Effective management of COVID-19 and influenza outbreaks in nursing homes (NHs) depends on preparation by the NH organization and the rightful execution of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures by NH staff. To be better prepared for future outbreaks and pandemics, we need a better understanding o...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued changes in the 2025 immunization schedule for children, adolescents, and adults. These changes include new and updated recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, influenza vaccines, meningococcal serogroup B vaccines, pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (...
To explore the influenza and COVID-19 vaccination status among Dutch nursing home (NH) health care workers (HCWs), factors associated with vaccination including the influence of the pandemic, and the facilitators and barriers to vaccination willingness.
It’s the time of year that facilities are seeing residents, staff, and others with respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In a recent special PALTtalk podcast, host Ghinwa Dumyati, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Communicable Diseases Surveillance an...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its final rule for the Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS), which includes updates to Medicare payment policies and rates for Home Health Agencies (HHAs). Among the key changes, CMS is finalizing a new dat...
Medicare pays for vaccines administered during a patient’s stay in a nursing home. Vaccine payment depends on the type of vaccine and whether the patient is using their Skilled Nursing Facility Part A benefit. Learn how to bill for a number of vaccines
During a recent JAMDA On-The-Go podcast, Jonathan L. Temte, MD, PhD—lead author of an insightful study on the rapid detection of influenza outbreaks in the December issue of JAMDA—talked about the power of prompt action and teamwork. Other articles discussed focused on balance, evaluation of cognitive asse...
To assess whether the use of rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) for long-term care facility (LTCF) residents with acute respiratory infection is associated with increased antiviral use and decreased health care utilization.