McKnight's Long-Term Care News articles from August 2006

McKnight's Long-Term Care News archives from August 2006

HHS to push bed-tax cut.(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Federal plans to halve the allowable limit of a popular provider tax will proceed despite providers' and lawmakers' protests. That's the message Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt delivered to a provider gathering in June. He...

Buying, selling spree continues to heat up.
August 1, 2006... Higher occupancies and dropping capitalization rates have fueled a white-hot acquisition market. According to most experts, the pace of eldercare transactions might even quicken beyond its current torrid pace. At press time, GE Healthcare...

Concern: yes prepping: no.
August 1, 2006... Long-term care costs are rising--but not enough to worry most Americans, it seems. Some 57% of U.S. residents have concerns about the costs associated with long-term care, but 70% have taken few or no actions to address the problem,...

Alzheimer's now in top 5.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... Alzheimer's is now the fifth most common cause of death for Americans aged 65 and older. It has surpassed the flu and diabetes as a major cause of death in this population, according to a report issued from the National Institute on Aging....

New drug for Parkinson's.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... Providers now have the green light to use a drug to treat Parkinson's disease dementia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Exelon, which has been on the market for several years, for this condition. It is the first drug to be...

New quality program to begin late next month.(NEWS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... An unprecedented coalition will kick off a new initiative aimed at bringing better quality processes to nursing homes on Sept. 29. A two-year campaign will focus on helping providers reduce pressure ulcer incidence, prevalence of pain and...

Bush vetoes stem cell research.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... President Bush quickly vetoed a bill that would lift restrictions on federally funded human embryonic stem cell research. The measure would have provided millions of dollars to a field of medical research that is controversial because it...

More than.(At deadline)
August 1, 2006... More than 1.5 million Americans are injured every year by drug errors in nursing homes and other healthcare settings, according to an Institute of Medicine report. Authors called for greater use of technology, including electronic prescriptions...

Home care.(At deadline)
August 1, 2006... Home care costs are rising more than twice as quickly as costs for nursing home care, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. An agency fact sheet notes that spending on nursing homes rose 4% last year, while spending on home...

The House.(At deadline)
August 1, 2006... The House may vote to raise the minimum wage this month. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) met recently to discuss voting on such legislation. LaTourette showed Boehner a letter signed by 28 Republicans...

60 seconds with ... Rep. Shelley Moore Capito.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... Q: How has the response been to your solicitation for LTC Caucus members? A: We currently have 21 and continue to grow. We hope to have a majority of members join in order to share more ideas about solutions to the many problems in...

Pharmacists and Dems urge Part D drug policy changes.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... Pressure is mounting on policymakers to alter aspects of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. Last month, pharmacists called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to allow nursing home caregivers to help residents...

Kindred, Ventas claim wins in rent battle.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... Kindred Healthcare Inc. and its main landlord, Ventas Inc., both claimed victory following the New York Supreme Court's recent ruling in their rent dispute. While the court ruled that Kindred did not have to turn over its fair market...

Long-term care facilities are not responsible for the payment of self-administered drugs dispensed to residents in emergency rooms and other non-pharmacy.(Regulatory Update)
August 1, 2006... Long-term care facilities are not responsible for the payment of self-administered drugs dispensed to residents in emergency rooms and other non-pharmacy, hospital outpatient settings, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services confirmed.

CMS says Prescription Drug Plans have to add safety syringes, which are used to administer insulin.(Regulatory Update)
August 1, 2006... CMS says Prescription Drug Plans have to add safety syringes, which are used to administer insulin, to their standard network contract.

Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chair Byron Dorgan (N-ND) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) proposed a bill that would eliminate Medicare beneficiaries.(Bill Watch)
August 1, 2006... Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chair Byron Dorgan (N-ND) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) proposed a bill that would eliminate Medicare beneficiaries' monthly premiums under the drug benefit during the doughnut hole coverage gap.

The House has approved two fiscal year 2007 appropriations bills that include provisions to allow the purchase.(Bill Watch)
August 1, 2006... The House has approved two fiscal year 2007 appropriations bills that include provisions to allow the purchase of prescription drugs from other nations.

Ask the care expert.(NEWS: Resident Care)
August 1, 2006... We have been training a lot on skin care at our facility with a focus on wound care. Are all ulcers avoidable? Pressure ulcers have been a problem throughout history. Doing research, I discovered that some ancient mummies had pressure sores...

