McKnight's Long-Term Care News articles from December 2003

McKnight's Long-Term Care News archives from December 2003

IOM urges electronic health data.
December 12, 2003... Standard information technology systems must become a cornerstone of the U.S. healthcare system, and the federal government should play a key role in achieving that goal, a new federal report says. Records-intense nursing homes, hospitals...

Senior Living Properties emerged from bankruptcy.(Late Breaking News)
December 12, 2003... Senior Living Properties emerged from bankruptcy, a year and a half after filing Chapter 11. The Carmel, IN-based company operates 48 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in Texas and 24 skilled nursing facilities in Illinois.

Flu outbreaks blossomed months before the sickness typically peaks.(Late Breaking News)
December 12, 2003... Flu outbreaks blossomed months before the sickness typically peaks. In addition, this year's vaccine does not exactly match the strain doctors are witnessing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which urged seniors and...

A study funded by the Alzheimer's Association found that people with Alzheimer's disease are not getting proper care.(Late Breaking News)
December 12, 2003... A study funded by the Alzheimer's Association found that people with Alzheimer's disease are not getting proper care--and what nursing home facilities reported regarding residents' food intake, fluids and pain did not match what patients...

Arkansas Medicaid beneficiaries who received a cash allowance for personal care services.(Late Breaking News)
December 12, 2003... Arkansas Medicaid beneficiaries who received a cash allowance for personal care services--instead of going through an agency--had more control and cost Medicaid the same, according to an online study published by the journal Health Affairs. By...

Mild hypertension may protect the cognitive functions of seniors older than 70.(Late Breaking News)
December 12, 2003... Mild hypertension may protect the cognitive functions of seniors older than 70, asserts an Israeli study published in the American Journal of Hypertension.

Databank ... independent residents.
December 12, 2003... The percentage of nursing home residents who are independently ambulatory (needing assistance or oversight two or fewer times per week) has fallen by nearly one-third over the last seven years. 1996 21.7% 1997 21.0% 1998 20.0%...

Medicare bill postpones therapy caps.
December 12, 2003... A contentious Medicare reform bill squeaked past the House (220-215) and Senate (54-44) just before Congress broke for Thanksgiving recess, paving the way for another two-year moratorium on Medicare Part B therapy caps. They should start Jan....

AMDA to test use of pain, pressure ulcer guidelines.(Care Practice)
December 12, 2003... AT A GLANCE * How to enact guidelines a focus * Pennsylvania kick-off in January * Follow-up will check follow-through The American Medical Directors Association next month will begin evaluating the effectiveness of the...

Ventas amid deals with Kindred, Genesis.(Acquisitions)
December 12, 2003... Ventas has agreed to sell eight unprofitable nursing homes to Kindred Healthcare so the latter can turn around and sell them. The deal is reportedly worth $85 million. Ventas, a Louisville, KY-based healthcare real estate investment trust,...

Hard data.(News)
December 12, 2003... 1.5 Depressed assisted-living residents were 1.5 times more likely to move into a nursing home, compared to their non-depressed counterparts, according to a study by researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 1.6...

The Senate passed the Department of Veterans Affairs Long-Term Care and Personnel Authorities Enhancement Act (S. 1156) on Nov. 19.(Legislative update)
December 12, 2003... The Senate passed the Department of Veterans Affairs Long-Term Care and Personnel Authorities Enhancement Act (S. 1156) on Nov. 19. It would enhance healthcare for veterans and authorize certain major construction projects and other matters...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a quality database for home healthcare agencies on Nov. 4.(Regulatory update)
December 12, 2003... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a quality database for home healthcare agencies on Nov. 4. Patterned after the year-old nursing home model, the database ranks agencies in 11 areas and can be found at www.medicare.gov.

Medicare claims for motorized wheelchairs in 20 states have cost the program at least $167 million and may now be its biggest problem.(Regulatory update)
December 12, 2003... Medicare claims for motorized wheelchairs in 20 states have cost the program at least $167 million and may now be its biggest problem. Dara Corrigan, acting Department of Health and Human Services inspector general, called fraudulent claims for...

Liability study, fire lawsuits, tort reform delay.(State News)
December 12, 2003... WEST/CALIFORNIA Advocates for Nursing Home Reform studied elder abuse litigation against 577 skilled nursing facilities from January 2000 to December 2002. It said it found few frivolous lawsuits, so litigation may not be the driving force for...

Washington: voters knock down ergonomics rules.(State News)
December 12, 2003... Washington voters have chosen to get rid of rules aimed at protecting workers, including nursing home employees, from on-the-job injuries. Initiative 841, which repeals the state's ergonomics rules, was passed in early November voting. ...

Tennessee: six more fire plaintiffs seek $42 million.(Southeast)
December 12, 2003... The owner of the Nashville NHC HealthCare Center facility that caught fire in September is facing six more lawsuits from families of residents who are seeking a combined $42 million in damages. The fire killed 18 residents at the 124-bed...

