In this week’s HealthCap Weekly Wrap, we examine major CMS policy and rating updates, ongoing legal challenges to audit practices that affect Five-Star ratings, and an innovative example of how technology can enhance resident engagement when paired with strong staff involvement. From regulatory changes to practical resident care strategies, these stories highlight issues that senior care professionals should be watching closely.

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In this week’s HealthCap Weekly Wrap, we explore major developments affecting senior care, including the first FDA-approved once-weekly insulin for Type 2 diabetes, a new FDA transparency initiative, important clinical resources, emerging care delivery models, and regulatory and labor issues that could impact communities across the country. Each story offers practical insights for senior care leaders focused on resident care, compliance, risk management, and operational excellence.

FDA Approves First Once-Weekly Insulin for Type 2 Diabetes — The FDA approved Awiqli, the first once-weekly basal insulin for adults with Type 2 diabetes, offering a potentially more convenient treatment option while raising important considerations around monitoring, hypoglycemia risk, and resident selection.

New FDA Tool Enhances Access to Adverse Event Data — The FDA launched a new Adverse Event Monitoring System that consolidates multiple reporting databases into a single platform to improve transparency, surveillance, and access to product safety information.

2026 Tardive Dyskinesia Toolkit — This practical resource helps healthcare professionals improve recognition, assessment, documentation, and management of tardive dyskinesia, a condition that is often underrecognized among individuals receiving antipsychotic medications.

Mather Institute Stumbling Blocks Report — The report examines the psychological, social, and physical barriers that prevent many older adults from engaging in regular physical activity and offers strategies to increase participation.

Turning Dialysis Compliance into Opportunity: Inside CMS’ Shifting View of Nursing Home Services — CMS is exploring ways to expand dialysis access within skilled nursing settings through potential payment incentives and new care models that could improve continuity of treatment after hospitalization.

UPDATED: New Exclusion Authority Expected to Be ‘Force Multiplier’ for CMS Fraud Enforcement — Providers and attorneys are weighing the benefits of stronger fraud enforcement against concerns about due process, transparency, and the growing use of artificial intelligence in identifying suspect organizations.

NLRB Dismisses Interference Case in Rare Win for Skilled Nursing Provider — An administrative law judge dismissed the final remaining allegation in a union interference case, giving a skilled nursing provider a noteworthy legal victory in an increasingly scrutinized labor environment.