Literature Review

New services help post-acute, hospital partnershipsModern HealthcareDecember 27, 2023Nursing homes and home healthcare companies are branching into new lines of business to increase revenue as demand for post-acute care rises and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements stagnate. It is a trend that Ash Shehata, a partner at business consulting firm KPMG, has been tracking for the past two years. Healthcare providers are under increasing pressure from insurers to quicken the move of patients to less-costly settings. 

After the chaotic closure of a St. Louis nursing home, will others also shut down?St. Louis Post-DispatchDecember 24, 2023St. Louis, MO—The north St. Louis nursing home that closed abruptly last weekend, setting off a chaotic relocation of residents and layoffs of workers without warning, had been in decline for several years. ... Other area nursing homes face similar financial pressures and lingering damage from the COVID-19 pandemic. ... “I think we’re going to see a lot of nursing homes close, that’s my prediction—I mean a lot of nursing homes,” [Harvey] Tettlebaum [a lawyer who for decades has represented the Missouri Healthcare Association, a group for long-term health care organizations] said. “I think it’s going to escalate next year.” Among the most vulnerable are providers that primarily serve residents who rely on Medicaid. 

Nursing home complaints up 38% since last yearSouth Dakota Searchlight, 12/21/23Complaints against South Dakota nursing homes are the highest they’ve been in at least eight years. The state Department of Health oversees 97 long-term care facilities, according to its website, It fielded 54 complaints as of Dec. 19—a 38% increase over 2022 and three times higher than 2021 and 2020, when the state received 18 complaints each year. Most complaints in 2023 concern quality of life and care, neglect and abuse, and nursing services. In just over two-thirds of the cases, inspections found no violations. Of the complaints deemed credible, many involved a lack of adequate care and documentation for residents after a fall or change in health condition.

St. Francis Medical Center workers fired 5 days before ChristmasLos Angeles Daily News, 12/22/23Striking workers at St. Francis Medical Center who have openly complained of understaffing and inadequate patient care were fired Wednesday, Dec. 20, just five days before Christmas.

Home-delivered meals may delay nursing home placement, study findsMcKnight’s Long Term Care News, 12/21/23A new study comparing fresh versus frozen meal delivery programs for homebound older adults with dementia found that enrolling people in Meals on Wheels is feasible for helping them delay placement in nursing homes. The study also concluded that ready-to-eat meals beat out frozen meals in postponing nursing home placement. Home-delivered meals promote food security, socialization and independence in older adults who are homebound.

Ratings agency knocks Dartmouth Health over financial performanceConcord (NH) MonitorDecember 21, 2023Lebanon, NH—Fitch ratings downgraded Dartmouth Health’s outlook from stable to negative last week. The outlook change was due to weak operating cash flow with operating losses that accelerated in fiscal year 2023, according to the Dec. 13 rating action commentary from Fitch. 

‘Death Doula’ allowed to keep business open following ruling by federal judgeWANE-TV (Fort Wayne, IN)December 20, 2023Fort Wayne, IN—A Fort Wayne woman who provides end of life guidance for clients can keep her business open for now. Lauren Richwine had been forced to stop operating Death Done Differently after receiving a cease and desist order from the Indiana Attorney’s General office claiming she does not hold a funeral director license for herself or a funeral home license for her business. On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Holly Brady issued a preliminary injunction which allows Richwine to keep the business open while her legal challenge to the claims she’s violating Indiana’s funeral home laws plays out in the courts. 

Nursing homes still face data concerns, new audit saysTimes Union (Albany, NY)December 20, 2023Albany, NY—The state Department of Health largely failed to implement recommendations meant to improve infection control in nursing homes, according to an audit released by the state comptroller’s office on Wednesday. The audit came as a follow-up to a March 2022 audit by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office that found data released by the Health Department “misled the public” and undercounted deaths in nursing homes. 

Dauphin County senior living facility announces closure; approx. 40 residents affectedWHTM-TV (Harrisburg, PA)December 18, 2023Harrisburg, PA—A local senior care facility that is located in Harrisburg recently announced that it will be closing its doors. 

What to know about home healthcare and home careModern HealthcareDecember 19, 2023Efforts to move more care into the home got a boost last week when the Biden administration announced $37 billion in funding to support home- and community-based services through the American Rescue Plan Act. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is encouraging states to use the money to create registries for consumers of direct care workers who can provide home-based care to Medicaid beneficiaries, as well as those who do not receive Medicaid benefits. ... Here is what you need to know about the services and their growth. ...

CNA Turnover Linked to Scheduling Choices, Staff Stability, Optimal Hours WorkedSkilled Nursing NewsDecember 19, 2023Part-time certified nursing assistants play a crucial role in providing patient care at skilled nursing facilities mired with staffing shortages, and yet they face high turnover rates. Washington State University analyzed the impact of scheduling decisions on part-time CNA turnover, addressing three key research questions related to hours worked and coworker variability. ... The study revealed a “U-shaped relationship” between hours worked and turnover—meaning too few hours or too many hours worked impacted turnover.

Leading Rural PACE Provider Coming to Northeast OhioNews ReleaseDecember 18, 2023Erie, PA—One Senior Care, a leading PACE provider to rural and Appalachian communities, is proud to announce that its program, LIFE-Northwestern Pennsylvania, has been selected by the Ohio Department of Aging to bring the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to three counties—Ashtabula, Trumbull, and Mahoning—in Northeast Ohio.