The federal government implemented sweeping waivers to broaden access to telemedicine for Medicare beneficiaries at the start of the COVID-19 national emergency. And now that skilled nursing facilities have gotten a chance to see the benefits over several months, it will be difficult to take them back when the pandemic ends. “Telemedicine in the 1135 […]
Free dinners and the designation of “hero” may help brighten the moment for caregivers on the frontlines in skilled nursing facilities. But one worker at a nursing home in Connecticut was adamant that when it comes to fighting COVID-19 in the SNF setting, these are not a substitute for necessary resources such as testing and […]
Four senators, all Democrats, called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to answer questions about reports of faulty personal protective equipment being sent to nursing homes in a Tuesday letter sent to administrator Peter Gaynor. CNN first reported on the letter, which expressed “concern about the availability and adequacy of PPE for nursing homes […]
With the U.S. taking steps toward reopening — at varying paces in varying states –— skilled nursing leaders from the East Coast COVID-19 hotspots of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut had several pieces of advice for their counterparts elsewhere, which all ultimately boiled down to one warning. Be prepared. That includes taking steps to […]
In the lead-up to the implementation of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) on October 1, 2019, consultants, therapists, and the federal government warned operators over and over that therapy minutes would come under intense scrutiny in the months following the start of the new Medicare reimbursement system. The model allowed for patients to receive up […]
The U.S. has begun to take tentative steps towards reopening, with states moving at their own pace out of the COVID-19-induced lockdowns — raising concerns about the risks of a possible second surge of cases. But LeadingAge, which represents non-profit senior housing and care providers, warned starkly on Wednesday that senior living and skilled nursing […]
Test. Test. Test. That has been the mantra since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the flashpoint of criticism over the early efforts of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the call from multiple skilled nursing operators and experts. To contain the pandemic and stem its impact on nursing homes across the […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the nursing home sector and exposed endemic flaws in the long-term care system in the U.S., several witnesses testified before members of the House of Representatives’ Oversight Committee in a video briefing held Thursday. The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis heard testimony from a range of witnesses on the […]
As families across the country wait for guidance on how they can safely visit their loved ones living in skilled nursing facilities, one governor has proposed a novel idea: a two-day pass for nursing home visitation. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis last week unveiled the concept of a 48-hour pass for nursing home visitation if a […]
The presence of COVID-19 in nursing homes has been splashed across news reports across the country, but at least according to federal data, the majority of skilled nursing facilities have been able to keep the virus outside. One facility in Connecticut, Vernon Manor, had all 93 of its residents test negative for COVID-19 on May […]
As increasing numbers of states recommend so-called “universal testing” for nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the wake of the impact of COVID-19, skilled nursing facilities need to ensure they follow the applicable guidelines — a significant challenge given how varied that guidance could be. And depending where a SNF is located, testing capacity […]
The COVID-19 pandemic struck the Northeast with particular force, with skilled nursing facilities sitting on the front lines. One of the pressures stemming from the pandemic came on the workforce front, as frontline caregivers such as nurses and certified nursing assistants fell ill with COVID-19. And as the spread of the virus accelerated in New […]
The COVID-19 crisis has broken the cracks in the nation’s long-term care infrastructure wide open, and one CEO in the space says it’s time for industry leaders and lawmakers to reimagine the model for the future. “We’re seeing it across the United States, across the world: The model is fundamentally broken,” OnPointe Healthh CEO Eric […]
The federal government announced on Monday that it would be cracking down on infection control violations in nursing homes, with fines increasing for facilities with a history of deficiencies in this area — a move that came alongside the announcement that almost 26,000 skilled nursing residents died from COVID-19 across the country. But two researchers […]
A nursing home in Georgia operated by Winder Nursing was the recipient of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) first citation related to COVID-19. The nursing home delayed reporting the work-related hospitalization of six workers who were infected, according to a May 18 citation first covered by ABC News. The hospitalizations occurred as early […]
New data reveals significant skilled nursing occupancy declines in amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, primarily driven by a drop in admissions to the post-acute setting, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). Skilled nursing occupancy dropped 132 basis points from February to 83.4% in March, pushing the national census to […]
One of the primary factors in the spread of COVID-19 in skilled nursing facilities is the workforce — specifically staff members in a facility who are infected with the virus while not showing any symptoms of illness. Regardless of whether or not those infected do begin to show symptoms, they can still pass on the […]
A senator from one of the states hit hard by COVID-19 is calling for increased funding to help long-term care facilities and nursing homes better cohort patients with the virus, while also managing the costs of testing and personal protective equipment (PPE). “We know that works, when you separate in a long-term care facility — […]
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Sunday released its “COVID-19 Strategic Testing Plan” to Congress, and argued that a targeted testing strategy “based on diagnosis, contact tracing, and smart surveillance” is the best solution to allow the country to emerge from pandemic-inducted lockdowns. The report, which was released as part of requirements […]
Amid the national emergency caused by COVID-19, infection control in skilled nursing facilities has come under intense scrutiny, with past violations examined under the media microscope — and surveys from the government focused solely on the issue. That scrutiny is only likely to increase due to the challenge nursing homes face trying to contain COVID-19 […]
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