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Problems with DICE and BPSD

JAMDA
January 17, 2020

I have read with a great interest the article by Kales et al.1 I agree that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) program concentrating on discontinuation of one type of medication in dementia care, which can lead to medication substitution and which does not include an effort to increase nonpharmacologic strategies for treatment of behavioral symptoms of dementia, is not going to improve dementia care. In addition, the CMS program did not take into account that antipsychotics may be used in treatment of patients with dementia appropriately if the indication was augmentation...

Mindful Self-Compassion Training for Nursing Assistants in Long-Term Care: Challenges and Future Directions

JAMDA
January 17, 2020

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) play a critical role in the care of more than 1.4 million nursing home (NH) residents, and demand for their services is projected to grow.1 Yet the CNA workforce has long been in crisis. Challenging work-related factors—including low wages, heavy workloads, and inadequate training—contribute to CNA burnout, high job turnover rates, and compromised resident care.1 In addition, more than 90% of CNAs are women, and approximately half identify as racial and ethnic minorities and are from low-income households.

Quality Payment Program: New MIPS Participation Framework for 2021 Performance Period

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment, Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act (MACRA), Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Quality Payment Program (QPP), Practice Management, Practitioners
January 16, 2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing a new participation framework for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) starting with the 2021 performance period, MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs). The goal of this new framework is to move away from siloed performance category measures and activities and toward an aligned set of measures and activities that are more meaningful to clinicians and patient care.

CMS will not immediately eliminate the current MIPS framework. Instead, it intends to develop MVPs for 2021 and beyond in collaboration with...

Quality Payment Program: MIPS for 2020 Performance Period Webinar from CMS on January 22

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment, Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act (MACRA), Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Quality Payment Program (QPP), Practice Management, Practitioners
January 16, 2020

Wednesday, January 22 from 2:30 to 4 pm ET

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is holding a webinar on Wednesday, January 22, from 2:30 PM to 4 PM ET. The session will provide a basic overview of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for the 2020 performance period. Topics will include:

  • Eligbility
  • Reporting options
  • Basic requirements for the MIPS performance categories
  • Help and support

...

Association Between Ideal Cardiovascular Health Score and Relative Handgrip Strength of Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Colombia

JAMDA
January 16, 2020

In response to the increasing burden of mortality and morbidity, including cardiovascular events and geriatric syndromes, the American Heart Association established the 2020 Strategic Impact Goals to promote ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) and to determine the metrics needed to monitor it across populations.1,2 Ideal CVH is described as attaining the ideal criteria for 4 health behaviors [nonsmoking, physical activity at target levels, body mass index (BMI)

The Role of C-Reactive Protein in the Pain and Cognition Relationship

JAMDA
January 13, 2020

Chronic pain is frequently reported by older adults and is associated with systemic inflammation.1 Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies show that chronic pain—especially severe pain—is associated with worse cognitive function in older adults.2,3 A weak association between elevated levels of peripheral C-reactive protein (CRP) and cognitive decline has been shown in the general population.4 Animal studies suggest that inflammation is one of the mechanisms through which pain influences cognitive impairment.

Association Between Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors and Osteoporotic Fractures in Older Persons With Alzheimer's Disease

JAMDA
January 13, 2020

To identify the association between the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and risk of osteoporotic fractures in older persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Orthostatic Drop in Diastolic but Not Systolic Blood Pressure Is Associated With Fear of Falling in Older Fallers

JAMDA
January 13, 2020

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is very common in older persons and associated with several adverse outcomes,1 such as cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.2,3 Because OH can cause symptoms of dizziness and instability, it can also lead to falls and bone fractures,4 which consequently can contribute to physical impairment and decreased quality of life. It is estimated that up to 10% of falls occur secondary to abnormal blood pressure responses such as OH.4 However, it is not completely clear whether older fallers with OH differ from older fallers without OH in terms of their physical...

Landscape of Sarcopenia Research (1989‒2018): A Bibliometric Analysis

JAMDA
January 13, 2020

Despite the approximately 30-year history of sarcopenia research,1 a detailed quantitative analysis of the existing research has not been undertaken to elucidate the body of evidence on sarcopenia. To depict the sarcopenia research landscape, we performed a bibliometric analysis of the published literature on sarcopenia.

Associations Between Somatic Multimorbidity Patterns and Depression in a Longitudinal Cohort of Middle-Aged and Older Chinese

JAMDA
January 13, 2020

Depressive symptoms are commonly seen among patients with multiple chronic somatic conditions, or somatic multimorbidity (SMM); however, little is known about the relationships between depressive symptoms and different SMM combinations. Our study aimed to delineate the patterns of SMM and their longitudinal associations with depressive symptoms among a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older Chinese adults.