Vermont has the highest percentage of nursing home residents who have received the COVID-19 vaccine while Nevada ranks the lowest in the country, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last updated Nov. 17.

The Department of Veteran Affairs' COVID-19 data reflecting May 2020 to Nov. 7, 2021, shows 1,498 residents and 54 staff at its facilities have died from the virus, figures likely to rise with missing data from harder-hit states, Politico reported Nov. 19.

Andover Subacute Facility I and II, two New Jersey facilities that came under fire following the discovery of 17 bodies in a makeshift morgue in April 2020, have been renamed Woodland Behavioral and Nursing Center at Andover, NBC reported Nov. 22. 

A survey of 80 nursing homes across Rhode Island revealed 1,920 positions are currently open, Providence-based NBC 10 reported Nov. 18. 

Private equity-owned nursing homes saw an increase in emergency room visits and hospitalizations among long-term residents and an increase in Medicare costs, an investigation published Nov. 19 in JAMA Health Forum found.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced Nov. 18 a significant expansion of Bayada’s Nurse Residency apprenticeship program through a $297,000 grant to help patients needing home healthcare. 

Only 55 percent of medical school residents reported consistently completing discharge summaries for hospitalized patients being transferred to skilled nursing facilities, a study published in the November issue of Journal of the American Medical Directors Association found.

Patients who use home health programs are readmitted to hospitals slightly less than those patients transferred to skilled nursing facilities, according to the 2021 AHHQI Home Health Chartbook released Nov. 18. 

Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services announced Nov. 12 an emergency rule allowing nursing homes to close for up to two years without having to relinquish their licenses in light of federal vaccination mandates, KTTN reported Nov. 16.  

Resilient Healthcare announced a partnership with Dallas-based Medical City Healthcare Nov. 12 to deliver high-acuity care in the home as COVID-19 cases persist around the state.

Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health and Bayada Home Health Care in Moorestown, N.J., announced Nov. 16 a definitive agreement for a joint venture to expand and improve the quality of home healthcare for Jefferson patients. 

In a series of memorandums published Nov. 12, CMS lifted nursing home visitation restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and increased survey oversights.

The owner of seven Louisiana nursing homes filed a motion Nov. 12 to dismiss over a dozen lawsuits claiming poor treatment of residents during evacuations prompted by Hurricane Ida, according to 4WWL. 

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed three bills into law aimed at improving infection prevention and control responses in nursing homes, according to a Nov. 10 press release.

Montana and Wyoming had the highest number of nursing home deaths in the U.S. through the first half of October, according to the American Association of Retired Persons' latest update to its nursing home COVID-19 dashboard. 

Kennett Square, Pa.-based post-acute care provider Genesis Healthcare announced Nov. 12 changes to its operational model and replacement of the majority of its corporate leadership team, McKnight's reported. 

Nursing homes alone have seen an industry employment level drop by 221,000 jobs since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a Nov. 10 report released by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. 

U.S. News and World Report published its 12th annual 2022 Best Nursing Home rankings Nov. 9. 

The CDC and Hartford Foundation have pledged $500 million toward an initiative that aims to reduce the spread of infections in nursing homes and address long-term staffing issues. 

While telehealth in nursing homes helps reduce stress among nursing home residents and expand access to care, there are also a number of drawbacks, according to a recent study published in the Applied Clinical Informatics journal.