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NEWS:
Survey: Only One Quarter Of Nursing Homes Confident They Will Make It Through to Next Year
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes, assisted living communities, and other long term care facilities across the country, announced the release of a recent survey of providers across the U.S. Results from the survey showcase the urgent need to address the economic crisis facing the profession.
Key findings include:
• Only a quarter of nursing homes and assisted living communities are confident they can last a year or more.
• More than half of nursing homes and nearly half of assisted living communities say their organization is operating at a loss.
• Nearly half of nursing homes and assisted living communities have had to make cuts in 2021 due to increased expenses or lost revenue.
• The top three costs facilities have incurred due to COVID-19, regardless of whether they have had c
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Missouri Nursing Homes Saved $32 Million By Reducing Avoidable Hospitalizations
Detecting illness early among nursing home residents not only improves patient health outcomes, but also reduces avoidable hospitalizations and saves the facilities money, according to a new study at the University of Missouri.
Marilyn Rantz, a Curator’s professor emerita at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing, analyzed six years of financial data for 11 Missouri nursing homes that are part of the Missouri Quality Improvement Initiative, a program that implemented advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) full time into nursing homes throughout the greater St. Louis area. By reducing avoidable hospitalizations, the nursing homes recaptured more than $32 million in revenue, which helped them retain their staff and allow the residents to remain in the nursing homes while receiving treatment.
“Early illness recognition is key to identifying clinical problems before they become much worse,
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First Long COVID Guidance Statement on Fatigue Released By American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
The Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) released the first in a series of peer-reviewed guidance statements to help physicians make clinical decisions concerning treatment of Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC or Long COVID). It is the first clinical guidance to be issued since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released their interim guidance for healthcare providers on June 14, 2021.
"The guidance statements are generally acceptable approaches to the assessment and treatment of PASC," according to Benjamin Abramoff, MD, MS, FAAPMR, Co-Chair of AAPM&R's PASC Collaborative. "The recommendations attempt to define practices that meet the needs of most patients in most circumstances. The ultimate judgment regarding care of a particular patient must be made by the clinician and patient in light of all the circumstances presented by that patien
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American Nurses Association Supports Mandated COVID-19 Vaccinations forNurses and All Health Care Professionals
The American Nurses Association (ANA), representing the interests of the nation’s 4.2 million registered nurses, supports health care employers mandating nurses and all health care personnel to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in alignment with current recommendations for immunization by public health officials.
Increasing circulation of new variants, lagging COVID-19 vaccination rates, and continued public skepticism calls for nurses to uphold their professional and ethical obligations to model the same prevention measures as their patients. For our nation to maintain the momentum of recovery efforts from this persistent pandemic, enough individuals and communities must get vaccinated to reduce the risk of further infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.
“The scientific rigor to swiftly develop effective COVID-19 vaccines and the monumental efforts to ensure all Americans get vaccin
