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Dental Issues Plague America's Nursing Home Residents

Good oral health is one of the keys to healthy aging, but a sobering new study shows that many U.S. nursing home residents have significant dental issues.

Close to two in every 10 residents have missing teeth, about 8% have broken teeth/cavities and another 11% report pain while chewing, researchers found.

“Inadequate oral health has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond t...

Federal Government to Regulate Staffing at Nursing Homes for First Time

Nursing homes will soon have to meet federal minimum staffing requirements, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Friday.

"Establishing minimum staffing standards for nursing homes will improve resident safety,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in an agency

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • September 1, 2023
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  • Nursing Homes Used COVID Meds Less Than Expected During Pandemic

    While nursing home residents are at high risk for bad outcomes if they get COVID-19, use of antiviral treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies, was low through most of 2021 and 2022.

    The authors of a new study, led by Brian McGarry, a health services researcher at the Un...

    More Hospitalizations, ER Visits in Nursing Homes With Higher Levels of Black Residents

    A new study finds that nursing homes that serve Black residents have more hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

    This may be driven by differences in staffing levels from home to home, according to researchers.

    For the study, they examined 2019 data from more than 14,000 U.S. nursing homes.

    Nursing homes with at least 50% Black residents had lower daily per-patient ratios...

    U.S. Nursing Homes Fail to Report Many Serious Falls, Bedsores: Study

    A federal website intended to help people choose a nursing home not only contains inaccurate information, but those inaccuracies appear to be at least partially driven by race, a new study reports.

    The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established the Nursing Home Care Compare website in the 1990s to publicly report patient safety indicators for every nursing facility ...

    In an Aging America, a Looming Shortage of Home Health Care Workers

    Over the last decade, an aging American population has increasingly turned away from nursing homes in favor of trained caregivers who can provide critical help in the home with basic daily tasks.

    But a new investigation warns the need for at-home care has vastly outpaced a much smaller growth in the pool of home care workers.

    The result: between 2013 and 2019, the number of availabl...

    Falls Can Be More Dangerous for Older Men Than for Women

    While older women are treated for falls more often than elderly males, men are more likely to sustain skull fractures when they topple over, new research suggests.

    This is a serious concern because more than 3 million people aged 65 and older are treated in U.S. emergency departments each year for falls.

    “The high incidence of head injury and subsequent skull fractures due to fal...

    Feds to Investigate Overuse of Antipsychotic Drugs by Nursing Homes

    U.S. health officials say they plan to investigate whether some nursing homes are falsely labeling patients as schizophrenic so they can administer sedating antipsychotic drugs to them.

    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) noted that evidence of this abuse has grown over decades. It plans to launch an investigation of select nursing homes this month, the Associated Pre...

    The 'Great Resignation' Is Taking a Toll on U.S. Health Care

    The nationwide shortage of health care professionals -- a so-called "Great Resignation" of providers -- is impacting patient care in ways large and small, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll shows.

    One in four Americans (25%) have noticed or personally experienced the impact of staffing shortages in health care, second only to staff shortages in the retail sector (35%), the poll found.

    Tougher Federal Penalties to Come for Failing Nursing Homes

    About 88 nursing homes in the United States are on a watch list for worrisome care that puts residents in danger, but now they will face tougher penalties for any future violation.

    Those tougher penalties could include the loss of federal funding if they receive more than one ...

    Surgery Holds Danger for Seniors. Who's Most at Risk?

    Surgery can be a daunting prospect at any age. Now, researchers say they've spotted two key factors upping the odds of a poor surgical outcome in seniors.

    Older adults who are either frail or suffering from dementia have high rates of death in the year following a major procedure, a new U.S. study finds.

    Researchers found that among Americans aged 65 and older who underwent maj...

    Talking to a Loved One About a Move to Assisted Living

    It can be hard to talk to your loved ones about moving into assisted living, so don't push them too hard and make sure they feel safe and comfortable with the idea, one expert advises.

    "Start the conversation as early as possible, and focus on what matters,” said Dr. Angela Catic....

    Assisted Living Will Become Financially Out of Reach for Many Middle-Class Americans

    America's middle-income seniors could face a time of financial reckoning within the next decade, with the rising costs of health care and assisted living overwhelming their meager savings, a new study reports.

    The number of middle-income seniors in the United States is expected to nearly double by 2033, with 16 million people 75 or older making too much to qualify for government assistanc...

