Literature Review
All posts tagged with “Post-Acute Care News | Nursing Home News.”
Western Mass nursing home operator ordered to pay $2.1M
07/30/26 at 03:00 AMWestern Mass nursing home operator ordered to pay $2.1M Athol Daily News, Athol, MA; by Domenic Poli; 7/29/26 The co-founder of the limited liability company that owns two western Massachusetts nursing homes will be forced to compensate lenders $2.1 million after being found liable for fraud, breach of contract and violations of consumer protection law. A Middlesex County Superior Court jury determined after an eight-day trial that Joseph Cuzzupoli, who co-founded Blupoint Healthcare, persuaded Bradley Balter and his business, Arrakis Holdings LLC, to extend loans based on numerous fraudulent misrepresentations. ... Balter and Arrakis Holdings LLC sued Cuzzupoli, seeking declaratory relief and damages for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, fraud and consumer protection law violations in connection with unpaid loans extended to certain nursing homes and a hospice business that Cuzzupoli controlled.
Why traditional primary care fails frail elders and the future need for specialized models | part one
07/30/26 at 03:00 AMWhy traditional primary care fails frail elders and the future need for specialized models | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Bethany Snider; 7/29/26 Traditional primary care wasn't designed for today's frail elders—and that gap may be one of healthcare's greatest challenges. As America's population ages, healthcare leaders face an urgent question: Is the traditional primary care model enough to care for frail older adults with complex medical, functional, and social needs? In Part One of this thought-provoking conversation, Chris Comeaux welcomes Dr. Bethany Snider, Chief Medical Officer of Everent Health, to explore why the future of serious illness care requires a fundamentally different approach. Together, they unpack the emerging concept of the frail elder practice—a longitudinal, interdisciplinary model that extends beyond office visits to meet patients where they are, both physically and emotionally.
At and end-of-life care home, a young cancer survivor finds his calling
07/29/26 at 03:00 AMAt and end-of-life care home, a young cancer survivor finds his calling The Buffalo News, Buffalo, NY; by Jon Harris; 7/28/26 Seated in the chapel at Sloan Comfort Care Home, 22-year-old Evan Folsom reflected on what working at the end-of-life facility has meant to him. "The Home did come at the right time for me," said Folsom, hours after finishing an overnight shift there, and a day before taking the daylong Medical College Admission Test. Folsom survived a brain tumor as a toddler and spent years recovering. That alone shaped an interest in medicine. ... His work at Sloan Comfort Care Home helped him come to terms with certain issues and fueled his interest in studying the complex moral and ethical questions that arise in medicine. So he took a "shot in the dark" and applied to Harvard Medical School's Master of Science in Bioethics program, along with a few other schools. He got into all of them but chose Harvard because Boston holds a special full-circle meaning for him. Massachusetts General Hospital, the largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, is where he received treatment as a toddler. "Harvard was specifically deep for me, because that's kind of where my journey started," he said. Folsom leaves for Boston on Aug. 1 ...
What does Medicare actually cover in a best-rated memory care facility?
07/23/26 at 03:00 AMWhat does Medicare actually cover in a best-rated memory care facility?U.S. News & World Report; by Vanessa Cacers; 7/21/26 |Memory care facilities offer a safe, supportive environment for those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, but care can be costly. Learn what memory care services Medicare will pay for. |Key Takeaways
Restarting medications after deprescribing in adults discharged from hospital to skilled nursing
07/18/26 at 03:35 AMRestarting medications after deprescribing in adults discharged from hospital to skilled nursingJAMA Network Open; by Thomas J. Reese, Sandra F. Simmons, Eduard E. Vasilevskis, Emily K. Hollingsworth, Matthew S. Shotwell, Amanda S. Mixon; 6/26Question: Among older adults discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) after hospital-initiated deprescribing, what is the frequency and timing of medication restarts ...? In this cohort study analyzing data from 2 randomized trials with a total of 598 participants, 15.9% of deprescribed medications were restarted. Higher health literacy and longer intervention exposure were associated with fewer restarts, whereas more prescribers, higher number of baseline medications, and fewer pharmacies were associated with medication restarts; restart during the SNF stay was associated with greater 90-day hospital readmissions. Conclusions: In this cohort study, approximately 1 in 6 deprescribed medications were restarted within 90 days, with nearly half occurring soon after SNF discharge. Patient factors and markers of care fragmentation were associated with restart, suggesting that enhancing transitional care and postdischarge support may improve the durability of hospital-initiated deprescribing.
