task Force said in a letter to a top...
Four tips for relieving stress in long-term care
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 08, 2014
Stress is hurting the job performance of a huge number of people in this country — and long-term care workers are among those at greatest risk. At least, this was suggested by poll results released Monday....
Hip fracture often leads to death or immobility of nursing home residents within 6 months, Penn study...
By
Stephanie H. Kim
Jun 25, 2014
More than half of nursing home residents die or cannot walk within six months of sustaining a hip fracture, according to recently published findings from the from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman...
The most important leadership decision in a Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement plan is not what, but who, to include, a former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official said Tuesday.
Also in the news for June 4, 2014 . . .
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 04, 2014
Surveyors to report infection control lapses to public health agencies … Home health providers stumble on infection control … Socializing improves seniors’ lungs … Medicare to cover...