Surgery rates fall in elders; improved screening may be reason
By
Alicia Lasek
May 11, 2021
Despite an aging population and safer surgical procedures, the frequency of abdominal surgery is decreasing among older adults — particularly in those age 85 and older, according to researchers from...
LTC docs push for more training, competency requirements for medical directors
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 11, 2022
It’s time for Congress and CMS to take action and raise the profile and competencies of industry clinicians — especially medical directors, according to long-term care physician advocate AMDA.
Feds might dictate minimums nursing homes must spend on direct care workers
By
Danielle Brown
Apr 21, 2022
CHICAGO — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is considering requiring nursing homes to spend a minimum amount of federal Medicaid reimbursement dollars on direct care workers as the agency...
CMS unveils new tool for public to compare nursing home vaccination rates
By
Danielle Brown
Sep 21, 2021
Individual nursing homes’ COVID-19 vaccination rates are more subject to public comparisons thanks to a new tool from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The goal is to make previously available...
Report: Medicaid long-term care spending to skyrocket over next 20 years
Oct 02, 2008
Many consumers are ill-informed about Medicare and Medicaid’s role in long-term care, and greater planning could help reduce the danger of soaring Medicaid costs, according to a new report from America’s...
What would Jack Bauer do?
By
Anthony Cirillo
Mar 06, 2013
In the now-infamous case of an independent living facility’s policy on CPR, the simple perception is that a woman was dying and needed CPR. Sound and prudent judgment would have been to perform it,...
Pure determination: Young CNA drives more than 25 miles on 4-wheeler to make shift at Mississippi nursing...
By
Danielle Brown
Feb 24, 2021
Where there’s a will there’s a way. A 22-year-old Mississippi certified nursing assistant proved just that after trekking more than 25 miles on a four-wheeler during a winter storm in order to make...
Communicating with patients and families during COVID-19: Five messages to consider
By
Virginia Feldman, M.D.
Mar 31, 2020
It has now been more than two weeks since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced new measures to protect nursing home residents from COVID-19. Already, providers, patients and family...
Early dementia risk disclosure encourages help from family members
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 16, 2021
Family members of older adults value early dementia risk information provided by clinicians, a new study finds. When interviewed about their post-disclosure reactions, some said the knowledge prompted...
Five-star nursing home rating system kicks off with controversy
Dec 18, 2008
The head of one provider organization reacted negatively Wednesday to the way the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has handled the launch of a new five-star rating system for nursing homes. The...