The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that as of November 10, 2020, Medicare beneficiaries are receiving coverage of monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 with no cost-sharing during the Public Health Emergency (PHE). CMS’ coverage of monoclonal antibody infusions applies to bamianivimab, which received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA on November 9. CMS anticipates that …
Old news, older adults are more susceptible to the Coronavirus. In fact, eight out of 10 COVID-19-related deaths reported in the United States have been among adults aged 65 years and older. The virus’ high contagion rate among at-risk populations has businesses who cater to older adults concerned that if one patron contracts it, it will quickly spread. Hearth Management, …
Lakeview Assisted Living in Battle Creek, MI As we continue to journey through the COVID-19 pandemic, we are always on the lookout for facilities that go the extra mile to bring some joy to their residents. HealthCap would like to recognize the staff at Lakeview Assisted Living in Battle Creek, MI for finding unique ways to do so! From re-enacting …
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs within households; however, transmission estimates vary widely and the data on transmission from children are limited. Findings from a prospective household study with intensive daily observation for ≥ 7 consecutive days indicate that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among household members was frequent from either children or adults. Household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is common and occurs early after …
Long-term care clinicians have asked the federal government to delay allocating monoclonal antibody therapy to nursing homes until further study and to collaborate with facility medical directors when they do. With approval predicted in the coming weeks, the question of who should receive this treatment and how it will be provided is an open question, said AMDA – The Society …
Okay, not the topic any of us likes to discuss right? But face it, we are all in this together, and if you haven’t had the pleasure of preparing for a colonoscopy you are in for a treat! Well, maybe not a treat but a study comparing a low-residual diet (LRD) with a clear-liquid diet (CLD) for bowel preparation before …
Nursing homes have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These facilities provide care to some of the nation’s most at-risk patients, including individuals receiving post-acute care and long-stay residents requiring 24-hour custodial care, most of whom are older adults. Although there are only 1.3 million patients in U.S. nursing homes representing less than 0.4% of the …
Traditional screening for COVID-19 typically includes survey questions about symptoms and travel history as well as temperature measurements. In a recent article in Nature Medicine, researchers discussed the smartphone app they developed that collects smart watch activity tracker data, as well as self-reported symptoms and diagnostic testing results, from individuals in the United States. The researchers have assessed whether symptom …
The cost of a fall among older adults requiring emergency services is unclear, especially beyond the acute care period. In a recent study, medical expenditures (costs) to 1 year among community-dwelling older adults who fell and required ambulance transport, including acute versus post-acute periods, the primary drivers of cost and comparison to baseline expenditures were evaluated. Results showed that the …
Post-acute and long-term care skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are known to be high-risk environments for outbreaks including multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) and respiratory viruses. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has led to multiple outbreaks in SNFs. In the absence of a vaccine or treatment, the primary resources available to SNFs to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, have …