Savings in Medicare hospice payments for care provided in nursing homes
07/16/26 at 03:00 AMSavings in Medicare hospice payments for care provided in nursing homes U.S. HHS-OIG; Project Number OEI-02-26-00180; 7/15/26 The fixed daily rates that Medicare pays hospices for routine home care provided in a nursing home include personal care services. However, nursing homes are already required to provide personal care services to their residents. Paying the hospice the full routine home care rate that covers personal care services when these services are already required from the nursing home can undermine the efficiency of Medicare payments and add to the incentives that bad actors have to exploit the program. This review will determine Medicare payments for routine home care provided to hospice beneficiaries in nursing homes, estimate potential cost savings from reducing the payment to address the inefficiency in the payment structure, and examine practices of hospices with a high percentage of their beneficiaries in nursing homes.
After Nebraska sanctions and federal charges, Iowa nurse surrenders license
07/08/26 at 03:00 AMAfter Nebraska sanctions and federal charges, Iowa nurse surrenders license Iowa Capital Dispatch; by Clark Kauffman; 7/7/26 Almost two years after the State of Nebraska revoked a nurse’s ability to practice there for posing a “significant risk to public safety,” Iowa’s Board of Nursing has agreed to accept the nurse’s surrender of her license to practice in Iowa. The decision by the Iowa board comes after Brandy Wicks, a registered nurse from Treynor, was accused of stealing patient medications from a hospital, a home-hospice program and at least two nursing homes, and after her indictment on 11 federal criminal charges.
Medicare Advantage insurers deny prior authorization requests for post acute care at substantially higher rates than the overall denial rate
07/07/26 at 03:00 AMMedicare Advantage insurers deny prior authorization requests for post acute care at substantially higher rates than the overall denial rate KFF; by Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Meredith Freed, and Juliette Cubanski; 7/6/26 The OIG recently published two reports finding that Medicare Advantage insurers deny more than half of all prior authorization requests for the most expensive types of post-acute care, including 65% of requests for stays in long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) and 54% of requests for stays in inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), as well as 12% of requests for stays in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).
Nurse perceptions of end-of-life care quality across long-term care, home, and social model hospice home settings: A qualitative descriptive study
06/27/26 at 03:00 AMNurse perceptions of end-of-life care quality across long-term care, home, and social model hospice home settings: A qualitative descriptive studyAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Helen Mavis Farrar, Kelley Easterling Scott; 5/26This qualitative descriptive study explored nursing perspectives on end-of-life care quality across 3 distinct community settings: long-term care facilities, patients' homes, and social model hospice homes. Nurses provide most of the direct end-of-life care in these settings, yet their perspectives remain understudied. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 licensed nurses who had provided end-of-life care across all 3 settings. Analysis revealed 4 major themes: (1) setting-based care disparities, (2) nurses as educators and translators, (3) mediation of caregiver burden across settings, and (4) relationship-based care as foundational for peaceful deaths. Care setting profoundly influenced these nurses' ability to deliver quality end-of-life care.
Olio and WeCare Centers raise the bar for transitions of care across Western Pennsylvania and New York
06/17/26 at 03:00 AMOlio and WeCare Centers raise the bar for transitions of care across Western Pennsylvania and New York BusinessWire, Indianapolis, IN; Press Release; 6/16/26 Olio announces a new partnership with WeCare Centers, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation operator with nine facilities primarily across Western Pennsylvania. Known for its commitment to compassionate, high-quality care, WeCare is adding Olio to bring the same rigor to what happens after a patient leaves the building. The partnership gives WeCare the infrastructure to formalize its outbound referral workflows, gain post-discharge visibility into home health and hospice partner performance, and demonstrate to payer and hospital partners a consistent, outcomes-driven approach across the full continuum.
Stakeholder perspectives on integrating ADEPT into end-of-life care for nursing home residents with dementia: A qualitative descriptive study
06/13/26 at 03:20 AMStakeholder perspectives on integrating ADEPT into end-of-life care for nursing home residents with dementia: A qualitative descriptive studyInternational Journal of Older People Nursing; by Susanny J Beltran, Latarsha Chisholm, Emily Jaijairam; 5/26Nursing homes care for a significant proportion of individuals with advanced dementia, yet timely hospice referrals remain a challenge. The Advanced Dementia Prognostic Tool (ADEPT) is a mortality risk score instrument that holds promise for improving care planning by providing a standardised, accessible method for identifying residents at risk of death within 6 months. Current processes for identifying hospice-eligible residents rely on regular assessments and interdisciplinary collaboration but reveal significant gaps, including delays in referrals and inconsistent practices. Participants viewed ADEPT as a promising tool to complement goals-of-care conversations and enhance care planning, rather than exclusively triggering hospice initiation. Implementation barriers included the need for electronic system integration, regulatory compliance and staff education, while facilitators encompassed strong leadership support, interdisciplinary coordination and alignment with existing workflows.
