Readers Slam Hospital Monopolies and Blame the Feds for Understaffed Nursing Homes
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Nursing Homes
41 - 60 of 218 Results
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Facing Financial Ruin as Costs Soar for Elder Care
The United States has no coherent system of long-term care, leading many to struggle to stay independent or rely on a patchwork of solutions.
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Feds Rein In Use of Predictive Software That Limits Care for Medicare Advantage Patients
Software sifts through millions of medical records to match patients with similar diagnoses and characteristics and then predicts what kind of care an individual will need and for how long. New federal rules will ensure human experts are part of the process.
By Susan Jaffe -
As Covid Infections Rise, Nursing Homes Are Still Waiting for Vaccines
“People want covid-19 to be in the rearview mirror,” one nursing home official says. Faced with a slow rollout of the updated covid vaccines, and without state mandates for workers to get vaccinated, most skilled nursing facilities are relying on persuasion to boost vaccination rates among staff and residents.
By Jordan Rau and Tony Leys -
Rural Nursing Home Supporters Fear Proposed Staffing Standards Will Trigger More Closures
The Biden administration says a recently proposed minimum staffing standard would help ensure quality care, but nursing home leaders predict many rural facilities would struggle to meet it.
By Tony Leys Welcome Back, Congress. Now Get to Work.
Episode 313Congress returns from its summer recess with a long list of tasks and only a few work days to get them done. On top of the annual spending bills needed to keep the government operating, on the list are bills to renew the global HIV/AIDS program, PEPFAR, and the community health centers program. Meanwhile, over the recess, the Biden administration released the names of the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare price negotiation program.
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Biden Administration Proposes New Standards to Boost Nursing Home Staffing
The proposal would require major hiring at the most sparsely staffed homes. But the proposal is already badly received by the nursing home industry, which claims it can’t boost wages enough to attract workers.
By Jordan Rau -
Exclusive: CMS Study Sabotages Efforts to Bolster Nursing Home Staffing, Advocates Say
Research commissioned by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services analyzed only staffing levels below what experts have previously called ideal. Patient advocates have been pushing for more staff to improve care.
By Jordan Rau -
End of Covid Emergency Will Usher in Changes Across the US Health System
The May 11 expiration of the federal government’s pandemic emergency declaration will affect patient care across a broad range of settings, including telemedicine, hospitals, and nursing homes.
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Mental Health Care by Video Fills Gaps in Rural Nursing Homes
In-person mental health care is hard to arrange in rural nursing homes, so video chats with faraway professionals are filling the gap.
By Tony Leys -
Readers and Tweeters Urgently Plea for a Proper ‘Role’ Call in the ER
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
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California Dangles Bonuses for Nursing Homes That Add Staff
Rather than simply reward top-performing facilities, the state’s Medicaid program will hand bonuses to nursing homes — even low-rated ones — for hiring more workers and reducing staff turnover.
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Montana Seeks to Insulate Nursing Homes From Future Financial Crises
Lawmakers are considering creating standards to set Medicaid reimbursement rates. But industry observers wonder whether the move would be too little, too late to bolster a beleaguered industry.
By Keely Larson -
As Long-Term Care Staffing Crisis Worsens, Immigrants Can Bridge the Gaps
The industry has long relied on immigrants to bolster its ranks, and they’ll be critical to meeting future staffing needs, experts say. But as the baby boom generation fills beds, policymakers are slow to open new pathways for foreign workers.
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Nursing Home Owners Drained Cash During Pandemic While Residents Deteriorated
As the federal government debates whether to require higher staffing levels at nursing homes, financial records show owners routinely push profits to sister companies while residents are neglected. “A dog would get better care than he did,” one resident’s wife said.
By Jordan Rau -
Wave of Rural Nursing Home Closures Grows Amid Staffing Crunch
Many small-town care facilities that remain open are limiting admissions, citing a lack of staff, while a wave of others shutter. That means more patients are marooned in hospitals or placed far away from their families.
By Tony Leys -
A Family Death During the Holidays Prompts Questions and Reflection
The death of a sharp but frail patriarch just days before Thanksgiving casts a shadow on a family’s holiday season.
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Assisted Living Facilities Pressed to Address Growing Needs of Older, Sicker Residents
Assisted living was meant to be a home-like setting where older adults could interact with other residents while receiving help with daily tasks such as bathing and dressing. But as the concept has become more popular, residents are now older and sicker than in the past, and a panel of experts is calling for more focus on their medical and mental health needs.
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Rural Colorado Tries to Fill Health Worker Gaps With Apprenticeships
A Grand Junction program is training and retaining nurse and personal care aides in areas where the aging population is creating a need for them. But challenges remain for these workers.
By Kate Ruder