Joe Byrnes - WMFE

It can be hard for people with dementia and caregivers to enjoy life’s simple pleasures, like eating out. Some businesses are already making a difference, offering a controlled environment and specially trained staff.

The president wants to set minimum staffing levels for the beleaguered nursing home industry. But, given a lack of transparency surrounding industry’s finances, it’s a mystery how facilities will shoulder the costs.

The amended version of the bill reduces -- but does not eliminate -- the care that residents must get from certified nursing assistants. Those nursing hours would drop from 2½ to 2 hours a day.

In Florida, only half of fully vaccinated nursing home residents have gotten the booster for COVID. When you add unvaccinated residents into the mix, just 41% are boosted.

The CDC reports that 81 percent of nursing home residents in the state are fully vaccinated, but only 39 percent have received a third dose.

The test that found the omicron variant in Orange County sewage is considered preliminary. The city of Altamonte Springs also found the highly contagious strain in its sewage.

A broader hearing in the case is scheduled to start next Tuesday. The judge raised the possibility that the hearing might have to be delayed if he decides former Surgeon General Scott Rivkees should be deposed.

The question was raised at a recent school board meeting. Could the special session end with a way to remove members who defy state rules? Scott Stephens, a Stetson law professor, offers perspective.

Mayor Jerry Demings says he supports firefighters. Gov. Ron DeSantis says the Orange County case underscores the need for a special session to outlaw mandates by local governments.

A predicted nursing shortage is expected to effect The Villages especially hard. In nearby Ocala, the College of Central Florida is racing to help meet the demand.