Report: Poor primary care results in hospitalizations.(NEWS: Resident Care)
August 1, 2006... A breakdown in basic medical care at nursing homes is responsible for thousands of resident hospital visits each year, according to a new analysis. Such visits could lead to further trauma in the forms of bedsores, infections and other...

A new study indicates that problems associated with high blood pressure begin at even lower levels.(Caregiving Update)
August 1, 2006... A new study indicates that problems associated with high blood pressure begin at even lower levels. Researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey found that people in the pre-hypertension range are three times more...

There really is such a thing as Southern hospitality when it comes to elders.(Caregiving Update)
August 1, 2006... There really is such a thing as Southern hospitality when it comes to elders. Nearly 17% of Southerners surveyed said they provide regular care to an older friend or family member who has a long-term illness or disability. That is higher than...

A new study published in the June 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine linked constipation, along with depressive symptoms, delusions and hallucinations, to physical aggression among nursing home residents with dementia.(Caregiving Update)
August 1, 2006... A new study published in the June 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine linked constipation, along with depressive symptoms, delusions and hallucinations, to physical aggression among nursing home residents with dementia. It was the...

Elderly women with type 1 diabetes are nearly seven times more likely than nondiabetic women to suffer a hip fracture.(Caregiving Update)
August 1, 2006... Elderly women with type 1 diabetes are nearly seven times more likely than nondiabetic women to suffer a hip fracture. The odds are twice as high in those with type 2 diabetes, according to the July issue of Diabetes Care. For the study,...

Ask the treatment expert.(NEWS: Wound Care)
August 1, 2006... Are there specific lab values we should monitor for residents with pressure ulcers? Laboratory values can be used to monitor nutritional status and healing potential of residents with pressure ulcers. The most commonly ordered labs...

Clinicians count dressings, exudate as bieeest concerns.(NEWS: Wound Care)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... What are the leading wound care challenges clinicians face? Determining the most cost-appropriate wound dressing and managing exudate, according to a new survey. "The results show that clinicians are looking for better wound care solutions...

Study shows how cells help wounds heal.(NEWS: Wound Care)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A communication signal between cells appears to play an important role in cell adhesion and detachment, according to researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. The discovery provides new information about how cells and tissues...

A new antimicrobial compound produced by a bacterium has the ability to effectively fight methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, according to the journal Nature.(Treatment Update)
August 1, 2006... A new antimicrobial compound produced by a bacterium has the ability to effectively fight methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, according to the journal Nature. The bacterium Streptomyces platensis helps form the...

Medline Industries Inc., has announced the launch of Gentleheal[R] Atraumatic Super Absorbent Foam Dressings.(Treatment Update)
August 1, 2006... Medline Industries Inc., has announced the launch of Gentleheal[R] Atraumatic Super Absorbent Foam Dressings. The new dressing is easy to use and has a silicone-coated surface that helps to minimize pain--even during dressing changes, according...

Healthpoint will begin marketing and selling the Collagenase Santyl Ointment product line.(Treatment Update)
August 1, 2006... Healthpoint will begin marketing and selling the Collagenase Santyl Ointment product line. The sterile enzymatic ointment is used to debride pressure ulcers, chronic dermal ulcers and severely burned areas.

Ask the nursing expert.(NEWS: Nursing)
August 1, 2006... I am a new director of nursing and not sure just where to start. What would you recommend? Start by building your team. Without a committed team around you, you won't go anywhere! Meet the staff on all three shifts and quickly identify the...

Flexible hours, ergonomics can help retain older nurses.(NEWS: Nursing)
August 1, 2006... What kind of perks will help keep older nurses on the job? Foremost are flexible schedules and ergonomic workplaces, according to a study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Older nurses are also more likely to stay put if they feel...

A new study in the journal circulation says the risk of dying from or having another heart attack is higher among people who have survived a first heart attack and are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.(Medication Update)
August 1, 2006... A new study in the journal Circulation says the risk of dying from or having another heart attack is higher among people who have survived a first heart attack and are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Researchers in Denmark found...

A report due out by this fall could lead to a new way of monitoring prescription drug safety.(Medication Update)
August 1, 2006... A report due out by this fall could lead to a new way of monitoring prescription drug safety. The Institute of Medicine reviewed the Food and Drug Administration's current system for tracking drug safety. The evaluation is expected to have "a...

