“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” —Marcel Proust
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Report argues CMS must monitor progress of Quality Indicator Survey
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should develop performance goals and measures to monitor the ongoing progress of the Quality Indicator Survey (QIS), a new report recommends.
The Government Accountability Office report, commissioned by Sens. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), says the QIS was intended to improve the nursing home survey process, but CMS is not routinely monitoring the extent to which objectives are being met.
ALFA partners with global insurance broker Willis
The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) announced Monday it has entered a partnership with global insurance broker Willis North America to serve as the exclusive risk management and human capital consulting partner for the association.
Under the agreement, Willis’ Senior Living Practice Group will work with ALFA members to reduce costs, improve their operating risk profiles and better meet their employee benefit and insurance objectives.
When residents move out, who fills their place?
Last Monday, three residents who have been here longer than me were scheduled to move to another nursing home owned by the same company. All three are Medicaid residents. They are also ambulatory and feed themselves, but require some assistance with hygiene and need to be watched because of their behaviors.
National Quality Forum President Corrigan to step down
Janet Corrigan, president and CEO of the National Quality Forum (NQF), has submitted her resignation to become effective in June 2012, the Forum’s board announced Thursday.
Corrigan has served as NQF president and CEO for more than six years.
When resident aggression turns physical
It’s the violence in nursing homes story that receives far less press: Residents striking out at staff members or other residents.
A recent series of unfortunate headlines, throughout both the United States and abroad, has shown the painful, and even deadly, results of resident aggression manifested into physical form.
Study: Obesity may prolong life in oldest old
Despite being one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide, obesity may actually decrease mortality in a specific age group: seniors 85 and up.
According to researchers at Tel Aviv University, excess fat seems to have a "protective" effect on the oldest old, reducing the risk of death when compared to those who are considered a normal body weight. The research was recently published in the Journal of Aging Research.
Arrests made in ‘largest ever’ home health fraud scheme
A Dallas-based physician and five owners of home health agencies were arrested Tuesday on charges for their alleged participation in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by nearly $375 million.
The arrests and charges were announced by several government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Justice Department and the FBI.
Hearing loss linked to 3-fold increased risk of falling
Hearing loss has been linked with a variety of medical, social and cognitive ills. According to a new study by a Johns Hopkins researcher, serious physical health problems may also be added to that list—specifically, hearing loss can be a risk factor of falls.
What to expect from an OSHA visit
It’s looking like a good Monday. No call-offs. No complaints. No weekend catastrophes. Coffee is made when you get in to office. The world is a great place.
Then he walks in.
“Good afternoon, Mr./Mrs. Administrator. I am a Compliance Officer with the United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. We are here to conduct a review of your employee health and safety program.”
Did federal surveyors influence medication changes?
Federal surveyors were here in December, the first time I had seen them survey. A few weeks after the survey, I discovered that many of my medications were discontinued—some right before my hospitalization at the end of the year.
Study: Antipsychotics increase mortality in nursing home residents with dementia
Nursing home residents over the age of 65 who take certain antipsychotic medication for dementia are at an increased risk of death, according to a research paper published at bmj.com.
The Harvard Medical School study, which researchers said was the largest ever undertaken among U.S. nursing home residents, looked at 75,445 older nursing home residents from 45 states between 2001 and 2005. All nursing home residents studied were 65 and older.
