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...
Safety means ‘seeing the virus’: Atria recounts rollout of 18,000 tests early in pandemic
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 09, 2021
Finding a way to conduct COVID-19 testing among 31,000 residents and staff members across multiple states helped the senior living giant to “seal out” outbreaks and show that its communities were safe...
Increases in non-COVID infections ‘wipe out’ decade of progress
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 03, 2021
The CDC’s new report of a spike in healthcare associated infections is alarming, says the nation’s leading infection control group. One bright spot for nursing homes: CDC found no increase in Clostridium...
Omicron remains lethal in the older and unvaccinated, former CDC chief warns
Mar 23, 2022
The next wave of COVID-19 is on its way and unvaccinated elders are at risk of being hit hard, according to former CDC director Tom Frieden, M.D. “If we learn quickly and act quickly, we can outmaneuver...
Stable use of antipsychotics in long-term care during pandemic ‘reassuring’: study
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Mar 07, 2022
The use of antipsychotics and pain medications in assisted living and nursing home residents was relatively unchanged early in the pandemic. New residents were more likely to get certain drugs, however.
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...
Monoclonal antibodies ‘unequivocally’ saved lives during pandemic, patient data show
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 14, 2023
For two years, monoclonal antibodies were approved, revoked and sometimes reauthorized or scarce, but pushing through these challenges “unequivocally saved lives and prevented hospitalizations,”...
Docs push for new COVID-19 funding as signs point to rebound in U.S. omicron cases
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 17, 2022
The alternative is to risk leaving patients without access to needed vaccines, treatments and testing, the American College of Physicians has told Congress.
AHCA/NCAL: When inspected during pandemic, most nursing homes deficiency-free
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 28, 2022
Despite navigating unprecedented hardship and loss during the pandemic, there is evidence that care in nursing homes held steady in a number of quantifiable areas, according to the organization’s...
Parkinson: Vaccinate all long-term care by March and slash coronavirus mortality 40 percent
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 08, 2020
A one-month delay “could result in more than 20,000 of our residents losing their lives when a vaccine could have saved them,” AHCA / NCAL leader Mark Parkinson said Monday.