As the staffing crisis continues to challenge nursing home leaders across the sector, the hundreds of thousands of workers lost over the course of the pandemic may leave a bigger hole in the industry beyond the ability to fill shifts and accept new patients. Specifically, some executives worry about a dwindling number of future female […]
Health Dimensions Group
Persistent staffing shortages have put some MDS coordinators at a difficult crossroads. More and more are being called to fill in on the nursing home floor and assist in patient care. On one hand MDS coordinators are registered nurses and often have years of experience in direct care, but for some it’s not how they […]
Despite the arduous operating challenges facing skilled nursing providers in 2022 — workforce shortages, inflation, occupancy and looming federal regulations just to name a few — the future of the sector may not be as dark and stormy as one might anticipate. The obstacles nursing home operators have already and will continue to face over […]
The nursing home industry has long been governed under a carrot and stick system, but some worry the Biden administration may be too focused on the latter in its recently unveiled reform proposals. While the reform’s staffing standards have been called “out of touch” and its emphasis on policing private equity is seen by some […]
Though some nursing home owners had hoped to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind them by the end of 2021, coronavirus variants and the exacerbated staffing shortages have made that impossible for most heading into 2022. If this year has taught the sector anything, it’s that some threats to long-term care won’t be as temporary as […]
With the lowest vaccination rate among nursing home staff in the country, currently at 56.71%, Missouri’s health department is looking to provide operators some flexibility should they see a mass staff exodus ahead of President Biden’s vaccine mandate. The emergency rule, published on Friday, is meant as a precaution that will allow skilled nursing and […]
Since the Biden administration announced a vaccine mandate would be coming into effect, nursing home staff vaccination rates have increased from 62 to 72%. While a 10% bump is encouraging, it remains to be seen if a hard deadline of Jan. 4 will be enough to bridge the gap in vaccine rate variability currently seen […]
As skilled nursing operators across the country try to find the best path forward for their facilities post-COVID, one option being considered by many, including the leadership team at Minnesota-based Health Dimensions Group, is a reduction in licensed beds. “A lot of providers right now are either being forced to resize or choosing to resize,” […]
After receiving a thumbs up from both the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month, the work now begins for long-term care pharmacies to administer COVID-19 booster shots for nursing home residents and staff. Others eligible for a third Pfizer shot include those ages 50 to 64 who […]
Though fears of a massive staff exodus following the Biden’s administration vaccination mandate have likely been tempered with the recent inclusion of all health care providers, recruitment for nursing homes remains a challenge as the need for direct care workers in long-term care settings will nearly double in the next decade. “When I worked in […]
Although nursing home operators have gotten a bit of a respite with the federal vaccine mandate expansion announced on Thursday, some say that doesn’t deter their efforts to educate staff and get as many vaccinated as possible prior to the federal government releasing further guidance in October. The Biden administration mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for […]
The Biden administration’s vaccine mandate has dug a deeper hole for the nursing home industry, which has been trying to rebuild its reputation after a year and a half of negative press tied to the pandemic. Targeting the industry has worn away at already dwindling trust, especially for prospective residents and their families. “All the […]
One of the ways hospital systems across the U.S. tried to manage and maintain capacity during the pandemic was the suspension of so-called elective procedures – surgeries that could be reasonably delayed or did not create imminent danger for patients who put them off. One of the effects of this was to close off a […]
Skilled nursing facilities were given clear vaccine opportunities through the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care program, which provided three on-site clinics at facilities across the country — with the goal of providing the two-dose inoculations to as many residents and staff as possible. Now that the third vaccination clinics are wrapping up in most […]
In late 2019, North Shore Healthcare bought 22 senior housing and care facilities that had been in receivership. Almost a year later, the timing of the deal has meant North Shore still hasn’t received the initial round of CARES Act relief funds from the federal government — during a pandemic that’s thrown aging care providers […]
In the months leading up to the implementation of the Patient-Driven Payment Model, the overhaul of Medicare reimbursement for skilled nursing facilities that was implemented last year, several factors emerged as crucial areas for thriving under the new system. The Medicare rate of each facility is determined by a formula that draws from five care […]
One day after the federal government announced an ambitious plan to send point-of-care testing units for COVID-19 to all of the nation’s more than 15,000 nursing homes, leaders in the space expressed cautious optimism — while often emphasizing that they have more questions than firm answers. Starting next week, the Department of Health and Human […]
The deadline for nursing home industry stakeholders to apply for a spot on the federal government’s special commission on safety and quality passed last weekend, but not everyone who threw their hats into the ring will win a seat — and the problems facing the industry run deeper than any one group could solve in […]
As hospitals try to cope with a surge of COVID-19 patients in need of acute care, skilled nursing facilities have moved to make preparations to take in overflow capacity from the health systems and acute care facilities. In addition, states have begun calling on nursing home companies to create dedicated buildings exclusively for residents with […]
Concerns for the frailest nursing home patients are on the rise after the coronavirus has taken the lives of four nursing home residents in Washington state. But despite confusion and anxiety related to fears of a potential pandemic in the U.S., some long-term care communities are banding together to update health policies and offer support […]