    Bedsores Can Cause Serious Harm — Are U.S. Nursing Homes Hiding Cases?

    People might want to think twice before relying on federal quality ratings to help choose a nursing home for an elderly or frail relative, a new study warns.

    The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established the Nursing Home Compare website in the 1990s to publicly report patient safety indicators for every nursing facility in the nation.

    But the site appears to ...

    U.S. Nursing Homes Are Understaffed, But Minority Communities Have It Worst

    Staffing shortages at nursing homes across the United States are severe in disadvantaged areas where needs may be greatest, researchers say.

    The study — recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society — looked at staffing before the COVID-19 pandemic. It f...

    Helping Older Loved Ones in a Heat Wave

    With much of the United States baking in extreme heat this summer, older adults and the people caring for them need to take extra precautions.

    Seniors can decline rapidly, sometimes within minutes, when exposed to soaring temperatures, said Dr. Angela Catic, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

    "As we get older, our bodies don't self-regulate temperature ...

    Black Nursing Home Residents More Likely to Need Hospital Care

    Black residents in U.S. nursing homes are much more likely than white residents to be repeatedly transferred to hospital care, a new study reports.

    Black nursing home residents are likely to be transferred to the hospital and back at least four times in a given year, according to data gathered under a U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid quality improvement initiative.

    So are nurs...

    Staffing Shortages Have U.S. Nursing Homes in Crisis

    There's a shortage of nursing home beds for the elderly in America due to a severe staffing crisis that has caused long-term care facilities to cut back on new admissions, new research shows.

    Three out of five nursing homes (61%) have limited new admissions due to staffing shortages, according to a

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • June 29, 2022
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  • COVID Boosters Raise Antibody Levels by 85% in Nursing Home Residents

    Getting a COVID-19 booster shot can significantly increase an at-risk person's immunity and protect against the contagious Omicron variant.

    New research focusing on nursing home residents and their caregivers found a third dose of vaccine boosted antibodies by more than 85%...

    Tough Choices: When It's Time to Move From Home to Assisted Living

    While 8 in 10 Americans ages 65 and older say they want to age in their homes, it's not always possible when health declines.

    Knowing when a loved one needs a more supportive environment, such as assisted living, continuing care retirement community or a nursing home, can be challenging. Though "aging in pla...

    Feds Warn of Bedrails That Can Entrap; 3 Deaths Reported

    At least three elderly Americans suffocated after getting trapped in Mobility Transfer Systems adult portable bedrails, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says anyone who has the rails should stop using them immediately.

    The

  • By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
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  • June 3, 2022
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  • Health Care Workers Were At Highest COVID Risk in Workplace

    U.S. health care workers were most likely to be infected with COVID-19 at work during the pandemic's first year, according to a new study that challenges previous research suggesting their risk was highest off the job.

    Researchers said their findings could help guide efforts to better protect ...

    Pandemic Is Leaving U.S. With Shortage of Long-Term Health Care Workers

    The pandemic has worsened longstanding staffing shortages at U.S. nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Now, a new study shows that high employee turnover rates have yet to improve.

    Researchers found that after initial workforce losses in the early phase of the pandemic, U.S. ...

    Report Says Nursing Home Industry Needs an Overhaul

    The nursing home industry is awash in ineffective care and staffing shortages, claims a new report that calls for sweeping changes in an industry whose failures have only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

    Experts from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine minced no words in in their 605-page

  • By Cara Murez and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
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  • April 7, 2022
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  • U.S. Nursing Home Deaths Reach Lowest Levels Reported Since Pandemic Began

    Fresh government data shows that COVID deaths among nursing home residents data have fallen to the lowest levels seen since the pandemic began.

    Some 67 residents died nationwide of COVID during the week ending March 27, according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Centers for D...

    Good End-of-Life Care Out of Reach for Many Black Nursing Home Residents

    Palliative care can be a godsend in the final days of one's life, but new research shows that Black and Hispanic nursing home residents are far less likely to receive it than their white peers are.

    Overall, nursing homes in the Northeast provided the most palliative care, while those in ...

    Pandemic Caused Rise in Deaths of Alzheimer's Patients

    During the pandemic's first year, the risk of dying shot up nearly 26% among American seniors with Alzheimer's disease, a new study reveals.

