Dementia Patients in Nursing Homes Don’t Necessarily Benefit from Just Boosting Staff – Study

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 […]

Health Affairs Study: Immigrant Nurses Are Crucial for Meeting Staffing Needs, Quality at Nursing Homes

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 […]

Audit of New York Nursing Homes Finds Them Unprepared for Future Disease Outbreaks

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 […]

CNA Turnover Linked to Scheduling Choices, Staff Stability, Optimal Hours Worked

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 […]

Nursing Home Occupancy ‘Disappointingly Flat’ in November but States’ Medicaid Rebasing Encouraging

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 […]

Forbes’ Gleckman: Lack of Easy Access to Nursing Home Ownership Info Limits CMS’ Transparency Bid

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 […]

Covid Survivors in Nursing Homes Placed ‘Even Greater Burden’ on Staffing

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 […]

Family, Dementia Specialists Have Significant Sway on SNF Medication Management – But Are Rarely Involved

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 […]

How Paying Nursing Homes Upfront Fees for New Patients Could Drive Medicaid Savings

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 […]

House Lawmakers, Providers Clash Over Nursing Home Staffing Mandate in Hearing

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, […]

Top Trends in False Claims Act Litigation Against Nursing Home Operators

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 […]

Nursing Homes for a New Generation: Boomers ‘Want to be Involved in Their Own Care’

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 […]

AHCA CEO: ‘Enormous Problems’ for Rural Skilled Nursing Providers Demand Innovation

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 […]

New Nursing Home Payment Streams Could Address Surging Demand Among Justice-Involved Individuals

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 […]

Nursing Home Providers Exasperated with Vendor Issues, Error Codes in MDS Transition

Nursing home operators expressed frustration with Minimum Data Set (MDS) changes effective Oct. 1, with many concerned that they will be out of compliance with completion and submission requirements because of error codes. Errors are stemming from software vendors, and providers are unable to submit MDS data with proper coding information, nursing home operators said […]

Timely Physician, Skilled Clinician Visits Reduce Rehospitalization Risk in Older Adults in Nursing Homes

Hospital readmissions have emerged as a pressing concern within the realm of post-acute care in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Not only do readmissions impact the health and well-being of elderly patients, but they also have significant cost implications. Additionally, they play a pivotal role in the evaluation of facility performance, a crucial aspect of value-based […]

Enhanced Bathing Routine Reduces Nursing Home Infections, Drug Resistance to Superbugs

A simple enhanced bathing routine can significantly reduce serious infections as well as curb antibiotic resistance to superbugs in nursing homes. This is according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which examined the effectiveness of a “universal decolonization” protocol using a chlorhexidine bathing routine for skin and an over-the-counter antiseptic […]