Arkansas: providers say tort reform can wait.(Southeast)
December 12, 2003... Providers pushing for caps on legal damages against nursing homes asked Gov. Mike Huckabee to exclude the issue from any possible special session of the legislature in December. Education reform is the most important issue facing lawmakers,...

Texas: officials address Medicaid estate recovery law.(Southwest)
December 12, 2003... Texas health officials have finally begun drafting regulations to get in line with a 1993 federal law requiring the state's Medicaid program to recoup assets from deceased beneficiaries. The assets are intended to help the state offset the cost...

Report: tired nurses a risk: while policy analysts agree with the Institute of Medicine's recommendations to boost nurses' efficacy, they're not sure on the long-term implications.(Cover story)(Cover Story)
December 12, 2003... AT A GLANCE * 10M report says nurses' hours too long * CMS studying staffing data accuracy * Nurses Intercept 86% of medication errors Policy analysts say it's tough to predict what kind of impact the Institute of Medicine...

Hiring trends, PET scans, seniors psych program.(Nursing News)
December 12, 2003... Of the 100,000 nurses hired in hospitals last year, most were over age 50 or foreign-born, a study in the journal Health Affairs found. These trends could have larger implications on the types of people attracted to the profession, experts say....

Filipino doctors moving to become nurses.(Nursing News)
December 12, 2003... Filipino doctors earn less than $500 a month in their country, and are emigrating to be nurses in the U.S., Canada and Europe, according to a report from the Associated Press. Nurses in the Philipines make a paltry $108 a month. Brain drain is...

Pet scans aid diagnosis.(Nursing News)
December 12, 2003... Positron-emission tomography, a tool that scans a patient's brain metabolism, may aid in diagnosing Alzheimer's early, a study in the November journal of Molecular Genetics and Metabolism found. Researchers at the UCLA Alzheimer's Disease...

Candidate addresses nursing shortage.(Nursing News)
December 12, 2003... Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean proposed a strategy as part of his campaign blitz to ban mandatory overtime for nurses and address the nursing shortage. Dean suggested establishing federal minimum staff-to-patient ratios, providing...

Reform would end AWP use for Medicare B drugs.(Pharmacy News)
December 12, 2003... According to Medicare reform bill negotiators, provisions in the final legislation announced Nov. 16 could substantially change how providers are reimbursed for prescription drugs now covered by Medicare Part B. The changes would be the...

Pharmacists in geriatric psych program.(Pharmacy News)
December 12, 2003... Pharmacists, physicians and nurses were to join together in the first interdisciplinary geriatric psychology and behavioral disorders "traineeship" this month, offered by an affiliate of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. Five...

Beverly Enterprises' net income fell 36% to $10 million, or 9 cents per diluted share, for the third quarter ended Sept. 30.(Earnings)
December 12, 2003... * Beverly Enterprises' net income fell 36% to $10 million, or 9 cents per diluted share, for the third quarter ended Sept. 30. The Fort Smith, AR-based company recorded revenues of $532.2 million, up from $518.8 million in the year-earlier...

Sunrise Senior Living earned $17 million, or 74 cents per diluted share, on revenues of $353 million for the third quarter ended September 30.(Earnings)
December 12, 2003... * Sunrise Senior Living earned $17 million, or 74 cents per diluted share, on revenues of $353 million for the third quarter ended September 30. These earnings exclude the $4 million one-time expense for the McLean, VA-based company's...

Extendicare Health Services earned $5.4 million on revenues of $220 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from $2 million on revenues of $207 million in the year-earlier quarter.(Earnings)
December 12, 2003... * Extendicare Health Services earned $5.4 million on revenues of $220 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from $2 million on revenues of $207 million in the year-earlier quarter. The Milwaukee, WI-based company benefited from an average...

Prostate cancer was the leading cancer among men and breast cancer the leading cancer among women in the U.S. in 2000.(Worth Watching)
December 12, 2003... * Prostate cancer was the leading cancer among men and breast cancer the leading cancer among women in the U.S. in 2000, according to the latest annual cancer statistics released in November by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and...

The estimated number of Americans with diabetes increased by 1.2 million from 2000 to 2002 to a record 18.2 million people.(Worth Watching)
December 12, 2003... * The estimated number of Americans with diabetes increased by 1.2 million from 2000 to 2002 to a record 18.2 million people, the Department of Health and Human Services announced. The estimate includes 13 million Americans who have been...

Customer surveys critical.(Surveys)
December 12, 2003... AT A GLANCE * Actionable data needed from surveys * Expectations, not just satisfaction, vital * Check value orientation, not just service Long-term care organizations are realizing that customer satisfaction surveys should...