National HealthCare Corp. closes 5-SNF, $50.5M acquisition
06/10/26 at 03:00 AMNational HealthCare Corp. closes 5-SNF, $50.5M acquisition McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 6/7/26 National HealthCare Corp. and its affiliates have closed on the previously announced $50.5 million purchase of five skilled nursing facilities from National Health Corp., the Murfreesboro, TN-based company announced Thursday [6/5/26]. ... Four of the SNFs are in Tennessee, and the other is in South Carolina.
Sunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center partners with Hospice & Palliative Care
06/08/26 at 03:00 AMSunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center partners with Hospice & Palliative Care PRLOG - Press Release Distribution, Buffalo, NY; by Sunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center; 6/5/26 Sunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Boonville, NY, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Hospice & Palliative Care, enhancing the level of care and support available to residents facing life-limiting illnesses. This collaboration introduces comprehensive hospice services within Sunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, ... Sunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center provides post-hospital rehabilitation, skilled nursing care and respite care. Hospice & Palliative Care delivers specialized hospice services and is the sole provider of hospice services in Boonville, NY.
First do no harm: communication surrounding non-beneficial treatments
06/01/26 at 03:00 AMFirst do no harm: communication surrounding non-beneficial treatments American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Cassie Stanzler, MD, Adam Marks, MD, MPH, and Laura Taylor, MD, MSc; 5/21/26 Despite a consensus in the medical community that clinicians should not offer non-beneficial treatments (NBTs) to their patients, little guidance exists on the particular communication needs around this fraught topic. While intended in the spirit of non-maleficence, setting limits around NBTs can be seen by patients and families as abandonment, resulting in conflict. In this paper, we propose a framework to guide Palliative Care clinicians in communicating about these complex issues with patients and families. ... Our framework emphasizes proactive relationship building with patients and families, close attention to their values, and compassionate limit-setting when medically appropriate.
Signs it’s time for in-home healthcare: 11 warning signs
05/29/26 at 03:00 AMSigns it’s time for in-home healthcare: 11 warning signs U.S. News & World Report News; by Barbara Sadick; 5/27/26
Klamath Hospice honors older Americans with 4th annual Senior Awareness Fair
05/27/26 at 03:00 AMKlamath Hospice honors older Americans with 4th annual Senior Awareness Fair Herald and News, Klamath Falls, OR; by Courtney Neubauer; 5/22/26 Booths lined the walkways of the Klamath Hospice walking paths while a local musician played tunes, and many grabbed a hot dog and a bag of chips to mark the fourth annual Senior Awareness Fair. This event, organized by Klamath Hospice and Palliative Care, featured roughly 40 community booths offering resources and services to seniors and their families. ... This year’s theme, Champion Your Health, encourages older adults to take action to support their health and prevent health issues, advocate for their needs, and make informed choices that support their well-being.
Hospitality exec brings hotel playbook to senior living, hits 97% occupancy
05/24/26 at 02:20 AMHospitality exec brings hotel playbook to senior living, hits 97% occupancy Pacific Business News, Hawaii; by Cathy Cruz-George; 5/14/26 Mark Tsuda had three decades of hospitality experience when he joined the opening team of Ilima at Leihano, a luxury senior living community in Kapolei, in 2016. He previously was a regional executive for Aston Hotels & Resorts, ... Ilima at Leihano - which provides independent living, assisted living and memory care - has held an occupancy rate of between 95% and 97% over the past six years, supported by 92 employees who balance hotel-style services with healthcare needs and recreation. ... If a resident is in hospice, they can stay with us. Hospice is outsourced to local providers like Malama Ola and Island Hospice, ...
Trinity Homes sees home health, hospice transition
05/22/26 at 03:00 AMTrinity Homes sees home health, hospice transition Minot Daily News, Minot, ND; by MDN Staff; 5/21/26 Trinity Health has announced it has contracted with CHI Health at Home and Hospice and CaringEdge to provide hospice services to residents at Trinity Homes. Both are established Minot-area providers. Ensuring continuity of care has been the top priority throughout this transition, according to Trinity, which has worked closely with CHI Health at Home and Hospice and CaringEdge to facilitate a smooth transition for patients and their families. The transition of patients is complete, Trinity reported.