Anti-asthmatic medications used to treat asthma or lung disease in the elderly may increase the risk of developing cataracts, according to new study results.(Medication Update)
August 1, 2006... Anti-asthmatic medications used to treat asthma or lung disease in the elderly may increase the risk of developing cataracts, according to new study results. Canadian researchers studied more than 100,000 elderly people with either asthma or...

Ask the payment expert.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
August 1, 2006... What is an NPI and why do I need it? This is a question I have been asked frequently. HIPAA legislation requires the establishment of a standard unique identifier for all healthcare providers. Each nursing facility needs to obtain a...

Providers breathing sigh of relief over citizenship ruling.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
August 1, 2006... Acknowledging providers' pleas, the Bush administration has toned down a citizenship requirement for gaining eligibility to Medicaid funding. The administration reversed itself last month and announced that millions of Medicaid...

New fraud-fighting efforts.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
August 1, 2006... Providers and beneficiaries who use the Medicaid program are about to undergo more scrutiny than ever. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched a new Medicaid fraud-fighting program. Created by the Deficit Reduction Act of...

Go figure.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
August 1, 2006... 1.8 Federal outlays for Medicaid are expected to increase by this many percentage points in fiscal year 2006, say federal officials. This slight rise is largely due to a shift in Medicare Part D prescription costs. 4 Spending on nursing...

Sunrise Senior Living inc. is teaming up with an independent joint venture capital partner to purchase six Florida senior living communities for approximately $457 million.(Business Briefs)
August 1, 2006... Sunrise Senior Living inc. is teaming up with an independent joint venture capital partner to purchase six Florida senior living communities for approximately $457 million. The communities are operated under the Aston Gardens brand name. As...

Advocat Inc. entered into a long-term debt refinancing agreement with Capmark Finance Inc.(Business Briefs)
August 1, 2006... Advocat Inc. entered into a long-term debt refinancing agreement with Capmark Finance Inc. Under commitment terms, Capmark will provide mortgage debt of about $22.5 million with a five-year maturity and a term note of approximately $8.1 million...

Omnicare Inc. filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group Inc., claiming the insurer violated federal antitrust laws.(Business Briefs)
August 1, 2006... Omnicare Inc. filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group Inc., claiming the insurer violated federal antitrust laws. A major long-term care pharmacy, Omnicare said that UnitedHealth conspired with PacificCare while negotiating contracts with...

Metro monitor.(Business Briefs)
August 1, 2006... Areas with the highest median occupancy rates, correlated with penetration rates (the number of beds per households with 75+ year-olds). Leaders Median Penetration Market ...

HUD gives preliminary OK to billion-dollar loan package.(NEWS: Companies)(Department of Housing and Urban Development)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... The Department of Housing and Urban Development has cleared the way for the submission of a healthcare refinancing package worth approximately $1 billion. Properties in the portfolio are part of the former Mariner Health Care sale, completed in...

GE Healthcare buys 186 units.(NEWS: Companies)
August 1, 2006... GE Healthcare Financial Services is planning to purchase 186 nursing homes valued at $1.4 billion from Formation Capital LLC. The facilities, which are contained in six senior housing portfolios, have a total of 21,000 beds and an average...

An IT panel.(IT Update)
August 1, 2006... An IT panel has identified 90 standards that can be used to help ensure the safe exchange of data about patients. The panel is expected to release a follow-up report on implementing the standards by the end of September. The Healthcare IT...

Congressional Budget Office.(IT Update)
August 1, 2006... Congressional Budget Office findings have derailed a health IT bill that was moving toward a House vote. The measure would increase direct spending and reduce revenues, according to CBO investigators. Reps, Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and Nathan Deal...

New measures in Congress would establish "Independent Health Record Banks.".(IT Update)
August 1, 2006... New measures in Congress would establish "Independent Health Record Banks." Such banks would allow individuals to have greater control over their medical records, according to supporters. Identical bills--S 3454 from Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS)...

At-home seniors.(IT Update)
August 1, 2006... At-home seniors will receive fewer nursing visits and make fewer trips to the hospital, according to a white paper from Parks Associates. The report says that the digital home health market in 2005 was $450 million. By 2010, it could be $2.1...

The government has recovered the stolen laptop computer and hard drive with sensitive data on up to 26.5 million veterans and military personnel.(IT Update)
August 1, 2006... The government has recovered the stolen laptop computer and hard drive with sensitive data on up to 26.5 million veterans and military personnel. The FBI said there is no evidence that anyone accessed Social Security numbers and other data on...

