Norovirus cases on the rise; stomach ailment often targets seniors
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 12, 2023
Cases of norovirus infection, a common scourge of long-term care facilities, have risen steadily across the US in recent months, CDC data show.
Medicare eligibility comes with increase in tooth loss, Harvard study reveals
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 10, 2023
When patients become eligible for Medicare coverage, restorative dental care immediately falls and tooth loss increases, a new study from Harvard University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital has found.
Unexpected physician deaths swelled during pandemic — until vaccines arrived
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 09, 2023
Tragically, physicians have experienced high mortality linked to COVID-19 early in the pandemic. But mitigation measures and vaccination appear to have reduced deadly infections in this provider group,...
Clinical briefs for Thursday, Feb. 9
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 09, 2023
Drug for recurrent C. diff linked to improved quality of life … U.S. adults lack knowledge about age-related macular degeneration, survey reveals … Antibiotic sales rose with increase in COVID-19...
Biden again touts ‘cracking down’ on nursing homes in State of Union address
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 08, 2023
Nursing homes once again elicited an ignominious mention in President Joe Biden’s second SOTU address Tuesday night.
Nursing home complaint investigations create clearer quality picture: study
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 08, 2023
Researchers have found that a new, complaint-focused quality metric would better represent the needs of residents and family consumers searching nursing home ratings.
Bill would require 2 annual nursing home inspections but advocates say it won’t improve quality
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Feb 08, 2023
Legislation moving through the Arizona state senate would privatize nursing home surveys and double the number of annual inspections, a shift that sector advocates said would jack up costs and not improve...
Deaths underscore need for staffing, training to manage resident aggression
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Feb 03, 2023
The recent deaths of two nursing home residents who died after attacks by fellow residents in separate incidents has amplified providers’ focus on operating as safely as possible with often unpredictable...
Clinical briefs for Thursday, Feb. 2
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 02, 2023
Residents key to employee bivalent vaccination at this CCRC … Community pharmacies report ongoing shortages of diabetes meds, other drugs … Arthritis drug Humira gets a rival, but costs to remain high...
Analysis: Medication adherence spotty among U.S. diabetes patients
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 01, 2023
A sizable percentage of patients with diabetes do not consistently take prescribed medications to lower cholesterol, glucose or blood pressure, investigators say.