Editorial: County officials, Berks Heim unions should keep talking

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Reading Eagle

The Issue: Commissioners announce a resumption in plans to sell a Bern Township nursing home. Our Opinion: Negotiations should play out completely before any decisions are made. We’re disappointed at the news that negotiations between Berks County and unions representing Berks Heim have broken down to the point that the…

Closer Look: Aging into the criminal justice system

Posted on December 09, 2018 by Carlisle Sentinel

Between 2000 and 2017, Pennsylvania’s prison population 65 years old or older has more than quadrupled, in large part because of the use of life without parole sentences. These inmates can be extremely expensive to house and research indicates they post very little risk to public safety….

St. Francis Home in Cumru Township provides comfort at the end of life

Posted on December 09, 2018 by Reading Eagle

The dream began more than seven years ago with two hospice nurses whose hearts broke a bit every time they watched a family struggle to keep a terminally ill loved one at home, or witnessed the anguish experienced when a person nearing the end of life was forced to leave home for a nursing…

Elder Care: Holiday traditions – a source of stability or tension

Posted on December 07, 2018 by Carlisle Sentinel

Do holidays bring to mind special memories of past family celebrations and anticipation of upcoming events, or a dread of the same old rituals? Traditions can be observed daily or at any other interval. They often help bond a family together by creating a sense of identity, unity and security…

Commissioners vote to reopen process of selling Berks Heim

Posted on December 07, 2018 by Reading Eagle

The Berks County commissioners voted Thursday to reopen the process of selling the county-owned nursing home, saying at their weekly board meeting that contract negotiations with the two unions representing the workers at Berks Heim had broken down. They said they believe contract concessions are critical if the county is…

New laxer rules for nursing home administrators put resident safety at risk

Posted on December 06, 2018 by Philadelphia Inquirer

Over the last 12 months, both the federal and Pennsylvania governments have taken actions that could significantly impact safety at nursing facilities. The United States has 15,452 nursing facilities according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and 4.5%, or 702, are located in Pennsylvania, putting…

Pa. Health Department ordered to turn over leases on nursing homes

Posted on December 06, 2018 by Penn Live, Patriot-News

The state Department of Health has been directed to turn over nursing home lease agreements, following a petition from PennLive. PennLive reporter Daniel Simmons-Ritchie initially sought the leases as part of a special investigation examining the quality of care in nursing…

UPMC subsidiary that targets hospital readmissions acquires New York telehealth company

Posted on December 04, 2018 by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A for-profit UPMC subsidiary has acquired a New York telehealth company serving patients in long-term care facilities, doubling its reach in a market that’s heating up. South Side-based Curavi Health Inc. on Tuesday announced the acquisition of TripleCare, which was founded in 2011 and has offices in Long Island. Terms…

Giving Patients a Voice in Their Mental Health Care Before They’re Too Ill to Have a Say

Posted on December 04, 2018 by New York Times

Steve Singer, who has bipolar and borderline personality disorders, knows when he’s on the verge of a mental health crisis. The female voice he hears incessantly in his head suddenly shuts up, and the hula hoop he gyrates while walking to the grocery store stops easing his anxieties….

What’s a nursing home to do?

Posted on December 03, 2018 by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Let’s start with some scary statistics about our aging society. More than half of U.S. households are headed by someone 50 or older, according to Housing America’s Older Adults 2018, a Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies report. The over-65 population is expected to grow to 79 million over the next 20…