Nursing homes struggling with nuances of federal visitation policy
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 19, 2021
A week and a half after nursing home operators across the country learned they could open their doors to visitors, many are still grappling with the nuances of new visitation guidelines issued by the Centers...
Also in the News for Friday, March 19
Mar 19, 2021
LTC enforcement proponent Xavier Becerra confirmed as HHS secretary … Watchdog knocks HHS — again — for failure to adopt and track key nursing home reform strategies … COVID-19 reinfection...
Feds halt an Eli Lilly antibody therapy in 3 states due to variant fears, while boosting the treatment...
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 19, 2021
A COVID-19 variant circulating widely in California, Arizona and Nevada has rendered bamlanivimab alone ineffective, an FDA official reports. But Lilly says an approved alternative treatment “maintains...
Don’t lose sight of senior loneliness now that some restrictions are lifted
By
Bent Philipson
Mar 17, 2021
As we move through 2021, the loneliness posed by social distancing will likely remain a challenge for seniors. Healthcare providers should take a more proactive role in helping seniors manage their mental...
Where did person-directed care go?
By
Penny Cook
Mar 15, 2021
As we mark the one-year anniversary of life-altering changes brought about by COVID-19, I think about those aspects of life that left me, and those that have arrived. What has left me? Air travel,...
2021 and writing your COVID-19 elegy
By
Renee Kinder
Mar 11, 2021
If you are an avid reader, or even if you are not, you have likely heard of “Hillbilly Elegy.” The book was written by J.D. Vance and has subsequently been turned into a movie on Netflix ripe with...
CMS opens visitation to nursing homes after year of isolation
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 11, 2021
“Facilities should allow responsible indoor visitation at all times” — no matter the vaccination status of resident or visitor, the agency now says. Its action follows the remarkable, apparent...
NY Tough campaign can’t disguise nursing home cuts that worsened COVID-19 struggles
By
Brendan Williams
Mar 10, 2021
No long-term care advocate is surprised by what was hiding behind Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mask of self-congratulatory competence. Indeed, his reckless disregard for the lives of nursing home residents in...
Listening in at the intersection of policy and pain
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 10, 2021
My obsession with podcasts began a few years ago, when I spent quite a bit of time on the road. Naturally, I found true crime podcasts the best sidekick for long solo drives, and my library remains stacked...
How a skilled nursing organization mitigated COVID-19 supply chain risk
By
Kim Salmon
Brad Mariam
Mar 09, 2021
Occasional hurricanes, Nor’easters and infectious diseases are just a few of the situations that have kicked disaster response into high gear for SALMON Health & Retirement, a senior living community...