National news outlets have covered the lack of COVID-19 booster shot administration in nursing homes with more urgency in recent days, reminding the public that older adults are hit the hardest by COVID fatalities, making up 71% of COVID deaths in November, according to CDC data. Vaccination fatigue has taken various shapes and is one […]
Category: Compliance
Among other spending allocations, Congress released an omnibus bill with provisions related to nursing homes and long-term care. The spending package calls for a “strategy for long-term care for aging veterans” and a study on the costs of serious mental illness, including in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities. The bill, which Congress is expected […]
The average duration of a COVID-19 outbreak in a nursing home between June 2020 and Dec. 2021 was four weeks — and longer outbreaks were more likely to occur in areas with high rates of community spread. Furthermore, for-profit nursing homes were more likely to have shorter outbreaks compared with non-profit or government-owned facilities. These […]
In Montana, a judge ruled that a person’s choice to decline vaccinations does not outweigh public health and safety requirements in medical settings. The case involves Montana’s attorney general, who is part of an effort to reverse a federal mandate over Covid-19 vaccination in long-term care facilities. “The public interest in protecting the general populace […]
Officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday said the number of nursing home residents who are up to date with her COVID-19 vaccines is “far too low.” While COVID vaccination was at the top of the agenda, CMS officials also shared more information about coming MDS changes, including the timing […]
As therapy providers in the nursing home setting brace for a 4.47% cut in the Physician Fee Schedule in 2023, Congress may not help bridge the gap as much as in the past. Currently, Congress is toying with a 2% to2.5% boost to help providers dealing with the 4.47% cut, panelists said during a webinar […]
Improving nursing home oversight and quality will be “top priority” for the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG), as the Biden administration pushes ahead with its reform initiatives. “My top priority is propelling meaningful improvement in the quality and safety of care in the more than 15,000 Medicare- and […]
USA TODAY on Thursday published a lengthy article on nursing home staffing patterns and staffing-related related inspections and enforcement mechanisms.The article describes an investigation carried out by the newspaper, which found that the federal government falls short on enforcing staffing guidelines for nursing homes, with grave consequences for residents. Leaders with industry groups pushed back […]
While many owners in the skilled nursing space saw a reduction in beds this year, the biggest losers were overwhelmingly government entities and not-for-profit organizations, while for-profit entities have lost far fewer beds. In terms of bed reduction by location, rural markets largely took the hit, according to Lisa McCracken, director of senior living research […]
The pandemic created myriad risk factors for nursing home operators, many of whom have been primarily focused on staffing shortages and infection control for the past three years. Yet as the industry continues to evolve, operators may need to diversify their risk mitigation strategies to prepare for higher acuity residents, the implementation of the Phase […]
As fall comes to a close and winter ushers in, the federal government is reminding nursing home operators that they must provide residents access to the latest Covid vaccines and treatment. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memo Tuesday outlining the need for health care providers and suppliers, especially those in […]
In an upset for the nursing home industry, the U.S. Supreme Court this week declined to hear a bid from California operator Glenhaven Healthcare to avoid a lawsuit under federal immunity provisions. The case hinged on the scope of the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act), which authorizes the federal government to shield […]
As federal entities push for greater infection prevention and control resources in nursing homes, some researchers in the space argue that even more needs to be done to keep pace with rising acuity and a multitude of comorbidities in today’s residents. The space will need a mix of long-term and immediate solutions, according to Dr. […]
Roughly 76% of nursing home staff and more than 60% of residents have yet to receive the new Covid-19 bivalent booster, as providers brace for the threat of a tripledemic. That’s according to an AARP analysis of federal data as of mid-October. Some states are further behind than others. Arizona, for example, has only 15.2% […]
Despite federal efforts to curb inappropriate medication use in the nursing home setting, national entities say the overall use of psychotropic drugs in the space remained “high and unchanged” since 2011. A report released Thursday by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) delved into the continued use […]
As one of, if not the largest nursing home operator in the country, The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) has quickly filled turnaround properties with a robust talent pipeline – including having 30 to 40 administrators-in-training at all times – despite a historic staffing shortage. Leadership also delved into why the Texas Medicaid rate is such […]
Leaders in the skilled nursing space have increasingly seen value in creating a primary care strategy, with some intending to become part of a risk-based model as part of that strategy — especially as acuity continues to be high among residents. Operators looking to shift to such a strategy need a clear vision of how […]
Incorporating weekend staffing and infection rate data for the first time, thousands of nursing homes reached the top of the charts in the U.S. News and World Report’s latest rankings. The 2022-23 “Best Nursing Homes” list was published on Tuesday. U.S. News evaluates more than 15,000 nursing homes on factors including care, safety, infection rates, […]
Despite the federal government’s likely decision to keep the public health emergency (PHE) in place past January, the nursing home industry continues to prepare for operations without the safety net of certain waivers. Leaders in the space say any continuation of PHE waivers – temporary or permanent – should be dependent on cost and patient […]
As several states across the country have extended or made permanent nursing home Medicaid rate bumps tied to the pandemic, at least in part to stem the tide of high staffing costs and inflationary pressures, Texas operators are anxiously awaiting their fate ahead of next year’s legislative session. Focused Post Acute Care Partners CEO Mark […]
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