Counties are only liable for poor nursing home care caused by municipal policies, judge rules
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 27, 2013
Even if county nursing home workers provide poor care, the county is not liable unless the employees are executing an official policy, a federal judge in Pennsylvania recently ruled, providing a victory...
Blood-pressure drugs good for brain, study finds
Jul 30, 2008
The use of blood-pressure drugs is linked to a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and a reduced likelihood of entering a nursing home, Boston University School of Medicine researchers found.
Details on special lights to improve dementia care: A fish tale
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 17, 2014
In the last week, quite a few McKnight’s readers have asked me for more details about special lights that improve dementia symptoms, prompting me to dig deeper into this story. I’ve learned...
CMS releases draft of MDS 3.0
Oct 27, 2008
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a draft version of MDS 3.0 last week. CMS disclosed details about it at a Long-Term Care Open Door Forum.
Residents need flu and pneumo- coccal vaccine
By
Dr. William Hall, Dr. Susan J. Rehm and Dr. William Schaffner
Aug 17, 2010
You don’t want to mess around with pneumococcal bacteria, which causes pneumonia, and even worse, sepsis and meningitis. That’s why nursing home residents should receive two vaccinations: the...
Mandatory staff hours, better high-acuity care could improve quality of life in nursing homes, researchers...
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 21, 2014
A nursing home’s staffing patterns and admissions trends are among the most important factors driving residents’ quality of life over time, according to recently published research findings.
Extendicare resident’s arbitration agreements should stand, jury concludes
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 14, 2014
Arbitration agreements signed by a resident of an Extendicare facility are valid, a jury in Kentucky determined Friday.
Deposed union leaders stage California healthcare coup
Feb 04, 2009
The recently ousted leaders of United Healthcare Workers West, an Oakland, CA-based Service Employees International Union local, have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to allow workers...
Nursing homes lukewarm to government’s new five-star rating system
Jun 19, 2008
Nursing home operators wasted little time Wednesday issuing rebuttals to the federal government’s announcement that it would create and publish individual facility rankings on its Web site by the...
Proposed Medicare rules would tighten CMS oversight of nursing home prescriptions
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 08, 2014
In light of reports that Medicare Part D prescribing practices are endangering seniors — many of them in long-term care facilities — the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued a proposed...