Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
According to a new guideline released by the Endocrine Society, treating diabetes in older adults should consist of simplified medication regimens and less strict glycemic targets. Essential points listed on the society’s webpage include differences between younger individuals with diabetes versus older individuals with the disease, such as problems older individuals face such as sarcopenia, […]
The Assisted Living Salary & Benefits Report 2018-2019 has been released. The lengthy report delves into salary by region, type of facility, and position at facility, among many other metrics. Interestingly, one finding is that overall, those who hold the position of assisted living administrator saw a slight dip in salary, of 0.07%, with an […]
Source: Home Health Line Fines for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations have been adjusted for inflation. A pre-publication version of the U.S. Department of Labor’s final rule increasing the civil monetary penalties was posted Jan. 15. Fines that fall in the categories of serious and other-than-serious and posting requirements will go up from […]
This year, CMS announced strategies to help Medicare Part D sponsors prevent and combat opioid overuse, including the Improving Drug Utilization Review Controls in Part D website contains information about the Medicare Part D opioid overutilization policies including: Drug Management Programs, codified in the 2019 Parts C & D Final Rule. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-04-16/pdf/2018-07179.pdf. As required by […]
According to a December 2018 JAMA study, comprehensive dementia care may reduce the number of admissions to long-term care facilities, and depending on program costs, may be cost neutral or cost saving. The study states that an estimated 4 to 5 million Americans have Alzheimer disease or another dementia, and sought to determine if comprehensive […]
Source: HealthLeaders A month after Chicago’s Mercy Hospital & Medical Center held an active shooter drill, a gunman killed an emergency department physician, pharmacy technician, and police officer on the hospital’s campus. Just over a year ago, a man walked into New Hampshire’s Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and shot his mother, who was a patient in […]
Kahala Nui, an O’ahu-based retirement community, issued a memo to residents in May of this year after the recently passed Our Care, Our Choice Act, stating that residents were not permitted any use or activity that doens’t align with the Roman Catholic Bishop of Honolulu. The Our Care, Our Choice Act allows terminally ill patients […]
Source: Bottom Line The CMS is drafting a proposed rule that would give states greater flexibility in paying (or not paying) for non-emergent medical transportation (NEMT) for Medicaid beneficiaries. This proposed rule aligns with CMS’ repeated intentions to create “a new era for the federal and state Medicaid partnership where states have more freedom to […]
In editorials in this week’s issue of JAMA, authors discussed the need for more research in developing better screening tools for discovering instances of elder abuse. The authors were responding to a statement issued Tuesday by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) that it “found no evidence about whether screening can successfully identify elderly […]
Last year, Hurricane Irma knocked out power to a nursing home in Hollywood, Florida. Without a functioning generator, 14 residents died. According to CBS News, Gov. Rick Scott is warning facilities to prepare in order to avoid a similar tragedy: “If you’re responsible for a patient, you’re responsible for the patient. Take care of them,” […]