Provider Relief Fund reporting portal reopens for nursing homes through Dec. 20
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Dec 14, 2021
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources & Services Administration re-opened the Provider Relief Funds portal yesterday for nursing homes through midnight on Dec. 20 after some...
Providers continue to face workforce challenges as Careers in Aging Week arrives
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Mar 27, 2023
The long-term care industry is celebrating frontline workers this week during Careers in Aging Week as they continue to face workforce shortages.
Nursing home advocates ask CMS to amend visitation guidelines as COVID-19 spikes
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Dec 22, 2021
With the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus and a spike in COVID-19 infections overall nationwide, nursing home advocates are asking the federal government to allow providers more discretion...
Bipartisan legislation would expand access to advance care planning in Medicare
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Sep 19, 2022
The Improving Access to Advance Care Planning Act pending in Congress would, if passed and signed into law, expand access to advance care planning services in Medicare.
Decades-old CNA training lockout would change under re-introduced bill
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
May 16, 2023
A two-year lockout on certified nursing assistant training programs in skilled nursing facilities with deficiencies would be lifted under certain conditions if the bipartisan Ensuring Seniors’ Access...
Long-term care, other business groups find exclusion from federal vaccine mandate process ‘disappointing’
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Sep 30, 2021
As the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration works to develop and issue a rule for a vaccine and testing mandate announced earlier this month by President Biden, some business...
Legislation would support training programs, build CNA pipeline, LeadingAge says
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Sep 15, 2022
“Strong training programs [for certified nursing assistants] are a necessity to both ensure these valuable professionals have the foundation needed to serve older adults and to help fill a pipeline that...
Bill would expand provider National Practitioner Data Bank access to long-term care providers
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Jul 24, 2023
Legislation re-introduced last week by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) would expand access to the National Practitioner Data Bank to include long-term care providers such as nursing homes...
$1.3 million project aims to strengthen direct care workforce
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
May 05, 2022
A $1.3 million federal project, with funding spread out over five years, will establish a new center to help strengthen the direct care workforce providing home- and community-based services to older...
Long-term care industry brings workforce shortage issue to Senate committee
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Feb 17, 2023
“A shortage of healthcare personnel was a problem before the pandemic, and now it has gotten worse,” Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said Thursday...