    Minorities faced even higher odds of death, either as a direct result of COVID or because of disruptions in health care, researchers found.

    The main culp...

    Biden to Propose Overhaul of U.S. Nursing Homes

    Minimum staffing levels will be a main feature of a major overhaul of U.S. nursing homes that President Joe Biden is expected to announce in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night.

    Staffing levels are considered a critical marker for nursing home quality, but the pandemic has left many facilities short of nurses, nursing assistants and other workers who care for patients.

    ...

    COVID Cases Surge Again in U.S. Nursing Homes

    Residents of nursing homes have been a particularly at-risk group throughout the pandemic, and the advent of the fast-spreading Omicron variant has them facing another wave of infections and deaths, new data shows.

    During the week ending Jan. 9, U.S. nursing homes reported more tha...

    Quality of Home Health Care Varies Between Urban, Rural Areas

    Need in-home health care? Know this: The quality of your care may depend on where you live.

    That's the takeaway from a new study from New York University that gave agencies in urban areas high marks for keeping patients out of the hospital. It found that home health agencies in rural areas, meanwhile, get care started sooner.

    "Our study highlights the persistence of disparities in q...

    Only Half of U.S. Nursing Home Residents Have Received Boosters: CDC

    As COVID-19 cases surge nationwide, only about half of fully vaccinated nursing home residents have received a vaccine booster dose, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

    Research shows that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines may decrease over time, especially among people aged 65 and older, and early studies suggest that boosters are needed in vaccinated people...

    TV Remotes, Nurse Call Buttons: Where Coronavirus Lingers in Nursing Homes

    Though airborne exposure causes most cases of COVID-19, the virus lurks on objects near the beds of infected nursing home patients, according to a new study.

    "Coronavirus is ubiquitous and persistent in the rooms of nursing home residents with COVID-19, and highlight the ongoing importance of rigorous cleaning and protection of staff and visitors," first author Dr. Lona Mody said in a Uni...

    Want Fewer Fractures in Nursing Homes? Put More Dairy on the Menu

    Serving more dairy products to nursing home residents could be a simple way to reduce their risk of falls and fractures, a new study suggests.

    Many consume low levels of calcium and protein, which can result in weak bones that increase the likelihood of falls and fractures. Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese are high in calcium and protein.

  • Robert Preidt
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  • October 22, 2021
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  • Full Page
  • U.S. Nursing Home Deaths Rise as Delta Spreads

    There has been a significant increase in COVID-related deaths in nursing homes as the highly contagious Delta spreads across the country, a new analysis shows.

    "While the vast majority of COVID-19 deaths happened outside of nursing homes in July and August, the high rate of increase within nursing homes indicates that residents and staff in these settings are at risk of death during the D...

    Most Older Americans Believe Health Care Workers Should Be Vaccinated: Poll

    Eight in 10 older Americans think health care workers should be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a new poll.

    Among 50- to 80-year-olds, 61% of respondents said the vaccine should be required for all health care workers. Another 19% said vaccination should probably be required. The remaining 20% oppose mandatory vaccination, the findings showed.

    The results are from a nation...

    New Tally Adds Extra 16,000 U.S. Nursing Home Residents Lost to COVID

    The number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 in U.S. nursing homes appears to have been grossly underestimated.

    According to a new study, that's because U.S. federal guidelines did not require nursing homes to report cases and deaths until May 24, 2020, months after the pandemic began.

    "Because of the delay in the federal reporting system for cases and deaths in nursing homes, ...

    Biden Puts Pressure on Nursing Homes to Vaccinate Staff Against COVID

    All U.S. nursing home staff must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or their employers will risk losing Medicare and Medicaid funding, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday.

    "If you visit, live or work in a nursing home, you should not be at a high risk for contracting COVID from unvaccinated employees," Biden said during a speech made from the White House. "While I'm mindful that my author...

    A Second 'Closet' for Some LGBTQ Seniors Entering Nursing Homes

    The Stonewall generation is entering old age, and a new study finds many LGBTQ+ seniors are fearful that the prejudices of staff and fellow residents at nursing homes could leave them vulnerable to continued misunderstanding, stigma and discrimination.

    In fact, "LGBTQ+ elders often feel the need to go back into the closet because of these genuine fears" of being mistreated, said Tim Johns...

