A recent study to summarize the effects of long-term osteoporosis drug treatment and of osteoporosis drug treatment discontinuation and holidays found that long-term alendronate, zoledronate, and oral hormone therapy reduced nonvertebral fractures in older women, with oral hormone therapy also reducing hip fractures. While absolute reductions in typical fractures with long-term bisphosphonates are large relative to increases in AFF, reduced …
Movement Helps Maintain Memory
Despite brain lesions or biomarkers linked to dementia, higher levels of daily movement may be linked to better thinking and memory skills in older adults. Researchers from Rush University Medical Center found that older adults that exercise regularly or participate in routine physical activity, such as housework, may maintain more of their memory and thinking skills. Their findings were published …
Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Aged 65 Years and Older
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statistical Brief #244 states that opioid misuse in older adults is an underappreciated and growing problem. Although opioid misuse overall is lower among older than among younger Americans, the rate of opioid misuse among older adults nearly doubled between 2002 and 2014. In 2016, a third of the more than 40 million Americans enrolled in …
House Bill Would Allow Groups to Use Telemedicine for Long-Term Care
The Reducing Unnecessary Senior Hospitalizations Act of 2018, or the RUSH Act would allow medical groups to use telemedicine to treat patients in long-term care facilities rather than transporting them to the hospital. At present, Medicare is unable to reimburse skilled nursing facilities for the cost of telehealth providers. The RUSH Act would address this problem by allowing Medicare to make arrangements …
Study on nurses’ evidence-based practice competencies indicates major deficits
Melnyk BM ; Gallagher-Ford L ; Zellefrow C; et al. The first U.S. study on nurses’ evidence-based practice competencies indicates major deficits that threaten healthcare quality, safety, and patient outcomes. Worldviews Evid Based Nurs. 2018; 15: 16-25 https://psnet.ahrq.gov/resources/resource/32076
February – American Heart Month
Did you know that February is designated as “American Heart Month”? With so many “causes” including fund raisers, “National Donut Month”, “National Taco Day”, etc. isn’t it great that we have a month that focuses on identifying risk factors for heart disease, treatment options and most importantly, recommendations for improving lifestyle! Chances are, we all know someone affected by heart …
Change and You!
Change and You! The National Nursing Home Quality Care Collaborative published a “Change Package” in April 2017. This resource is a collection of great ideas and practices to create lasting change in nursing homes. The goal of the package is to instill quality and performance improvement practices, eliminate Healthcare-Acquired Conditions (HACs) and dramatically improve resident satisfaction by focusing on the …
AHRQ – Minimum Criteria Toolkit
AHRQ – Minimum Criteria Toolkit According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), between 25 and 75% of antibiotic prescriptions in nursing homes do not meet clinical guidelines for prescribing. Unnecessary antibiotics can result in side effects and drug-resistant bacteria. The Minimum Criteria for Common Infections toolkit (“Minimum Criteria Toolkit”) aims to reduce unnecessary prescribing for the three …
Restorative Nursing: A Win Win
A strong restorative services program can boost resident outcomes and independence. Angie Szumlinski and Erica Holman At a local skilled nursing center, the administrator asks staff for assistance to enhance their restorative program. Fortunately, the center had both a therapy director and restorative nurse who expressed a desire to work together for improved resident outcomes. The center’s current approach …
Influenza Season – It CAN Affect You!
We are beginning that dreaded time of the year, influenza season is upon us! As we care for our residents we should be also take care of ourselves! Unfortunately, per the CDC that doesn’t appear to be the case for long-term care health professionals! In a recent media release, the CDC identified that we are not receiving the influenza vaccine …