Half of hospitalized COVID survivors have symptoms 4 months later, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 22, 2021
Discharged patients who underwent a comprehensive physical exam at 4 months had fatigue, loss of physical function, sleep disturbances and cognitive impairment, investigators report.
COVID-19 variant fuels outbreak among nursing home residents, vaccinated or not
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 19, 2021
A previously unidentified variant of COVID-19 has infected both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents of a Kentucky nursing home, making clear that providers must remain vigilant about exposure even after...
Nursing homes struggling with nuances of federal visitation policy
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 19, 2021
A week and a half after nursing home operators across the country learned they could open their doors to visitors, many are still grappling with the nuances of new visitation guidelines issued by the Centers...
Some home care services may foster frailty, whereas PT prevents decline, data show
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 17, 2021
Frail elders who enrolled in a state Medicaid HCBS and used home nurse services were more likely to experience functional decline than those who did not. Their peers who received physical therapy were...
ProMedica Senior Care betting on partners with ‘skin in the game’
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 15, 2021
A hospital-to-skilled nursing conversion project uniting ProMedica and Ohio’s MetroHealth is the first of several collaborations the giant senior care operator is planning to launch this year. It’s...
CMS missing opportunities to enforce staffing rules, watchdog warns
By
Danielle Brown
Mar 12, 2021
A watchdog agency is calling for a greater emphasis on staffing ratios during future nursing home surveys, saying the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is missing opportunities to use information...
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...
Trio is trouble in assisted living: Risky neuro drug combos too common, dementia expert says
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 11, 2021
Fully one in seven people with dementia who do not live in nursing homes are taking at least three drugs that act on the central nervous system — beyond the advised limit, a new study finds.
‘The right thing to do’: Providers praise CMS decision to restart nursing home visits
By
Danielle Brown
Mar 11, 2021
Federal health officials’ decision to reopen the nation’s nursing homes to visitors Wednesday was “the right thing” to do, leading long-term care advocates said. The decision was made in light...
MedPAC eyes replacing SNF VBP with new model that reimburses more evenly
By
Danielle Brown
Mar 11, 2021
The current value-based purchasing program for skilled nursing facilities would be replaced by an alternative incentive model that rewards providers more evenly under a proposal by the Medicare Payment...