Watchdog groups worry over possible privacy invasions.(NEWS: Technology)
August 1, 2006... Electronic health records have been touted as a way to improve healthcare services while cutting costs and waste. But a growing number of consumer groups are expressing concerns about how well such information would be protected. "We're in...

"I couldn't live without...".(NEWS: Technology)
August 1, 2006... Charles Rice is a quality-driven administrator--so naturally, he likes to know about any likely risks and how his facility is doing compared to others. That's why he's so high on EQUIP for Quality software, produced by the New York Association...

Nursing homes' loans made easy.(SOUTHEAST)
August 1, 2006... LOUISIANA -- Despite opposition by Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a panel of state legislators agreed unanimously to support a bill designed to protect nursing homes from state budget cuts. Senate Bill 613, sponsored by Sen. Sherri Cheek (R), would...

Long-term care hotline.(MICHIGAN)
August 1, 2006... Gov. Jennifer Granholm has approved a new $9.1 million grant that will allow the state to establish a helpline for elderly seeking information about nursing homes, assisted living centers and other types of long-term care facilities in the...

Self-paying residents' rights.(WEST)
August 1, 2006... CALIFORNIA -- Nursing home residents who pay for their own long-term care would get more rights under a bill approved by legislators. The bill, SB 1248, sponsored by Sen. Elaine Alquist (D), would require that all residents be covered by...

Eden comes to the islands.(WEST)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... HAWAII -- Internationally noted gerontologist and founder of The Eden Alternative, Bill Thomas, recently went to the islands to emphasize homelike settings for eldercare--and to urge the state not to create more nursing home beds. The...

Coalition wants more oversight.(NORTHEAST)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- State nursing home inspectors rely too heavily on staff interviews and not enough on discussions with residents and their families, according to a recent report by the Long Term Community Care Coalition, New York City. In an...

Community care law passed.(NORTHEAST)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... NEW JERSEY -- Gov. Jon Corzine recently signed into law a bill that gives the elderly and disabled the option of remaining at home rather than entering a nursing home. The law will be phased in statewide starting in January 2008. At that...

HUD suspends operators.(NORTHEAST)(US Department of Housing and Urban Development)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... RHODE ISLAND -- Two nursing home operators have been suspended from engaging in any further business transactions with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to HUD General Counsel Keith E. Gottfried. Criminal...

Medicare drug auto enrollment.(NORTHEAST)
August 1, 2006... PENNSYLVANIA -- The state has told some 165,000 Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in its PACE and PACENET prescription drug assistance programs that they will be automatically enrolled in Medicare drug plans, according to published news reports....

Malpractice, AL rules bills signed.(MIDWEST)
August 1, 2006... MISSOURI -- Gov. Matt Blunt (R) has signed legislation giving the Missouri Insurance Department tighter control over medical malpractice insurance rates. The bill gives the state insurance director authority to veto medical malpractice...

Fewer Canadian drugs imported.(MIDWEST)
August 1, 2006... MINNESOTA -- It appears the state's seniors are purchasing fewer Canadian drugs since Medicare's new drug benefit became active. In fact, sales of low-price prescription drugs from Canada, purchased through a state-sponsored program,...

Dryer fire causes $100k damage.(PLAINS/MOUNTAINS)
August 1, 2006... KANSAS -- The price tag of a fire at Tonganoxie Nursing Center has more than doubled original estimates, and there was no word when the 71 residents displaced will be allowed to return to the facility. The fire started in a clothes dryer,...

Facility data to go online.(SOUTHEAST)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... NORTH CAROLINA -- Beginning this fall, the state Department of Health and Human Services will post information on the Internet about nursing homes and adult care homes, including cases in which a resident has died or been put in danger of...

Ask the legal expert.(NEWS: Legal Matters)
August 1, 2006... What are the legal concerns and liabilities about "hiring" volunteers? An employer who hires volunteers may be liable for injuries to the volunteers and injuries, losses or damages caused by the volunteers. The scope of the employer's...

Lawmakers weigh creative approaches to tort reform.(NEWS: Legal Matters)
August 1, 2006... Vowing to enact "meaningful medical liability reform," House lawmakers recently entertained new approaches from various legal experts. Eight times since 1995, the House has passed tort reforms providers have supported that would cap...

Mariner loses two arbitration appeals.(NEWS: Legal Matters)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A federal court in Mississippi quickly underscored twice how important it is for providers to pursue arbitration clauses appropriately. Unfortunately, it meant two setbacks for Mariner Healthcare Inc. The nursing home giant could not...

