Long-term care providers might need to change pain management to cut opioid use, MedPAC analyst says
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 15, 2014
Long-term care and other providers might have to alter their pain management practices if changes discussed at a recent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission meeting come to pass.
Staff understanding of MDS Quality Indicators is ‘mediocre at best,’ study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 04, 2014
Frontline staff in long-term care facilities generally do not have a firm grasp on Minimum Data Set Quality Indicators, largely due to a lack of involvement with the MDS, according to a recently published...
Ground-level falls lead to high rates of SNF admission, return trips to the hospital, study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 12, 2014
Even if they do not hit the ground from a great height, elderly people who seek hospital care for a fall commonly go on to a skilled nursing facility, according to a recently published study. These seniors...
Taking multiple medications does not pose a major hospitalization risk for those with numerous conditions,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 21, 2014
For some people, taking many different kinds of medication does not increase the risk of being hospitalized as much as some healthcare professionals may believe, according to recently published research...
Ensuring nursing home quality is a top challenge for HHS in 2014, inspector general says
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 18, 2013
Promoting quality care in long-term care settings is one of the top management challenges facing the Department of Health and Human Services in the next year, according to a report from the agency’s...
CMS announces declining readmission rate for Medicare patients, credits Affordable Care Act
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 09, 2013
Improved transitions between acute and post-acute settings are partly responsible for continuing nationwide declines in hospital readmission rates, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Florida jury hands down $1.1 billion award in nursing home lawsuit
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 24, 2013
A jury has awarded $1.1 billion in damages to the family of a Florida woman who received poor nursing home care prior to her death in 2007. The amount is believed to be one of the highest ever leveled...
Day in the Life: After 97 years, she’s a U.S. citizen
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 01, 2014
It’s reasonable to expect that the pace of life slows down after moving into a skilled nursing facility. But 97-year-old Chengyi Pan has been busy since her arrival at Sauer Health Care in September.
CMS: Nurse shortage means hospices can keep using contracted workers
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 08, 2014
Hospices can continue to rely on contract nurses because an ongoing nurse shortage is preventing providers from meeting their staffing needs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in a...
Special lights improve behavior, sleep and eating for nursing home residents with dementia, study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 05, 2014
Installing a particular kind of light in nursing homes could soothe residents with dementia and improve their sleep and eating patterns, according to recently published research findings.