Skilled Nursing Facilities

National Patient Safety Awareness Week is being celebrated on March 10-16, 2024.  The week is a way to highlight and improve patient safety in all healthcare settings by bringing awareness of best practices and improving access to resources to improve patient safety. 

History of National Patient Safety Awareness Week

National Patient Safety Awareness Week was initiated by the National Patient Safety foundation in 2002.  Using increased awareness... Read More

The question of vaccination is a hot topic and everyone has an opinion on the right answer.  If you goggle COVID vaccine you will also get so much information that at times it is difficult to sort through opinions versus science.

What we do know is that the rate of COVID in nursing homes has dramatically decreased since the vaccine has been giving to residents; knowing that 79% of residents in nursing facilities nationwide have been vaccinated.  However, the vaccination of... Read More

Join Mark McDavid from Seagrove Rehab Partners and Sabrena McCarley with RehabCare as they describe considerations for telehealth use in SNFs to improve patient access to care, collaboration and clinical practice during this pandemic.  Click here for their VLOG. 

How can telehealth be used in SNFs?  During a recent CMS "Office Hours" they communicated that their interim final rule as well as their FAQ for SNF providers did not say no.  Victory! Therapists are telehealth... Read More

March 14, 2020
 

On Friday, March 13, 2020 the White House declared a national emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has allowed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to issue an 1135 to relax certain rules and conditions of participation (CoPs) for many healthcare providers.  Listed below are a few of those which may impact NARA members:
 

What I Learned at #ASHA2019

Kelly Cooney, CCC-SLP, CHC

NARA President

We are in a time of significant change in post -acute care. With this type of significant change can come fear and distrust, as well as opportunity. At ASHA 2019 in Orlando this week I saw that our SLP colleagues are hopeful. They are looking for resources.  They are engaged. They are interested in tools to... Read More

How much group therapy should providers be aiming for when the clock strikes PDPM?

Based on my conversations with our clients, SNFs and therapy providers throughout the country, I’ve heard plans that range from ramping up rapidly, to gradually phasing it in over months or years.

There are good reasons to go in either direction, or anywhere in between.

Consider the financial uncertainty. Many SNFs just don’t know what their books will look like several... Read More

Blog Post Provided by Optima Healthcare Solutions

Older adults have a few insurance options for healthcare, one of which is Medicare Advantage (MA). MA plans provide coverage for traditional Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Medicare Part B (medical insurance), and often provide additional benefits, such as prescription drugs, vision and dental care. The main difference is that MA plans are offered through private insurance companies and are paid a fixed amount each month to cover... Read More

Senior Living communities boast a flurry of services to promote active aging for seniors.  Among those services, is therapy.  Therapy comes in various options for residents in most Senior Living communities, and given the changing climate of healthcare reform, your diversification into rehab environments is more important than ever.   Have you considered…Home Health, outpatient, wellness programs, and community engagement. 

Home Health (HH) services are... Read More