On February 28, 2022, the White House announced new reform measures to better the quality of care and the safety of skilled nursing facility residents, as well as to “crack down on bad actors” operating nursing homes. In his State of the Union address, President Biden called on the Centers…
The consequences of lack of communication between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are not new knowledge. According to a 2013 study, in the U.S. alone, more than 5 million patients transition from hospital to SNFs yearly. These transitions heavily rely on the thorough communication of healthcare professionals and paraprofessionals…
A billionaire owner of one of America’s biggest nursing home chains has just been convicted of intentionally overbilling federal healthcare programs. According to a recent article from Forbes, the Life Care Centers of America owner, Forrest Preston, has agreed to pay $145 million to settle the government lawsuit. This settlement,…
Older adults are the fastest growing segment of our population and one the most vulnerable group of people in the world. Older adults are most likely to suffer from chronic health problems. More than half are patients with a dementing illness, and half of those people are at high risk…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its final rule for 2016 Medicare skilled nursing facility payment rates on August 4, 2015. The rule: Revises the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system’s payment rates for the 2016 fiscal year. CMS proposes that the total sum of payments…
It has been found that states like Maryland have some of the worse for-profit nursing home chains in the nation, ranking lowest in family-reported quality of care ratings. A recent study explored the relationship between nursing home chain size and profit level, using consumer reports and survey data completed from…
According to a recent McKnight’s article, Genesis Healthcare LLC has been found guilty of False Claims Act allegations for a skilled nursing facility in Arlington, VA and is subject to pay $600,000. A statement from the Department of Justice, Eastern District of Virginia reported that Potomac Center staff neglected to…
Obesity is becoming an increasing problem for the older adult population, and that includes residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. These care facilities are having more and more difficulty caring for this new group of severely obese patients. According to a recent article published in The New York…
Older adults in nursing homes and assisted living facilities are now vulnerable to a new kind of abuse—abusive photos on social media. ProPublica recently reported 35 cases since 2012 in which staff members of these care facilities secretively posted pictures or videos of residents, some of whom were without clothing.…
According to a recent article from Medical News Today, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors authorized the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for treatment and rehabilitation of older adult patients with hip fractures, as well as postoperative direction to facilitate in preventing the recurrence of fractures. Hip…