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...
Nearly all seniors are now prescribed drugs tied to falls: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 17, 2021
The percentage of older adults prescribed drugs that increase falls risk shot from 57% to 94% over almost two decades, researchers say. And fall-related deaths have more than doubled at the same time.
CDC posts videos to educate staff, residents on its 2 vaccine safety systems
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 17, 2021
YouTube videos detail the VAERS reporting system for CNAs and other facility providers, plus the agency’s smartphone-enabled post-vaccination health checker, or v-safe, which can be used by residents...
Clinical briefs for Wednesday, March 17
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 17, 2021
Senior living giant sued over handling of transfers and discharges … First COVID vaccine dose 63% effective in nursing home study … FDA hedges against gene variants: Requires COVID antibody drugmakers...
Nursing home advocates urge 24-hour RN staffing, PPE mandates in sweeping reform agenda
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 16, 2021
The Care For Our Seniors Act, put forth by the AHCA and LeadingAge, seeks to address systemic issues in the nursing home sector that have been laid bare during the pandemic, including infection control...
November’s drop in COVID deaths may hint at early nursing home success, experts contend
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 16, 2021
Between spring pandemic lockdowns and November, mortality rates due to COVID-19 in nursing homes declined significantly — well before a vaccine was approved to treat the disease, according to a new study.
Antibiotics use spiked in nursing homes early in pandemic, studies find
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 16, 2021
Nursing homes saw a big jump in certain antibiotic prescriptions early in the pandemic, and more than half of hospitalized COVID-19 patients received antibiotics in the first six months, researchers say.
Clinical briefs for Tuesday, March 16
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 16, 2021
Providers want weekly ongoing pledge of 50,000 COVID vaccines for LTC … Psychotropic drug prescriptions rose for nursing home residents during pandemic … Small improvements seen in chronic disease...
‘Silent’ heart attack proves to be new stroke risk factor for older adults, experts find
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 15, 2021
Symptomless heart attacks may pose the same risk of stroke as a chest-crushing event, and are more common in people 65 and older, according to a new study to be presented at the upcoming American Stroke...
NYC facility halves UTI rate, care costs with ‘practical’ intervention
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 15, 2021
Gouverneur Health, a 295-bed skilled nursing facility, brought its average UTI rate to 2.13%, — lower than state and national benchmarks — and reduced its related care costs by 52% from the pre-intervention...