Proposing a framework to license autonomous clinical AI: as autonomous clinical AI continues to evolve, we need uniform regulatory standards, says LDI Fellow
05/19/26 at 03:00 AMProposing a framework to license autonomous clinical AI: as autonomous clinical AI continues to evolve, we need uniform regulatory standards, says LDI Fellow Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Alon Bergman, PhD; 5/15/26 Late last month, Utah’s Medical Licensing Board called for the immediate suspension of the state’s pilot program with the AI company Doctronic. The program lets a chatbot evaluate patients and recommend prescription renewals for nearly 200 chronic condition drugs, with the state planning to phase out physician review of each case. The board said that it only learned about the pilot after it had launched. Its warning was blunt: proceeding without proper clinical oversight “potentially places Utah citizens at risk.” ... Utah is one of at least 47 states now considering more than 250 bills governing clinical AI, producing a patchwork of rules on bias audits, payment policy, and patient consent.Editor's Note: See related article by the same author Alon Bergman, AI doctors should be licensed. Here’s a framework to do that: Utah's pilot program with Doctronic shows that federal action is necessary.
Hospitality exec brings hotel playbook to senior living, hits 97% occupancy
05/18/26 at 03:00 AMHospitality exec brings hotel playbook to senior living, hits 97% occupancy Pacific Business News, Hawaii; by Cathy Cruz-George; 5/14/26 Mark Tsuda had three decades of hospitality experience when he joined the opening team of Ilima at Leihano, a luxury senior living community in Kapolei, in 2016. He previously was a regional executive for Aston Hotels & Resorts, ... Ilima at Leihano - which provides independent living, assisted living and memory care - has held an occupancy rate of between 95% and 97% over the past six years, supported by 92 employees who balance hotel-style services with healthcare needs and recreation. ... If a resident is in hospice, they can stay with us. Hospice is outsourced to local providers like Malama Ola and Island Hospice, ...
The role of spirituality among nursing home staff caring for residents with advanced dementia: A qualitative descriptive study
05/16/26 at 03:15 AMDon’t guess with health: Samaritan helps families identify the best care level for their aging loved one
05/15/26 at 03:00 AMDon’t guess with health: Samaritan helps families identify the best care level for their aging loved one citybiz | New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh | Non-Profit; by Samaritan; 5/11/26When a loved one’s health begins to decline, families often face one of the most difficult questions in caregiving: What kind of care do they really need? Is it time for home-based primary care? Would palliative medicine improve quality of life while still seeking treatment? Or is hospice the most appropriate next step? ... With a full continuum of services—from primary care to end-of-life care—Samaritan helps families navigate complex healthcare decisions with compassion, expertise, and clarity. ... Editor's Note: Excellent descriptions for "choosing the right level of care" with simple, clear information and "navigation" services.
Assessing and Listening to Individual Goals and Needs (ALIGN) versus enhanced usual care for hospitalized older patients with cancer discharged to skilled nursing facilities: Protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial
05/09/26 at 03:05 AMNursing home ratings and characteristics predict hospice use among decedents with serious illnesses
05/09/26 at 03:00 AMNursing home ratings and characteristics predict hospice use among decedents with serious illnessesJournal of the American Medical Directors Association; by Ellis C Dillon, Chae Man Lee, Wenqi Gan, Doreek Charles, Germine Soliman, Julie Robison; 4/26Approximately one-third of older Americans experience a nursing home (NH) stay within 3 months of death, but it is unclear how NH characteristics influence end-of-life care. Short-term (vs long-term) NH stays were associated with increased odds of hospice use and short hospice use. Individuals with long-term stays had lower odds of hospice use with stays at NHs with the highest (vs lowest) CMS ratings for quality measures and staffing ... Those with short-term stays had lower odds of hospice use with stays at NHs with the highest CMS Health Inspection ratings. People with long-term stays at NHs that were part of a chain, had Alzheimer's care units, or had more beds had increased odds of hospice care. Conclusions and implications: Among Connecticut Medicaid-insured decedents with NH stays, people with long-term stays and stays in NHs with better CMS ratings had lower odds of hospice use. Assistant Editor's note: This summary article highlights an important issue and an excellent opportunity for future analysis in a broader context. Intuitively, we'd like to see highly rated NHs have higher hospice utilization.
A guide to visiting a nursing home: tips for meaningful connection
05/08/26 at 03:00 AMA guide to visiting a nursing home: tips for meaningful connection U.S. News & World Report | Health; by Claire Wolters and Rachael Hood; 5/6/26 If you have a loved one in a nursing home, frequent visits can help them feel loved and fight loneliness. Here's how to make the most of your visit. ...