The U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Nursing Homes ratings released Tuesday reveals that only fewer than 5% of nursing homes across the country will meet both the current federal staffing requirements and the newly proposed standards by the Biden administration. The report comes on the heels of the end of the comment period […]
Category: Staffing
Nursing homes could receive a hardship exemption for the minimum staffing proposal – but the devil is in the details here – and looks like qualifying for it is going to be tough. Facilities will need to meet four criteria for an exemption, but it’s unclear how operators will prove some aspects of the criteria […]
As advocacy efforts to oppose the federal government’s proposed staffing mandate continue, the National Association for Licensed Practical Nurses (NALPN) is lending its voice towards the withdrawal of the mandate by sharing a joint letter it sent to the federal agency. The role of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) has been chopped off from the proposal, […]
With the country well into flu season, the majority of nursing home workers remain unvaccinated for the flu as well as Covid-19. Fewer than one in every four health care workers received up-to-date Covid vaccines, and less than half have gotten the latest flu shot, according to 2023 data collected by the Centers for Disease […]
Earlier this year, the Boundary Waters Care Center was in danger of closing. Through a concerted push for funds, the center raised $60,000 in community donations and is still operating — but Executive Director Adam Masloski is fighting every day to overcome operational and financial challenges, and he is deeply concerned about the potential devastating […]
Cost of capital, occupancy recovery across all assets and the minimum staffing proposal were top of mind for National Health Investors Inc. (NYSE: NHI) during its third quarter earnings call on Wednesday. NHI CEO Eric Mendelsohn said there was a bit of a fakeout in terms of occupancy recovery last December, with operators saying there […]
More than two months after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its minimum staffing proposal for the skilled nursing industry, commentary from stakeholders came to a close Monday with a staggering 40,000-plus comments received. Reviewing the hefty load of comments on the proposal may take as long as a year, according to […]
As nursing home operators continue to decry staffing shortages as a contributor to access issues for residents, new construction of facilities to meet demand appear to be lagging as well. New construction has become especially difficult for operators trying to add Medicaid beds for low income residents, given notoriously low reimbursement rates – which are […]
More lawmakers are calling upon the Biden administration to kill the proposed minimum staffing rule in a letter sent Tuesday to federal agencies. Members of Congress expressed concern over lack of workers and what they noted was an “unfunded mandate” with a high price tag of $40.6 billion, arguing that if implemented, it could force […]
As the comment period for the federal government’s staffing proposal winds down, advocates for both nursing homes and residents alike are looking at ways to reach a middle ground. Among these advocates for measured change are members of the Moving Forward Coalition – an organization formed in April 2022 following the National Academies of Sciences, […]
As Principle LTC maintains a focus on staff retention and recruitment, the company is developing new programs to ensure staff have meaningful relationships to their roles. Lynn Hood, CEO of Principle LTC, which manages 45 facilities across North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia, said that over her lengthy career in health care, she has learned that […]
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 […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should not implement the proposed nursing home staffing mandate for numerous reasons, including that “numerical staffing staffing thresholds are not consistent with the modern clinical practice.” That’s according to the American Hospital Association (AHA), which commented on the proposed mandate on behalf of its nearly 5,000 member […]
Leaders with LTC Properties (NYSE: LTC) see opportunity in a fluctuating bank lending environment, with maturities coming due for operators at a brisk pace and interest rate increases causing a fair amount of anxiety among operators and some lenders. This environment favors real estate investment trusts (REITs) like LTC, which maintain a conservative investment strategy […]
With nursing home operators having a couple months to process the minimum staffing proposal, many are taking a hard look at what would need to change to meet the proposal in its current form, and what revisions would make the most sense. Leaders with Trilogy Health Services, Avamere Living and Ignite Medical Resorts caution that […]
Nursing home industry stakeholders should try to shape the proposed federal minimum staffing policy to best fit with what providers can handle rather than railing against the rule completely. At least that’s what leaders of the Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) plan to do, CEO Barry Port said during the company’s third quarter earnings call on […]
The proposed federal staffing mandate is a potential “kill factor” for nursing home providers, while the rise of Medicare Advantage (MA) is a “major challenge” — and how well the sector responds to these threats will play a major part in shaping the future. This is the perspective of Phil Fogg Jr., CEO of Marquis […]
Past White House administrations – including those headed by Democratic presidents – have not tried to enact a federal nursing home staffing mandate, former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan observed on Tuesday. “Even the Obama administration didn’t do that,” Ryan commented, during a discussion with Direct Supply Founder and CEO Bob Hillis at the […]
More guidance is available on how to conduct mood interview changes, with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) manual to reflect key changes in the new Minimum Data Set (MDS). Notably, if a resident refuses or is unwilling to participate in the interview, assessors need to go […]
Since Diversicare named Steve Nee as CEO in February 2023, the provider has eliminated agency staff across its portfolio of 44 nursing homes and now is reentering growth mode, with a focus on adding new service lines, particularly in behavioral health. Nee took the helm at the Brentwood, Tennessee-based company at a time of difficult […]
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