Providers praise move by CMS to suspend standard surveys for nursing homes for 3 weeks; inspection finds...
By
Liza Berger
Danielle Brown
Mar 24, 2020
Long-term care providers on Monday said they appreciate a decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to limit surveys of nursing homes and other providers for a three-week period in the wake...
CMS on holidays: No get-togethers, full guidance may be forthcoming
By
Liza Berger
Nov 06, 2020
Lest you think Thanksgiving will be a time to soften some COVID-19 restrictions for residents, think again.
Desperate for testing, PPE, providers asked to report all COVID cases to authorities
By
Liza Berger
Apr 13, 2020
In an effort to secure needed testing and personal protective equipment (PPE), both major long-term care associations are urging providers to report all COVID-19-positive cases to state survey agencies...
COVID-19 pushes skilled nursing occupancy down 10%, analysis finds
By
Liza Berger
Jun 08, 2020
The nursing home population has fallen by 100,000 residents, or 10%, since the end of 2019, according to a Wall Street Journal news report. The main cause cited was complications related to the COVID-19...
County COVID-19 rates will dictate staff testing frequency, new CMS guidance says
By
Liza Berger
Aug 27, 2020
Routine testing of staff now will be based on the level of COVID-19 activity in the community. That’s according to official new guidance released Wednesday in response to federal regulatory changes disclosed...
New federal reopening guidance calls for nursing home staff and residents to receive COVID-19 test results,...
By
Liza Berger
May 19, 2020
Nursing home residents and staff members must receive baseline COVID-19 test results before relaxing any restrictions or advancing through phases of reopening under new federal guidance issued Monday by...
New CMS guidance dictates nursing homes must report COVID-19 cases to CDC, residents and families
By
Liza Berger
Apr 20, 2020
In new but anticipated guidance released Sunday night, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is requiring nursing homes to report any COVID-19 cases directly to the Centers for Disease Control and...
CDC director talks to McKnight’s about flu season, COVID-19 mitigation and nursing home data
By
Liza Berger
Jul 17, 2020
Senior Editor Liza Berger spoke with Robert Redfield, M.D., about some of the most pressing issues in the eldercare industry.
The COVID-19 mitigation strategies of social distancing, face coverings and handwashing not only will help to curb the spread of the coronavirus, they will help to lessen the severity of the upcoming flu...
Not so fast: Providers must check to make sure their state permits POC COVID-19 testing devices, guidance...
By
Liza Berger
Jul 31, 2020
As nursing homes wait for point-of care testing instruments and supplies to arrive from the federal government, they first should make sure they are complying with state public health guidelines regarding...