    All Health Care, Long-Term Care Workers in California Must Get COVID Shots

    All 2.2 million health care workers and long-term care workers in California will now have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 30, the California Department of Public Health said Thursday.

    Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom said health care workers would have the choice of either getting vaccinated or undergoing weekly testing, but the state health department's order does not give...

    Largest Operator of Nursing Homes in U.S. Issues Vaccine Mandate for All Workers

    The United States' largest operator of nursing homes said Wednesday that its workers must get vaccinated against COVID-19 if they want to keep their jobs.

    The announcement from Pennsylvania-based Genesis Healthcare -- which has 70,000 employees at nearly 400 nursing homes and senior communities -- suggests the nursing home industry's reluctance to force employees to get vaccinated due to ...

    Nursing Home Staff Closest to Patients Are Least Likely to Get COVID Vaccines

    Aides in long-term care facilities are less likely than other staff to be vaccinated, even though they have the most contact with vulnerable patients and could infect them with COVID-19, a new federal study shows.

    Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data from 300 long-term care facilities nationwide. The research showed that 75% of physicians work...

    Biden Reverses Trump Policy Limiting U.S. Nursing Home Fines

    The Biden administration has reversed a Trump policy that limited the size of fines that U.S. nursing homes could be slapped with for violating safety standards.

    The Trump policy was adopted in 2017 and prevented the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from hitting a nursing home with a fine for each day it didn't comply with federal standards.

    That reduced many pe...

    Major Medical Groups Call for Mandatory COVID Vaccination for Health Workers

    All health care workers should be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, dozens of major U.S. medical groups said in a joint statement released Monday.

    "Due to the recent COVID-19 surge and the availability of safe and effective vaccines, our health care organizations and societies advocate that all health care and long-term care employers require their workers to receive the COVID-1...

    Prior COVID Infection May Shield You From Another for at Least 10 Months

    In some good news for those who have already suffered through a bout of COVID-19, a new study finds they may have a much lower risk of reinfection for at least 10 months.

    For the study, the researchers analyzed rates of SARS-CoV-2 infections between October 2020 and February 2021 among more than 2,000 nursing home residents (median age 86) and staff. Antibody testing was used to determine...

    COVID Vaccines Trigger Protective Immune Response in Nursing Home Residents: Study

    Older adults in long-term care develop detectible antibodies after COVID-19 vaccination, which may mean it's safe to reopen these facilities, according to a new study.

    But because it's unclear how long the antibodies last, researchers from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) say there's still a need to monitor symptoms and controls on reopening.

    "COVID-19 hit long-term ca...

    Assisted Living Centers Can Do More for Dementia Patients, Experts Say

    U.S. assisted living facilities often have activities to keep seniors socially engaged -- but a new study says they need to ensure that residents with dementia are not left out.

    Researchers observed residents and staff at four assisted living communities over the course of a year.

    They found that a few factors stood out as key to keeping residents with dementia socially and mentally...

    New Guidelines Mean Nursing Home Residents Can Hug Their Families Again

    After nearly a year of painful isolation, the U.S. government said Wednesday that vaccinated nursing home residents can hug their loved ones again and enjoy more indoor visits.

    The new guidance, issued by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), comes after coronavirus cases and deaths among nursing home residents have plummeted in recent weeks as the country's vacc...

    COVID Cases, Deaths Plummet in Nursing Homes After Vaccine Rollout

    In a hopeful turnaround during a long pandemic, U.S. nursing homes that were once the epicenter of coronavirus infections are now seeing both cases and deaths fall steeply as the country's vaccination rollout starts to take hold.

    From late December to early February, new cases among U.S. nursing home residents fell by more than 80 percent, nearly double the rate of improvement in the...

    Blacks, Hispanics at Higher Risk of COVID Death in U.S. Nursing Homes

    U.S. nursing homes have been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the toll on Black and Hispanic residents has been especially harsh, a new study confirms.

    Researchers found that COVID-19 death rates were more than three times higher at U.S. nursing homes with the highest proportions of Black and Hispanic residents, compared to those with mostly white residents.

    The study, of more...

    If a Nursing Home Resident Gets a COVID Shot, Can Their Families Visit Them Now?

    People in nursing homes have been suffering in isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, with their institutions in constant lockdown to prevent potentially fatal outbreaks.

    Now that they're some of the first in line to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, it would be natural for nursing home residents to expect that visits from friends and family will soon resume.

    That might not happen,...