How to do it ... wander care.(Business & Marketing)
August 1, 2006... With the number of residents with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia expected to skyrocket in the coming years, providers will continue to face challenges from wanderers. Conducting a safe, efficient wander control program should...

Garden variety wellness: exposure to the outdoors may make a big difference when it comes to residents' stress, chronic pain and overall well-being.(Business & Marketing: Design)
August 1, 2006... When Karen Carpenter famously sang that "rainy days and Mondays" always got her down, she was reflecting on a basic truth: Our moods--and even our health--can be shaped by external conditions. Certain environmental factors literally can...

A tamed tiger, at least for now.(THE BIG PICTURE)
August 1, 2006... Being able to tap the government for payments is sort of like having a pet tiger. On the one hand, others who should know better tend to regard you with envy. On the other hand, there's an ever-present risk you'll get mauled. Many...

Getting 'real' on lessons learned on summer break.(Editor's DESK)
August 1, 2006... School children soon will be going back to class, and one of the first questions they're liable to hear is: "What did you do over summer break?" Posed to a certain influential gathering of providers, the question would elicit a pretty...

"What are your thoughts on the concept of culture change?".(Reader Poll)
August 1, 2006... "The concept of culture change is nothing more than team building establishing leadership and a consistent approach to accountability. Employees will work to the expectations set forth by their supervisors and administration. In order to...

Dangerous residents: researchers at work.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... Two recent stories from your online newsletter (McKnight's LTC News Daily Update, www.mckniEhtsonline.com. and MLTCN, June 2006, p. 1) focused important attention on the public health implications of sex offenders and other residents with...

CMS legal challenge is still burning bright.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... Thanks again for bringing our civil rights case to the attention of the industry (MLTCN, May 2006, p. 24). To keep you further updated, we have just completed submitting a series of briefs in our other federal court case against CMS. In that...

Growth spurt: wound care is on a tear. As demand continues to build, newer technologies are moving the industry ahead--by the billions.(Wound care)(Medical condition overview)
August 1, 2006... As long as there have been people there has been wound care. Think of ancient civilizations' use of leeches to manage pain or the Egyptians' grasp of silver's antimicrobial properties. (If prostitution is considered the oldest profession,...

No dirty laundry: experts 'come clean' on infection control issues, stressing the need for better adherence to standard handling precautions.(Laundry/Housekeeping)
August 1, 2006... Linens have the potential for doing far more than layering beds, lining tables and swathing long-term care residents in thread-counted comfort. If they're not sorted, laundered, transported and stored properly, linens also may harbor...

Lenders source 2006: McKnight's: Long-Term Care News.(Corporate Profiles)(Company overview)
August 1, 2006... How hot is the long-term care lending market? Hotter than ever, according to most experts, though results of the latest McKnight's Long-Term Care News Lenders Source indicate some financiers are tempering their optimism a bit. For the...

Pressure relief surfaces: for the prevention of skin breakdown.(Product Focus)
August 1, 2006... SPAN-AMERICA The new PressureGuard Easy Air[R] XL bariatric mattress system incorporates a patented design independently documented to control excess skin moisture better than any leading low air loss system. It provides low air loss and...

Anti-wandering system.(New Product)
August 1, 2006... New from Smart Caregiver is the all-in-one anti-wandering door alarm system which functions with just a door alarm and a resident wristband. The system requires no setup. Simply hang the door alarm above any crucial exit or doorway in the...

A day in the life: Mary Blanchett, assistant administrator.(Careers)
August 1, 2006... IT'S 10:30 A.M. on a Tuesday and Mary Blanchett is in the middle of a crisis. A hurricane has struck and her facility, CNR Health Care Network, a 320-bed skilled nursing home in Brooklyn, NY, is taking in 41 residents. Of course, the storm...

Salary snapshot: nursing supervisor (RN).(Careers)
August 1, 2006... Median salaries (all facilities) REGION SALARY($) REGION SALARY($) 1 58,951 6 44,912 2 57,647 7 41,600 3 50,502 8 49,295 4 50,668 9 59,490...

Hometown roots.(Profile)(Biography)
August 1, 2006... Marianna Grachek President & CEO, ACHCA FOR THE PAST four years, Marianna Grachek has commuted between her home in southeastern Michigan to her job at the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations outside Chicago....