Long-Term Care Survey Alert
GUIDELINES ON PAIN AND AGING INTRODUCED
An American Geriatrics Society panel presented new guidelines for treating pain in aging patients this month at the societys annual scientific meeting in Washington. The AGS Panel on Persistent Pain in Older Persons calls for the evaluation and treatment of pain without regard to age or physical condition. The guidelines include a provision stating that pain is not a necessary component of aging and that no patient should be given a placebo for pain. They also provide an observational evaluation tool for clinicians and caregivers to help evaluate pain. The panel developed the guidelines after one of the most extensive reviews of research ever conducted into the treatment of pain in older adults. For more information, go to www.americangeriatrics.org/education/painrelease.shtml.
Long-Term Care Survey Alert
- Survey Management:
GET A HEAD START ON NATIONAL QUALITY INITIATIVE
Another round of "quality outing" is on the horizon, and it promises to give surveyors [...] - Survey Developments:
RISK ADJUSTMENT COULD MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE UNDER NEW
Will the national rollout of the nursing home quality initiative take into account your facilitys [...] - Survey Strategies:
DIG DEEP TO EXPLAIN QUALITY OUTCOMES
Once the government's national nursing home quality initiative goes live in October, facilities will need [...] - Abuse Detection:
WATCH OUT FOR CONDITIONS THAT MIMIC ABUSE
You know that Mrs. Jones always has bruises on her arms and legs because she [...] - Risk Management:
WHEN THE RESIDENT HAS A BRUISE: HOW TO HEAD OFF AN ABUSE INVESTIGATION
When it comes to a bruise, pictures are not only worth a thousand words: they [...] - Survey Compliance:
GET YOUR POC ON THE FAST TRACK TO COMPLIANCE
The best time to plan your plan of correction is long before your facility has [...] - Risk Management:
KEEP POCS FROM BECOMING AMMUNITION FOR TRIAL LAWYERS
A plan of correction written with a tone of "mea culpa" may please surveyors, but [...] - Resident Assessment:
CMS REDUCING MEDICARE ASSESSMENT BURDEN
Nursing home providers will soon have the option to spend less time doing Medicare MDS [...] - Survey Reporting:
COMPLAINT INVESTIGATIONS ADDED TO WEB SITE
Following criticism from key lawmakers about the content of the Nursing Home Compare site, the [...] - Clinical Developments:
VITAMIN C SHOWN TO PROTECT SKIN FROM CANCER, AGING
Researchers now believe Vitamin C long touted for its healing powers can protect the skin [...] - Clinical Developments:
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE LINKED TO HIGHER DEMENTIA RISK
A new study shows a definite link between cardiovascular disease and dementia, including Alzheimers disease. [...] - Pain Management:
GUIDELINES ON PAIN AND AGING INTRODUCED
An American Geriatrics Society panel presented new guidelines for treating pain in aging patients this [...] - Clinical Developments:
CLINICAL TRIALS TO START ON PLAQUE BUSTER DRUG
A new drug targeting the "sticky" brain deposits or plaques seen in the brains of [...] - Survey Management
QUALITY MEASURES USED IN PILOT QUALITY INITIATIVE Chronic Care Quality Measures (Residents in facility more [...] - Public Relations
TIPS FOR EXPLAINING QUALITY INITIATIVE TO CONSUMERS 1. Encourage consumers to view the published meaures [...]
