In our blog on Oct. 28, we reported that in September of 2010 the Pennsylvania Department of Health was notified of a life-threatening group A streptococcus (GAS) breakout that had occurred in a Pennsylvania skilled nursing facility. The report did not name the facility, but it did describe it as…
U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced legislation last month addressing the consequences of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s scrutiny of pain medication prescribing practices in nursing homes across the county. According to the website aging.sen.gov, the increased probe has left some patients in…
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention are recommending the long-term care facilities beef up infection prevention measures to guard against group A streptococcus (GAS). According to the CDC’s website, GAS is a bacterium often found in the throat and on the skin. Some people may carry…
According to the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, state nursing homes will see a $200 million cut in annual Medicare payments under a new rule announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The new rule means an 11 percent cut in basic Medicare rates beginning Oct. 1 according to…
Earlier this year, we wrote about an incident of alleged abuse by three workers against an elderly dementia patient at The Quadrangle in Haverford Township. Last week the woman’s daughter announced in a press conference that she was filing a civil complaint against the home, its parent companies, Sunrise Senior…
Beatitudes, a nursing facility in Phoenix, AZ, has one goal in mind for its residents: let them do whatever they want. It’s an unusual approach for a nursing home, but it’s one that’s garnering positive results. An article on WPTV.com discussed how residents and their families have reported a better…
As Hurricane Irene barrels up the east coast this weekend, we urge our clients and neighbors to stay safe and be prepared. Our local paper, The Republican Herald, reports that Gov. Tom Corbett has declared a state of emergency in PA, in anticipation of the wind, rain, and flooding that…
Last week, Northampton County made another step in the transition of its county nursing home from county to private hands when council decided unanimously to hire Premier Healthcare Resources to manage Gracedale. According to an article in The Morning Call of Allentown, council members still have concerns about Premier’s goals…
In one way or another, everyone is feeling the pinch of the economic crisis. And beginning in October, nursing homes will be no exception, as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will cut reimbursement rates to nursing homes by 11.1%. According to an article on The Wall Street…
Residents of Falling Spring Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Franklin County, PA aren’t bothered by the fact that one of their doctors is 400 miles away. Video conferencing brings their doctor to them. According to an article on PublicOpinionOline.com, the county has contracted with a telemedicine provider to receive psychiatric…