We published a series of posts about our favorite mobile applications beginning in 2012. Our therapists continue to reap the benefits of using apps on their company mobile devices while delivering care, so we want to provide an update with some can’t-miss apps. Mobile applications have tremendous opportunities to make therapy engaging while saving paper. Adults and children alike can benefit from the use of apps in therapy. These are a few mobile applications that come highly recommended by our therapists and other clinicians.

Read Full Post

In response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule regarding new potential updates to the payments and care delivery for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) beginning October 1, 2014, Kindred Healthcare submitted formal comments and reactions prior to the June 30 deadline.

Read Full Post

Aphasia is a language disorder that affects nearly one-third of stroke victims. Aphasia occurs when there is damage to the communications hub in the left side of the brain. While aphasia disrupts communication skills, it does not affect a person’s thinking skills. It is critical to watch for signs and symptoms of aphasia following a stroke, and during Aphasia Awareness Month we want to remind people what to look for if a patient or loved one is at increased risk for the disorder.

Read Full Post

A recent nursing home study reaffirms that better staff interaction patterns lead to better resident care and staff satisfaction. Read Full Post

What is required to be a great speech therapist? Above-average intelligence, kindness and a team spirit – to name a few. As we honor speech-language pathologists in May for Better Hearing and Speech Month, we reflect on 12 qualities SLPs possess and use in their delivery of care.

Read Full Post

Across all care settings, an interdisciplinary approach leads to better patient outcomes. This has long been the experience of Kindred and other clinicians and is also the takeaway of a new position paper published by The American Geriatrics Society. The paper was produced by the Partnership for Health in Aging, a collection of over 30 organizations supported by the American Geriatrics Society who represent healthcare for older adults.

Read Full Post

A recent Canadian study uncovered that dementia patients are at a heightened risk of death following hip fractures, Provider Magazine reports. The study, conducted over a seven-year period, shows that dementia patients account for “more than four-fifths of hip fractures in long term care centers and nearly one-quarter of hip fractures in the community” and that dementia is associated with an increased risk of death following surgery.

Read Full Post

A recent study from Johns Hopkins University found that an individual’s level of education may indicate how well someone will recover from an acute, traumatic brain injury, reports CBS News. A patient’s “cognitive reserve” refers to retained mental function after brain damage, and scientists have discovered that one may retain more abilities the higher the amount of education he or she has obtained.

Read Full Post

Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the “Improving Care for Vulnerable Older Citizens through Workforce Advancement Act of 2014” last week to establish six new demonstration projects in long-term care. Two of the proposed projects would allocate funds for the training of advanced certified nursing assistants.

Read Full Post

As billing for therapy is interpreted by various agencies that review claims, the importance of strong communication cannot be understated. Shelly Mesure, author of the “Rehab Realities” column for McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, shares the “power words” that therapists should be using when they document for rehab services.

Read Full Post