Calling All Healthcare Workers to Help Educate People on Sterilizing Medical Devices March 20, 2023Tap Water is Not Made To Sterilize Home Medical Devices: Survey Finds Most People Think it is A new federal survey has discovered that many people in the United States believe tap water is suitable for sterilizing home medical devices. This can become a significant issue if medical devices aren’t properly cleaned and sterilized. This presents an ...read more

New Study Shows How Healthcare Workers Can Report Misconduct More Effectively March 14, 2023A New Tool To Empower HealthCare Workers A new study has found that using peer messaging to address workplace behavior can help the healthcare workforce successfully. Called Co-Worker Observation System, CORS allows people to report coworkers’ behavior anonymously. The reports are addressed by a trained peer and only go through nursing leadership or human resources if necessary. The ...read more

COVID-19 EUAs Testing Requirements Change March 6, 2023The FDA announces Removing Positive COIVD-19 Test Requirements for Paxlovid and Lagevrio EUAs The Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) allows the FDA to strengthen the nation’s public health protection against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats. Including infectious diseases by aiding the availability and use of medical countermeasures (MCMs) that may be needed during public health ...read more

Making The COVID Vaccine Annual Like The Flu Shot February 27, 2023FDA Requests Making The COVID Shot Annual For Most Americans The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked the vaccine advisory panel to create a proposal that would make the COVID vaccine an annual shot for most Americans. According to the CDC, More than 80% of Americans have at least one dose of the vaccine, but ...read more

Nursing Homes Are Still Waiting for $67 Million in Grant Money February 20, 2023Long-Term Care Facilities Have Lost The Most Healthcare Workers in The Industry In February 2022, a supplement that provided $300 million to healthcare facilities for staff recruitment and retention was announced and signed into state healthcare. The Health Care Association estimates that facilities have lost more than 10,000 workers since the start of the 2020 pandemic. The ...read more

Older Adults Affected By Parkinson’s Is Higher Than Previously Thought January 27, 2023A New Study Shows The Number Of Adults Affected By Parkinson’s is Higher Than Once Believed In North America, Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative condition. It was previously believed 40,000-60,000 people were affected. But, a study now shows that number is about 50% higher than previously estimated. Parkinson’s Disease typically first develops ...read more

Improve Your Patient’s Mental Health With These Steps January 11, 2023Mental health can affect cognitive functions, physical health, social well-being, etc. That’s why it is important to be mindful of a patient’s mental health while under LTC. A Patient’s mental health can determine their thinking, feeling, acting, and decision-making skills. It can also be imperative to a patient’s quality of life and overall health. Here is ...read more

“All-Hands-On Deck Campaign” to Improve COVID-19 in Nursing Homes December 27, 2022The White House has announced nursing home staff can now administer COVID-19 omicron booster shots. As it cools down, the CDC is reporting higher-than-normal community levels of COVID-19 and influenza. Those who are receiving care in nursing homes and other long-term care (LTC) facilities are at a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and influenza, ...read more

Study Shows The Consumption of Ultra-Processed Food Can Lead to Cognitive Decline  December 22, 2022Cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults may be reduced by limiting the consumption of ultra-processed foods. Foods such as soft drinks, chips, chocolate, candy, sugared breakfast cereals, packaged soups, fast food, and much more are all ultra-processed food. When sugar, salt, fat, artificial colors, or preservatives are added, the food goes from unprocessed or minimally ...read more

Helpful tips for helping residents deal with their OCD December 1, 2022OCD is a psychiatric disorder that affects 2-3% of the population. Individuals suffering from OCD are compelled to engage in repetitive behaviors in order to alleviate anxiety caused by their obsessions. The following tips can help LTC facilities manage residents suffering from OCD. Refer residents for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment, which may include medications such ...read more

US News & World Report changes its rating criteria November 28, 2022Ownership tenure, weekend staffing and infection data added to the mix US News & World Report’s annual nursing home ratings edition is kicking things up with new criteria added to its rating system. The recently released 13th edition evaluated more than 15,000 nursing facilities on care, safety and health inspections. It used public information and a rating ...read more

New HIPAA regulations on the way November 17, 2022Prepare for impending HIPAA regulations New HIPAA requirements are coming soon. Smart facilities will begin making preparations now so when these new rules go into effect, they will be compliant. There are two significant changes to the new health records privacy regulations that will require attention. The first change involves timing. Once implemented, providers will have 15 ...read more

Preventing staff burnout November 6, 2022NAM’s National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being Staff burnout in the healthcare field has been an ongoing concern for years, with the pandemic exacerbating the situation. Creating a work environment that fosters well being and the importance of self care for nursing home staff are key to preventing burnout. According to NAM data, prior to the pandemic, ...read more

Boost your PDPM with physiatry October 28, 2022Adding physiatrists to your staff can benefit patients and profits While having a doctor trained in rehab seems like a perfect match for long term care facilities, physiatrists are rarely used and facilities may be missing out. Physiatry care can result in lower hospital readmission rates, improved patient outcomes and greater patient satisfaction. They can also improve ...read more

Medicaid is easing staffing hurdles. What are the ramifications? October 24, 2022In an effort to ease training and staffing hurdles while maintaining high standards, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a new and controversial move. As of October 1, the requirements for being considered a qualified long-term care facility director of food and nutrition services will change. Would-be dining directors will need to have had ...read more

SpecialtyRx Prepares FDA Approved COVID Bivalent Booster September 22, 2022SpecialtyRx gears up for flu and COVID seasons with new COVID bivalent booster, What you need to know: The newest FDA approved bivalent booster is a single dose Pfizer’s bivalent is approved for 12 and older Moderna’s bivalent is approved for 18 and older Moderna and Pfizer are compatible with each other ...read more

Choosing A Long Term Care Pharmacy September 14, 2022Tips for how to select your LTC pharmacy, It’s important to choose a pharmacy that will partner with you in caring for your residents and help you reduce your costs without sacrificing quality. There are a number of things to look for when searching for a long term care pharmacy. Service – Look for a pharmacy that ...read more

It’s Time To Prepare Your Vaccine Clinics September 12, 2022Vaccines can help combat upcoming flu and COVID seasons, Flu cases typically begin to escalate in October and peak between December and February and the FDA just authorized bivalent formulations of the COVID vaccine for a single booster dose. So now is the time to prepare to vaccinate your residents. Holding a vaccine clinic is an ...read more

Using Technology To Better Serve Our Clients August 31, 2022Exclusive, secure access to SpecialtyRx just got easier, At SpecialtyRx we’re always looking for ways to improve our customer service. With SpecialtyRXNow added to Outlook, our customers can quickly and easily reach out to us at any time and receive a quick response. Our HIPPA compliant chat forum can be added to your Outlook and you can ...read more

Pressure Injuries In Stroke Patients August 19, 2022New study reveals link between pressure injuries and strokes, A recent study investigated data from over 65,000 adults aged 65 and up who were admitted to SNFs after suffering strokes. The results revealed that 11% of those patients also suffered from pressure injuries upon admission to facilities. According to the data collected, pressure injuries were more common ...read more