BioSensics Announces a $4.3M Grant Award from NIH to Develop Tools for Continuous, Remote Monitoring of Cognitive Decline Dr. Joseph Gwin, Vice President of Research and Development at BioSensics, announced a $4.3M grant award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during his presentation at DPharm: Disruptive Innovations to Advance Clinical Trials last Tuesday. With this grant award, BioSensics will …
International Infection Prevention Week
During International Infection Prevention Week, October 14 – 20, help break the chain of infection by educating health care professionals, administrators, legislators and consumers about the importance of preventing infections in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and improving outcomes. Click on the following links for more information and resources about promoting infection prevention in long-term care. Infection Prevention and You: Long-Term Care …
AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins Medicine Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality and NORC at The University of Chicago, created the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use to develop and implement a bundle of interventions designed to improve antibiotic stewardship and antibiotic prescribing practices across acute care, long-term care, …
Free AHRQ LTC Staff Training Materials on Condition Changes and Falls
For a limited time, long-term care facilities can order up to 500 copies of three training tools to help staff at all levels of care prevent resident falls and detect and communicate changes in a resident’s condition. Free shipping is available for orders shipped within the U.S. and its territories through September 25. To order, use AHRQ Promo code 44 …
Volunteers Needed for Dementia Care & Psychotropic Tracking Tool
The National Nursing Home Quality Improvement Campaign is looking for users to provide important feedback on our new Dementia Care & Psychotropic Tracking Tool. The pilot will take place in September. For more information on how to get involved, email help@nhqualitycampaign.org. Information about the tool: As we work to eradicate the misuse of psychotropic medications for individuals living with dementia, a …
House Bill Would Allow Groups to Use Telemedicine for Long-Term Care
The Reducing Unnecessary Senior Hospitalizations Act of 2018, or the RUSH Act would allow medical groups to use telemedicine to treat patients in long-term care facilities rather than transporting them to the hospital. At present, Medicare is unable to reimburse skilled nursing facilities for the cost of telehealth providers. The RUSH Act would address this problem by allowing Medicare to make arrangements …
Poorly Performing Nursing Home Face Limited Fines
A study by the Center for Medicare Advocacy finds that facilities that are identified as among the most poorly performing facilities in the country provide extremely poor care and may fail to have sufficient numbers of RNs, but they face limited, if any, fines. Going forward, nursing facilities are likely to have even lower fines. http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/special-focus-facilities-poor-care-for-residents-limited-enforcement-consequences-for-facilities/
Collaboration on Skilled Nursing Transitions Reduces 30-Day Readmissions
Researchers find that patients who received care under a program that includes a collaborative initiative between nurse practitioners (NPs), doctors, and other medical staff were 29% less likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Collaboration on Skilled Nursing Transitions Reduces 30-Day Readmissions A collaborative initiative between nurse practitioners (NPs), doctors, and other medical staff to help patients …
J.D. Power Launches Senior Living Community Certification Program
The senior housing industry now has its first-ever customer satisfaction benchmark, courtesy of a well-known consumer ratings giant. J.D. Power Launches Senior Living Community Certification Program The senior housing industry now has its first-ever customer satisfaction benchmark, courtesy of a well-known consumer ratings giant. J.D. Power will
Advance Directive Mix-Ups at End of Life
“Don’t resuscitate this patient; he has a living will,” the nurse told Dr. Monica Williams-Murphy, handing her a document. Williams-Murphy looked at the sheet bearing the signature of the unconscious 78-year-old man, who’d been rushed from a nursing home to the emergency room. “Do everything possible,” it read, with a check approving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Misunderstandings involving documents meant to guide …