An imminent long-term care pharmacy crisis could affect more than 80% of nursing home residents by 2026, with about 84% of pharmacies planning to reduce services or stop serving certain facilities or regions. About 78% of long-term care pharmacies expect to lay off staff as well, with layoffs already underway, according to a survey conducted […]
Category: Clinical
Significant reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms were seen among nursing home residents who interacted with an AI-driven, voice-based telephone companion. This was especially true among residents whose anxiety and depression baseline was higher than the average resident. The companion, Meela, was designed to reduce loneliness, depression and anxiety among older adults in post-acute and […]
Long-term exposure to certain components of fine particulate air pollution was associated with a higher risk of developing depression among older adults. This is according to a study published Monday in JAMA Network Open. The study measures the impact of fine particulate pollution, or PM2.5, matter that is 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter and […]
Nursing home residents in facilities without air conditioned rooms faced higher odds of death on extreme heat days, while nursing homes with AC did not see a statistically significant increase – suggesting AC can be protective during heat events. This is according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. The researchers analyzed more than 73,000 […]
The GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) model is proving difficult to implement for some providers who initially were excited about it, with one large nursing home provider already exiting the program. An official with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said that lessons learned from early experiences in the program will inform […]
Hospital to skilled nursing facility referral patterns are normalizing and admission numbers are recovering. That’s according to a newly released report from WellSky, which also found that nursing homes have had to navigate fragmented care transitions more than ever, as real-time coordination continues to be a challenge despite digital advancements. A lot of providers still […]
Skilled nursing leaders are renewing calls to eliminate the three-day stay rule in light of a policy change that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized last week. Specifically, CMS is moving ahead with plans to phase out the inpatient-only (IPO) list, which details the procedures that Medicare covers only if the beneficiary […]
Older adults with dementia who may benefit from antipsychotic medications are being harmed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Long-Stay Antipsychotic Medication quality measure. This is according to a new white paper from the Alliance for Aging Research and Project PAUSE, which stands for Psychoactive Appropriate Use for Safety and Effectiveness. The […]
Recently released research affirmed what skilled nursing operators know all too well: Medicare Advantage requirements are creating impediments to patients’ timely care transitions. That’s according to SNF provider leaders who spoke with Skilled Nursing News (SNN) in the wake of a JAMA study outlining how Medicare Advantage patients averaged longer pre-SNF hospital stays than traditional […]
Opioid prescription decreased among nursing homes between 2011 and 2022, reflecting national patterns in primary care while also possibly being an overcorrection tied to opioid-related reduction guidelines dating back to 2016. While some nursing home residents may have benefited from opioid reductions, others may have faced barriers to adequate pain control, according to a report […]
Fragmented Medicaid coverage coupled with the lack of a dental benefit under traditional Medicare leads to poor oral health outcomes for older adults in nursing homes. Staffing shortages and rural access issues compound the problem. This is the conclusion of an issue brief from Justice in Aging, a national organization focused on helping seniors from […]
A recently released report from a federal watchdog agency drew attention to nursing homes’ underreporting of resident falls involving major injury – but policymakers and providers should not overlook the data and communication gaps and discrepancies between nursing homes and hospitals that are at issue in the report’s findings. That’s a message that several nursing […]
ExaCare AI, which creates technology to automate operations in post-acute care facilities, has raised $30 million in Series A funding to enhance its AI platform for skilled nursing and home care. Used in over 1,500 facilities – including National Health Care Associates, Journey Skilled Nursing, Monarch Healthcare Management, Majestic Care, and Ignite Medical Resorts – […]
There may be potential ways to reduce multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) on patients’ skin, but fully eliminating these super bugs within nursing homes remains a difficult task. A recent study from researchers with the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center and the University of California Irvine School of Medicine may pose answers to cutting […]
Family and patient mistrust of nursing home providers can create a barrier to care. A multidisciplinary team is needed to craft care plans and rebuild trust after something goes wrong. That’s according to a case study presented by Cleveland Clinic geriatrician Luke Dogyun Kim, M.D., at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society. […]
The largest association of nursing home providers in the United States has a new chief medical officer. Liz Burns, M.D., will be filling the role at the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), effective Oct. 18, 2025. “Having seen the healthcare system from many perspectives — from the bedside to health plans, […]
The rise of Medicare Advantage has created problems related to skilled nursing, including “unneeded and unnecessary care delays,” according to Trilogy Health Services Chief Medical Officer Andrew McNamara, M.D. However, SNF providers also have to better understand Medicare Advantage in order to address these issues, McNamara told Skilled Nursing News in an interview that has […]
Starting in January, falling prices for costly drugs may strain long-term care pharmacies, but proposed legislation backed by advocacy groups aims to subsidize some of this loss. And nursing home advocacy groups are among those urging Congress to pass the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act. The solution the bill proposes is a […]
Aetna is scaling up a program to provide more support to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries who are transitioning from the hospital into skilled nursing facilities or to their homes. The Aetna Clinical Collaboration (ACC) program involves Aetna nurses who coordinate with hospital staff to provide more patient support during care transitions, with reduced hospital readmissions being […]
Long-term care pharmacy Omnicare has entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and is considering various paths forward, including a standalone restructuring or a sale. Omnicare is a subsidiary of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) and provides pharmacy services to the long-term care market, including skilled nursing facilities, independent living communities and assisted living communities. The LTC […]
Subscribe
Receive industry updates and breaking news from SNN.