New infection control guidelines released; MRSA, c. Diff and urinary tract infections figure prominently
Oct 10, 2008
Many of the nation’s most prominent infection-control groups on Wednesday released a new set of “consensus” guidelines to help curb the spread of six potentially fatal facility-acquired...
Nursing home workers fill void, honor deceased resident with full military funeral
Oct 10, 2008
A former soldier who died at a Manchester, NH, nursing home was given a full military funeral on Wednesday, courtesy of his caregivers at the facility he called home, according to local news reports.
Offering quality care is goal of new Golden Living CEO
Oct 08, 2008
Golden Living should be synonymous with quality care, Dr. Neil Kurtz, the new CEO and president of Golden Living, told McKnight’s this week.
Study: Medicaid continues to underpay nursing homes
Oct 07, 2008
Medicaid paid nursing home operators an average of $13.72 less than allowable costs per resident day in 2006. That is a shortfall of $4.6 billion overall, according to preliminary results of an annual...
Using two hypertension meds may help cut risk of death
Oct 06, 2008
On many occasions, it is said that two is better than one. That appears to be the case when it comes to reducing death from high blood pressure among the elderly.
‘Never event’ Medicare reimbursement rules now in effect
Oct 02, 2008
As of this month, Medicare no longer is reimbursing healthcare facilities for “reasonably preventable” medical errors. Also, hospitals are not allowed to charge patients directly for medical...
Study: More affluent ZIP codes consistently see higher rates of surgery survival among the elderly
Oct 01, 2008
Seniors in more impoverished areas of the country are significantly more likely to die after surgery than their wealthier neighbors, according to recent research.
OIG: Nearly all nursing homes violated federal standards in 2007
Sep 30, 2008
More than nine out of 10 nursing homes in the United States last year were cited for violating federal health and safety standards, according to a report released Monday by the Department of Health and...
Joint Commission releases new pain management brochure
Sep 22, 2008
The Joint Commission, a nonprofit healthcare certification and accreditation organization, has released a new brochure to help patients better discuss issues of pain management with their caregivers.
New safety survey available from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Sep 22, 2008
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a new survey to help nursing homes assess safety, track changes in resident safety over time, and evaluate the impact of safety interventions.