CMS doubles down: Surveyors do not have to be COVID vaccinated
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 07, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has held audiences with skilled nursing providers, made presentations and entertained comments in recent months to assure operators that regulatory actions...
Eliminating staff ‘cross-traffic’ could have cut nursing home COVID-19 deaths by 44 percent,...
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 26, 2020
Thousands of deaths tied to U.S. nursing homes could have been prevented if operators would have slightly adjusted their staffing model, academic researchers assert in a new study.
Lawmakers want nursing home commission to include ombudsmen; study reveals public support for nursing...
By
Danielle Brown
May 12, 2020
Two U.S. lawmakers want the new Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes to include representatives from a state ombudsman program and address how facilities can access adequate personal...
Odds of nurse flight jump 50% in 10 months
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 01, 2022
Nearly a third of U.S. registered nurses are considering leaving their current patient-care role, according to the latest survey on healthcare worker attitudes from research firm McKinsey.
Harnessing the power of virtual reality to reduce social isolation amid a global pandemic
By
Chris Brickler
Mar 17, 2020
As COVID-19, or coronavirus, continues to spread across our country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised “social distancing” and that those who are deemed higher-risk persons...
Addressing residents’ coronavirus fears
By
Eleanor Feldman Barbera, Ph.D.
Mar 10, 2020
Despite their general calm and resilience, it’s perfectly reasonable for residents to have questions and concerns about the coronavirus and its potential spread.
How to come out stronger after COVID-19
By
Robert Segal
Aug 07, 2020
For all skilled and long-term care operators, COVID-19 was a game-changer. For one particular mid-sized skilled nursing facility in the Midwest, this was no exception. With the first case came fear of...
Movement to cap nurse-agency pay rates advances in another state
By
Kimberly Marselas
Nov 15, 2021
Lawmakers could introduce legislation as early as this week that would regulate temporary staffing agencies and set maximum pay rates for agency healthcare personnel in Pennsylvania.
Danger ahead?: SNFs face potentially steep cuts as CMS considers changes to PDPM, VBP program
By
Danielle Brown
Apr 12, 2021
A recalibration to the Patient Driven Payment Model could have troubling payment implications for skilled nursing providers who are still trying to manage a difficult operating environment caused by the...
Seniors shouldn’t wait until fall for COVID-19 booster vax, federal health officials say
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
Jul 13, 2022
Receiving another booster shot now will not rule out getting a variant-specific shot in the fall, officials told seniors Tuesday. And a second booster shot provides a higher level of protection, they emphasized.