Valid dementia verdict? Nursing home and hospital diagnoses now better aligned, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
May 03, 2021
Medicare’s dementia claim measures appear to have become more sensitive in recent years, agreeing more closely with hospital-based measures overall and for certain populations than in the past, investigators...
Staff support outweighs wages as turnover solution, nursing home study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 05, 2022
A people-oriented work environment with tangible staff supports is key to minimizing turnover and care disruptions in nursing homes. It’s even more important than compensation, direct care providers...
Nursing home study reveals ‘dramatic’ fluctuations in prescribing of COVID-19 meds
By
Alicia Lasek
May 26, 2023
Investigators tracked the use of COVID-19 medications in 11 U.S. nursing home chains, describing prescribing patterns that shed new light on the challenges of pandemic clinical care.
Hypoglycemia frequent in LTCF residents with diabetes, large study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 14, 2023
A 35% rate of level 1 hypoglycemia in long-term care facility residents with type 2 diabetes leaves room for better clinical management, researchers say.
$2M virtual reality trial to gauge impact on senior living residents with dementia
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 20, 2021
The Phase II trial will evaluate how virtual family engagement affects quality of life for 400 older adults in 12 U.S. long-term care communities.
Feds wait for lowered vaccine efficacy to recommend COVID-19 booster shots
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 22, 2021
COVID-19 vaccine booster shots will not be necessary until mRNA vaccines become less effective, federal health officials say. But immunocompromised Americans are potential near-term recipients, they told...
Silos, shortages hamper transitions to long-term care, physician experts report
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 21, 2023
Most care transitions to LTC are effective. But fragmentation of care delivery, communication issues and worker shortages are the top barriers to success, say the authors of a new survey-based report from...
Cannabis-related issues sending more seniors to the ED, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 12, 2023
Cannabis-related ED visits for older adults shot up by a whopping 1,800% between 2005 to 2019 in California, investigators say. The state’s experience mirrors national trends.
Q&A: Are you listening? A veteran provider on fostering engagement with Black and brown staff, residents
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 26, 2021
The pandemic has trained a spotlight on numerous healthcare disparities faced by Black and brown long-term care residents. Monica Payne, a veteran clinical manager for Omnicare, says that reflecting on...
Q&A: ‘Mobile-first’ platform key to COVID-19-era hospice care delivery, says VITAS CMO
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 24, 2020
Joseph Shega, M.D., says a pivot to telehealth and mobile apps has provided care continuity for residents, while helping staff to keep a healthy distance and adhere to infection prevention protocol.