According to the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), nursing facilities were not prepared for the pandemic and could not “stem the devastation once it was evident that nursing homes were especially vulnerable.” In “More than a Thousand Nursing … [Read more...] about HHS Office of Inspector General: Nursing Home COVID-19 Underscores Need for Better Staffing and Improved Surveys
Skilled Nursing Facility
CMS Improves Public Reporting of Nursing Home Information
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s implementation of its comprehensive nursing home reform agenda, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced new surveyor guidance, making two significant changes to its quality rating … [Read more...] about CMS Improves Public Reporting of Nursing Home Information
Conviction of Florida Nursing Home Operator Affirmed
In July 2016, the federal government indicted Philip Esformes, owner and operator of the Esformes Network, including nursing facilities in Florida. He and two others have been criminally charged in a one-billion-dollar Medicare fraud and money … [Read more...] about Conviction of Florida Nursing Home Operator Affirmed
Elder Justice “No Harm” Newsletter | Volume 4, Issue 6 Now Available
In the Elder Justice Newsletter, we highlight citations, including deficiencies related to abuse, neglect, and substandard care, that have been identified as not causing any resident harm. The goal of this brief newsletter is to shed light on … [Read more...] about Elder Justice “No Harm” Newsletter | Volume 4, Issue 6 Now Available
Vaccinated Staff Equals Fewer Nursing Home Deaths – Require Boosters
A new study documents that vaccinations of nursing home staff resulted in fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths among residents and fewer COVID-19 cases among staff in the early part of the coronavirus pandemic. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid … [Read more...] about Vaccinated Staff Equals Fewer Nursing Home Deaths – Require Boosters
Require Full Disclosure & Accountability for Nursing Home Reimbursement
Owners and operators of nursing homes and their trade associations argue that they will need more money when mandatory staffing ratios promised by the Biden Administration are implemented. Don’t believe them. In “Are nursing homes really in tough … [Read more...] about Require Full Disclosure & Accountability for Nursing Home Reimbursement
Nursing Homes: Addressing the Worst Operator Behaviors under Existing Law
One of the major challenges today preventing the effective oversight of nursing facilities is the dramatic change in ownership and management practices since the Nursing Home Reform Law was enacted in 1987. Thirty-five years ago, most facilities were … [Read more...] about Nursing Homes: Addressing the Worst Operator Behaviors under Existing Law
HHS Inspector General: Too Many Nursing Home Residents Still Inappropriately Receive Psychotropic Medications
The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports that, from 2011 through 2019, about 80% of long-stay nursing home residents were prescribed a psychotropic drug (defined as “any drug that affects brain activities associated with mental processes and … [Read more...] about HHS Inspector General: Too Many Nursing Home Residents Still Inappropriately Receive Psychotropic Medications
Nursing Home Reform: Where Are We Now? Where Do We Need to Go?
Last month, the White House announced additional steps to implement President Biden’s comprehensive nursing home reform agenda, which he originally announced in February. The White House described why nursing home reform is so needed … [Read more...] about Nursing Home Reform: Where Are We Now? Where Do We Need to Go?
Report | Trained Workers in Nursing Homes, a Requirement Since 1990, Threatened
When the Nursing Home Reform Law was enacted in 1987, half of the states did not require that nurse aides receive any training in how to do their jobs. One of the major changes mandated by the Reform Law was the requirement that every nurse aide be … [Read more...] about Report | Trained Workers in Nursing Homes, a Requirement Since 1990, Threatened