Top Stories

Head, shoulders, knees, toes: A focus on mobility

Sandra Hoban, Executive Editor
What happens when rehab therapy is complete? Mobility improvements can continue when residents are engaged, encouraged and having fun. It also helps to employ these three levels of fitness.

The impact of ‘never events’ on post-acute care

Paula G. Sanders, Esq.
The current Medicare payment policy for hospital “never events” has created risks for unassuming post-acute providers. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and CCRCs need to prepare for the coming impact.

PHI’s Dawson to step down; Sturgeon to take helm

Dawson, PHI’s founding president, will continue to serve on the PHI staff in a newly created position of “strategic advisor.”

Hot Topics

January 2012 CE Pre-Test

The essential components of preparedness and compliance

5 reasons why you should run a senior care internship program

Person-centered care at the end of life

LTC mergers, acquisitions spike 39 percent in 2011

How to send positive messages to residents and families

February 3, 2012     Jill Basom
article
For this to happen, your customer service efforts need to be proactive rather than reactive. Anticipate your customer's needs and take steps to solve any problems before they arise.

Alzheimer's may spread by 'jumping' through brain regions, study finds

February 3, 2012    
news
The question has been whether Alzheimer’s starts at independent regions of the brain at different times, or if it spread to neuroanatomically connected areas.

Gerontological Society targets seniors' pain relief in new publications

February 2, 2012    
news
Acetaminophen is present in more than 600 over-the-counter and prescription products used by more than 50 million Americans each week, GSA noted.

House repeals CLASS Act

February 2, 2012    
news
The bill that the CLASS repeal was a part of now moves on to the Senate, where Democrats aren’t expected to bring it up.

Assisted living marketing directors see salary increase

February 1, 2012    
news
An analysis of those reporting bonuses for director of marketing showed an average annual salary of $46,872, with an average bonus of $9,354, or 19.96 percent of salary.

Featured Links

A New Look for the Long-Term Living Website

Environments for Aging Conference: April 29th – May 1st

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Senses respond to aromatherapy

February 1, 2012     Roel C. Ventura
article
Aromatherapy and its sensory effects on human emotion, productivity when used in the indoor environments of healthcare facilities. There are many reasons to consider the incorporation of scenting into any environment.

CBO: 10-year repeal of sustainable growth rate would cost $316 billion

January 31, 2012    
news
The CBO said outlays for Medicare would be $9 billion higher in 2012 alone if Congress overrides a scheduled 27 percent reduction under the SGR, which would take effect March 1.

CMS rule would increase Medicaid drug pricing transparency, save $17.7 billion

January 31, 2012    
news
The CMS rule, which implements prescription drug provisions of the Affordable Care Act, would increase transparency in drug pricing to ensure states are not overpaying for prescription drugs.

Kitchen safety in long-term care

January 31, 2012     Stan Szpytek
article
From a safety and risk perspective, the kitchen provides us with an immediate opportunity to develop a workforce that is “cultured” to prevent potential hazards and losses. Deviation from procedures is usually when an incident occurs.

Hospitality and leadership in the dining room

January 31, 2012     Cindy Heilman
article
Frontline servers are emerging leaders within senior care communities. Forward-thinking administrators recognize the value of arming their staffs with targeted hospitality training.
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Blogs

Does your building have an unsafe 'open door' policy?

February 2, 2012     Sandra Hoban, Executive Editor
It’s a bit staggering to think about how many residents, employees and families have had access to duplicate keys over the years to your facilities. Have you ever wondered where keys end up when someone claims they are lost?

Are we meeting the needs of LGBT seniors?

February 1, 2012     Susan Misiorski
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LGBT seniors should not have to return to the closet to get the services they need—that is a hardship no one should endure. Like all elders, LGBT people want to be treated with dignity.

Pork gets political for nursing homes

January 31, 2012     Patricia Sheehan, Editor-in-Chief
"Don’t mess with residents’ dietary requirements" is the rallying cry of Jewish nursing home advocates after a past veto by Mitt Romney for funding kosher meals garners renewed attention.

In face of fiscal meltdown, Illinois funds nursing home safety

January 30, 2012     Kevin Kolus, Editor
Gov. Quinn has boosted nursing home funding by millions of dollars to help carry out safety reforms passed in 2010. This is because the state won’t have to touch its own coffers to distribute the cash.
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