Concerns continue after CMS delays staffing rule unveiling
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 07, 2023
Skilled nursing providers who had readied themselves for the unveiling of a national staffing mandate as part of the 2024 pay rule were left reading the tea leaves this week after federal regulators delayed...
State’s new workforce law could be national model to solve SNF staffing problems
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Mar 28, 2023
A new law in Kentucky could serve as a national model to help stem the workforce crisis in nursing homes through public-private partnerships to fund education programs for more nurses and aides.
Nursing home administrators spent 20 percent less time on-site in recent years, group claims
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Mar 13, 2023
Accusations that nursing home administrators are spending 20% less time with residents and on-site miss the mark, said two people who closely observe top facility staff.
Three years in, pandemic jabs keep coming
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Mar 10, 2023
Ahead of Saturday’s third anniversary of the pandemic’s official declaration, one infection preventionist who spent much of COVID’s first year on frontlines in multiple states reflected on the challenges...
Florida bill would narrow wrongful death lawsuits against nursing homes
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Mar 09, 2023
Nursing home operators in Florida could see the prospects of wrongful death lawsuits slashed under legislation making its way through the House and Senate.
Despite major Medicaid boost, lack of staff still limits nursing home admissions
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Mar 02, 2023
Months after a 17% Medicaid increase kicked in, hundreds of Pennsylvania nursing home beds remain empty because facilities can’t hire enough staff to provide care, a new survey finds.
OSHA workplace violence program could cost nursing homes tens of thousands at launch
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Mar 01, 2023
The nation’s nursing homes can expect to spend a lot more — in excess of $177 million, to be more precise — on assessment and compliance costs under a possible new federal program designed to prevent...
State weighing ‘living wage’ for all nursing home workers
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Mar 01, 2023
Companion bills moving through the Massachusetts House and Senate would require that MassHealth — the state’s Medicaid program — reimburse facilities enough to pay all employees a “living wage.”
After COVID failures, VA home rally enables admissions resumption
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Feb 16, 2023
A New Jersey veterans home can begin admitting new residents after getting its infection control protocols in line with federal standards, although an industry observer cautioned that some restrictions...
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...