In a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers found that the risk of fractures was numerically higher among subgroups of residents with dementia, higher baseline blood pressure values, and recent antihypertensive medication use. The retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 29,648 long-term care nursing home residents within the Veterans Health Administration (VA) from […]
Category: Clinical
Skilled nursing facilities are set to see changes to the Quality Reporting Program (QRP), with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making moves to address social determinants of health (SDOH) – mainly, adding factors such as living situation, food, utilities, and transportation. “These quality measures are leading us into the realm of health […]
Several states across the U.S. have introduced online navigation platforms to assist families and residents in making informed decisions on their search for a nursing home – after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that Care Compare needed fixes to better serve residents. Both Missouri and Ohio have recently launched such tools, providing users […]
The nursing home sector’s minimal participation in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) – largely because they have not found it lucrative to be in ACOs or have been sidelined within ACOs by other provider types – has resulted in a push for change. In a joint effort aimed at enhancing the integration of long-term and post-acute […]
Increasing nursing home staffing alone will not translate into better health or quality-of-care outcomes for dementia patients. This is the finding of a recently published study in the journal, Health Services Research, which combines the efforts of experts at UC-Irvine, UCLA, and the University of Chicago. Researchers recommend looking beyond just staffing to improve dementia […]
Nursing homes have seen a significant shift in staffing dynamics over the past decade, with a growing reliance on immigrant certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in the midst of a void left by the declining number of native-born staff, according to a recent study published in Health Affairs. SNN has reported that as the federal government […]
A recent audit by the New York Comptroller’s Office revealed that the state’s nursing homes are still unprepared for another pandemic or infectious disease outbreak, more than two years after the COVID-19 pandemic. The audit, led by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, found that while the state health department has made some improvements since the height of […]
Part-time certified nursing assistants (CNAs) play a crucial role in providing patient care at skilled nursing facilities mired with staffing shortages, and yet they face high turnover rates. Washington State University analyzed the impact of scheduling decisions on part-time CNA turnover, addressing three key research questions related to hours worked and coworker variability. The study […]
Covid-19 cases and deaths are rising once again in U.S. nursing homes as vaccination rates have hit new lows, paving the way for a potential surge in infections during the upcoming winter months. This is according to the AARP Public Policy Institute and the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio, which also found […]
Healthcare Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) specializing in post-acute care facilities experienced “disappointingly flat” occupancy rates in November, according to investment analysts. BMO Capital Market’s Juan Sanabria highlighted the challenges faced by skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in maintaining growth, with market share loss to home health. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data […]
Ownership transparency of nursing homes has been a subject of debate since the Biden administration floated the idea in early 2022, adding to negative notions – many say unfairly – that sullied the reputation of the sector at large. Now that the federal government has finalized a rule to expose the complex ownership arrangements within […]
As Covid cases rise across the country and nursing home operators prepare for another ‘tripledemic’ with the flu, RSV and Covid hitting at once, only 2% of staff are up-to-date on Covid shots while the national average sits at 17% for residents, according to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A […]
The aftermath of the Covid virus, with enduring effects on older adults, resulted in prolonged dependence on nursing home staff. Older patients in nursing homes who survived Covid declined rapidly and for a much longer period for activities of daily living (ADL) and brain function, putting extra pressure on nursing home staff and resources, according […]
While families of nursing home residents and dementia specialists have significant influence on antidementia medication decisions, many residents lack their involvement. Such influence is similar to family sway on care planning for antipsychotic medications among nursing home residents. One in six nursing home cases almost always have no immediate family or caregivers involvement, according to […]
Paying nursing homes an upfront fee for new Medicaid patients could help save the government insurance program money. That’s according to recently published research paper in the National Bureau of Economic Research, which found that patients whose nursing home costs are covered by Medicaid have no financial incentive to leave because they do not incur […]
Amid the House of Representatives electing a speaker after a period of chaos, federal lawmakers on Wednesday also engaged in discussion of the proposed federal nursing home minimum staffing mandate. In a subcommittee hearing of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, critics contended that the minimum staffing rule would place an excessive burden on facilities, […]
While nursing home operators are dealing with a host of financial and operational challenges, they must as always be alert to how the Department of Justice (DOJ) is pursuing False Claims Act cases against providers. Nursing home practices under Covid-era waivers, the transition to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), and concerns over substandard care are […]
To treat a younger and more acute population, nursing home operators need to be aware that patients of this population are educated, health-literate, and want to be involved in their own care, requiring a multidisciplinary approach from clinical teams. “This population probably doesn’t want to have a roommate and particularly one that might be 85 […]
Rural nursing homes will survive, but they are currently facing severe problems that will require creative solutions, American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living CEO and President Mark Parkinson said Wednesday. “We have some massive workforce challenges that will create opportunities and innovation, and we will be fine down the road, but in the […]
By 2030, it is projected that one in three people behind bars will be considered geriatric, compared to one in five Americans in the overall population. Greater involvement from nursing home operators and new potential nursing home payment programs are likely needed to address this pressing public health challenge, research wrote in an op-ed published […]
Subscribe
Receive industry updates and breaking news from SNN.