Don’t shelve rapid tests as COVID cases climb, advocates implore nursing homes
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 03, 2020
Industry advocates say it’s time for facility operators who have not made full use of rapid antigen tests to start doing so — before nursing home deaths begin to spike again. CMS must “take to...
CMS: A quarter of Medicare recipients skipped needed healthcare during pandemic
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 21, 2020
Fully 21% of beneficiaries have forgone needed healthcare for something other than COVID-19. Nearly half say they did not want to risk being at a medical facility, according to CMS.
Resident poll reveals pandemic’s emotional toll: Frail elders need ‘something to live for’
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 02, 2020
A direct poll of nursing home residents in 36 states reveals a “drastic” reduction in social activities and a steep increase in reported loneliness. “Innovative distance socializing” may help address...
Quit treating pandemic’s toll on nursing homes like a ‘bad apples’ problem, expert...
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 14, 2020
It’s time for the federal government to “own” the problem of containing COVID-19 by paying for and arranging testing across nursing facilities, long-term care policy expert David Grabowski...
Mental distress spikes among U.S. adults during pandemic
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 03, 2020
Seniors responding to an April survey reported distress symptoms at rates double those of 2018. Researchers attribute the spike to turmoil caused by the pandemic.
Clinical Briefs for Friday, May 22
By
Alicia Lasek
May 21, 2020
Infection control problems ‘persisted’ at nursing homes prior to pandemic: GAO … New AARP report spotlights Alzheimer’s toll on women … Emerging medical countermeasures to COVID-19 may be best...
Nursing homes more prepared for the coronavirus than for H1N1: survey
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 26, 2020
Despite the COVID-19 troubles currently facing eldercare facilities, things could have been much worse for some, a Michigan survey suggests.
New data leads to warning: Coronavirus patients often present without fever
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 04, 2020
Cough and fever dominate the list of COVID-19 symptoms, but initial signs may be nonexistent, according to data from the outbreak’s first two months.
After Ebola: Preparing for the next catastrophic pandemic
By
Jeanne Oronzio Wermuth and Rafael Haciski
Jan 07, 2015
The rapid spread of infectious disease through human populations across a large region is not a new problem. But unfortunately, planning for or contemplating the risks associated with pandemics often becomes...