Discontinuing Statins May Increase CVD Risk

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

For years we have discussed discontinuing the use of statins due in part to the side effects our residents experience that can be debilitating. It may be time to take another look at what we are doing with these medications and why. The article published in Managed Health Care Connect references a nationwide, population-based cohort study in France (published online …

Annals of Long-Term Care Releases Findings on Mealtime Best Practices

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Clinicians and researchers have been providing the medical care community with experience and research that helps LTC facilities create detailed nutrition plans for a long a time, yet, malnutrition continues to be highly prevalent in LTC residents. This condition further degenerates the condition of often already enfeebled patients by decreasing quality of life, lowering functional status, reducing the wound healing …

Spirituality and Aging Groups Rising Star for Tackling Depression

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

On Lok, a San Francisco based comprehensive long-term health program for frail adults 55 and older, has been employing Spirituality and Aging Groups since 2013. The primary goal of these groups is to reduce depressive symptoms and increase overall quality of life for older individuals. The groups originated from a partnership between the in-house mental health team and the chaplaincy …

Doctors analyzing x-ray

Misdiagnosis Resulted in 34 Percent of Malpractice Cases Involving Serious Harm

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) released new research that found inaccurate or delayed diagnoses are the most common, most catastrophic and most costly of medical errors. The study was published in the journal Diagnosis. Researchers found that about one in three (34 percent) of malpractice cases resulted in serious harm is due to an inaccurate or delayed …

Nurse Placing armband on patient

30-Day All Cause Hospital Readmission Study

Angie SzumlinskiNews, Studies

Several national initiatives, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Readmissions Program (HHRP) and the Partnership for Patients (PfP), are dedicated to reducing the number of preventable readmissions in US hospitals. HRRP accomplishes this by incentivizing Hospitals to decrease readmission using a system that links funding with readmission metrics. Meanwhile, PfP has constructed an interconnected set of collaborative …

Frailty and falls in the elderly

Frailty and Falls in the Elderly

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Angie SzumlinskiDirector, HealthCap Risk Management Services Resident falls continue to challenge our communities, it is the highest cause of rehospitalizations, negative outcomes, immobility and claims in long-term/post-acute care. There are many products on the market that appear to have some promise in early identification of fall risk including the use of assessment tools to measure the level of frailty. The …

Oral Care

SNF Patients Dependent on Staff for Oral Care Have Lower Oral Hygiene Scores

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program targets pneumonia as a critical disease because it has the highest mortality and morbidity rates of all hospital-acquired infections and a major threat to patients in long term care facilities. Many of the risk factors for pneumonia involve oral hygiene and oral care, including pathogens in the oral cavity and trouble swallowing properly. Aspiration pneumonia, …

National Incidence of Adverse Events Among Medicare Beneficiaries in Long-Term-Care Hospitals

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, News, Studies

The Inspector General performed an in-depth review of adverse events on a subset of people receiving care. A summary of their findings and recommendations is as follows: The Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that 21 percent of Medicare patients in Long-Term-Care Hospitals (LTCH) experienced adverse events, which are particularly serious instances of patient harm resulting from medical care.  The …