Legal experts say by mid-August SNFs will have to address some major changes to how they dispose of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals after the EPA issued its final rule. Long term and post-acute care advocates offered their support for a bill that would modify the CNA training lockout provision of a decades-old budget law. California has released a $3 billion plan aimed at closing workforce gaps by 2030, declaring that the state faces a growing and dramatic dearth of workers across the care continuum. CMS has released a proposed rule to support its initiative to improve patient access and promote electronic data exchange and care coordination. A new report singles out Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada as especially ripe for seniors housing growth, including the assisted living and independent living categories.
A new report shows 75 percent of nurse directors report staff shortages as their No. 1 challenge, while 63 percent said not having adequate staff to properly care for residents is a top challenge. CMS outlines how it is addressing racial and socioeconomic disparities and working to alleviate poverty in the seniors population. Losing the ability to perform ADLs often leads to admission into a skilled nursing or other long term or post-acute care setting, research authors said. A new study suggests that it may be more difficult to detect Alzheimer’s disease in Hispanic patients. An upcoming eCap Summit, designed to facilitate relationships between providers and potential business partners, is being held in Miami Feb. 10-12. SNFs unlikely to qualify for a 20 percent tax reduction that was part of the 2017 federal tax cut package after a recent IRS rule offered details for implementing the deduction. The “CoreQ” surveys are the only recognized set of assisted living customer satisfaction measures in the nation. The occupancy rate for seniors housing across the country was mostly unchanged in the fourth quarter of 2018, with average occupancy of 88.0 percent. AHCA/NCAL’s Mark Parkinson describes how the split government and new members of Congress will offer new opportunities and challenges. Third quarter data show CCRC occupancy rates clearly higher than those in other care settings. A new study finds that treatment of age-related hearing loss could ward off depression later in life. A recent article in the American Psychological Association journal says that currently, only 1.2 percent of psychologists specialize in geropsychology. New quarterly CMS data released Dec. 20 showed the continuation of a years-long trend of reduced use of antispsychotics in skilled nursing centers. The Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees are conducting a joint hearing on Dec. 19 to review implementation of the VA Mission Act. The proposal would provide resources to state and local public health officials to increase early detection and diagnosis, reduce risk, and prevent avoidable hospitalizations, among other measures. Analysts at NIC described the new data as “notable” given the trend in recent years for decreased occupancy in the third quarter and the more general pressure on SNFs from shorter lengths of stay. Federal reporters said site-neutral payment should be implemented to generate cost savings and efficiencies in the Medicare program, a topic that has gained in prominence among PAC providers.
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