COVID-19 Death Rates Far Higher in SNFs Than Most Other Senior Living Facility Types, Analysis Finds

A new analysis of independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing facilities across dozens of counties in select states found that 39% of SNFs had no COVID-19-related deaths during 2020. The analysis was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago through a grant provided by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing […]

For Nursing Home Infection Control to Improve, Regulations Need to Prioritize It – While Supporting Facilities

Dr. Buffy Lloyd-Krejci knew nursing homes had infection control problems well before a global pandemic put them in the spotlight. That’s why she started her infection control consulting firm, IPCWell, based in Arizona. She was introduced to the challenges of infection in nursing homes while working on a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control […]

Single Rooms Could Have Prevented 31% of Deaths for Long-Term Care Residents, International Study Finds

A study spanning several countries found that the infrastructure of long-term care has to change drastically to protect residents from health threats like COVID-19, with simulations finding that 31% of coronavirus deaths in Ontario, Canada, would have been prevented if all residents had had single-occupancy rooms. “Community outbreaks and lack of personal protective equipment were […]

From Funding to Fines, Why ‘More of Everything’ Won’t Solve Endemic Nursing Home Problems Alone

To improve the quality issues in nursing homes — many of which pre-dated COVID-19 but were brought into a harsh spotlight because of the pandemic — the entire system of skilled nursing care needs to be completely overhauled, according to one physician in the space. “I believe that our consistent failures in nursing home quality […]

CMS Ends Nursing Home COVID Waivers Related to Discharges, Transfers, and MDS Timelines

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on April 8 that it is ending several emergency regulatory waivers that were designed to give nursing homes flexibility in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic — specifically related to patient transfers and discharges, as well as the timeframe requirements for completing and transmitting a patient’s Minimum […]

Nursing Home PPE Requests in Show Chaos of Pandemic’s Early Days — and Shortfalls as Soon as February 2020

It all started gradually. In the month of February 2020, officials in the soon-to-be pandemic epicenter of New York City fielded 41 requests for personal protective equipment (PPE) from a range of entities, including hospitals, the fire department, and a handful of nursing homes. Specifically, 14 requests for PPE were made in February by skilled […]

SavaSeniorCare Takes Regional Approach to Nursing Home Clinical Challenges with New Chief Medical Director

In the investment and finance side of skilled nursing, “regional” is commonly cited as a strength for an operator; the idea is that a strong presence in a concentrated geography allows for better relationships with hospitals and referral partners, physicians, and the community generally. But thinking regionally goes beyond the financial well-being of a facility, […]

HHS Awards $255M Contract to Supply 50M Rapid COVID-19 Tests to Long-Term Care Facilities

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week announced that it would invest more than $12 billion in expanding testing for COVID-19, with a $255 million contract for the production and delivery of 50 million rapid point-of-care antigen tests to long-term care facilities. The contract covers 50 million Abbott BinaxNOW tests “to support […]

Staffing and Ownership Structure Take Center Stage in Senate Hearing on COVID-19 in Nursing Homes

The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday held a hearing on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes, and witnesses from the frontlines to the academic sphere testified to the fact that the pandemic exacerbated problems that long predated the novel coronavirus. And while the hearing contained its share of partisan talking points — ranging from […]

As Vaccine Clinics Wrap Up and Doors Open, Nursing Homes Must Start Planning for Waves of Future Shots

When emergency use authorizations (EUA) were granted to two COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020, health care workers and residents in long-term care facilities were granted first priority for the shots — and a federal partnership to vaccinate nursing homes kicked into gear. By January 25, most nursing homes participating in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term […]

AHCA, LeadingAge Set Target of 75% Nursing Home Staff Vaccination Rate by June

Two of the largest trade associations for nursing homes announced a goal of vaccinating approximately 75% of the roughly 1.5 million nursing home workers across the U.S. by the end of June. The American Health Care Association (AHCA), which represents more than 14,000 primarily for-profit nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and LeadingAge, which represents […]

Cuomo Targets Ownership Transparency, Caps on Profit and Executive Pay in Nursing Home Reform Push

Embroiled in an ongoing scandal about the state’s handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced reform legislation that would require full disclosure of facility ownership and place caps on both profits and executive pay. “Facilities have put profits over care for far too long and as we look forward, we […]