RehabWorks to benefit from new parent.(Executive Decisions)
December 12, 2003... Q How will this purchase affect your existing and new customers in the long-term care field? A Very positively. RehabWorks will be able to improve its services in several ways. First, we will be able to invest more resources in recruiting,...

Extendicare Health Services.(Enterprise)
December 12, 2003... * Extendicare Health Services, Milwaukee, announced it would retrofit all of its facilities with the safety devices, whether mandated or not. There are currently no laws requiring sprinklers in nursing homes built before 1977. The majority...

Rural communities hoping to utilize.(Enterprise)
December 12, 2003... * Rural communities hoping to utilize the PACE model of long-term care services could be a little closer to their goal thanks to a one-year federal grant awarded to two key associations. The Department of Health and Human Services' Health...

Wireless links spark telemedicine breakthrough.(Managing Technology)
December 12, 2003... Nursing facilities are beginning to take advantage of wireless Internet connections. But it's not to let staff or residents surf the Internet. Rather, the quickly growing Wi-Fi technology that plugs computers into the Internet in coffee shops...

Headaches, back pain, arthritis and other muscle and joint pain cost the nation's employers $61.2 billion a year due to sub-par performance.(Quality Corner)
December 12, 2003... * Headaches, back pain, arthritis and other muscle and joint pain cost the nation's employers $61.2 billion a year due to sub-par performance, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study was based on...

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.(Quality Corner)
December 12, 2003... * The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has published a list of dangerous abbreviations long-term care facilities should avoid to improve patient safety, as recommended starting Jan. 1, 2004. For example, "U" for...

Stabilize costs with good risk management.(Legal Matters)
December 12, 2003... There are numerous common sources of liability (for example, falls, wanderings, elopements, failure to treat or diagnose major changes in conditions, improper care leading to bedsores or severe weight loss, medications or other clinical...

Double standard a risk with Medicare reform bill.(Regulations/Compliance)
December 12, 2003... Q The Medicare prescription drug bill, applies to all Medicare beneficiaries. But what about those individuals in nursing facilities that are dual eligibles--they are covered by both Medicaid and Medicare--would this law apply to them? A...

Many benefits to having a 'skilled' CCRC.(Payment Answers)
December 12, 2003... Q is there any benefit In a continuing care retirement community having a skilled nursing facility vs. an intermediate care facility? A Yes, this issue has come up frequently in our practice over the past two years. Many continuing care...

Religious requests shouldn't be a problem.(Staffing Concerns)
December 12, 2003... Q We need any decent employee we can get, but how far do you suggest nursing homes bend (or must bend) to accommodate different religious observances and practices? A How far do you go? As far as is appropriate. Let me put it this way....

Wellness centers add vigor to bottom line.(P&L Journal)
December 12, 2003... Industry observers must not pay attention just to trends. Changes within trends are also important. One such example is an ongoing shift from a medical model to a wellness model in senior care settings. This was further confirmed in new...

Resident ADL limitations 2002.(Market Monitor)
December 12, 2003... Resident ADL Limitations 2002 Percentage of residents Bathing Dressing Eating United States 94.95 87.66 50.90 Alabama 95.53 88.95 59.94 Alaska ...

Premier facility mattress.(New Products)
December 12, 2003... * Helps improve safety and reduce facility liability * Ideally suited for both non-sprinklered and sprinklered facilities * Offers comfort through a soft, pliable vinyl covering. * Produced by Chestnut Ridge Foam Circle 161 on...

Maxwell Thomas furniture.(New Products)
December 12, 2003... * Attractive and affordable line of resident furniture and furnishings * Designed for eldercare, durably built with special laminates * Many pieces ship within 48 hours * Produced by Direct Supply Circle 162 on reader service...

The invironmentalists flooring.(Supplier Notes)
December 12, 2003... Management System has become the first service to receive "Environmentally Preferable Product and Service" certification from Scientific Certification Systems. The interior services company of INVlSTA, formerly known as DuPont Flooring Systems,...

Affordable software solutions services.(New Products)
December 12, 2003... * User-friendly barcode scanning and inventory control * Easy HIPAA related information tracking and automatic alerts * Improved data security * Produced by Prime Care Technologies Circle 163 on reader service card

Smart charting.(New Products)
December 12, 2003... * Automated charting system * Delivers instant two-way clinical communication at point of care * Improves quality of care while maximizing staff efficiency * Produced by American Health Tech Circle 1164 on reader service card...

Chart concealer.(New Products)
December 12, 2003... * Covers medical records charts to protect patient's private information * Two vinyl opaque flaps, five-hole punched for side and top-ring binders * HIPAA compliance tool * Produced by MED-PASS, Inc. Circle 165 on reader...

Worth repeating.(People & Opinions)
December 12, 2003... "The conference agreement may even make states worse off financially than under current law, creating still greater pressure for states to cut Medicaid or other services in the future." A Nov. 19 report from the Center on Budget and Policy...

On guard against assaults.(Q&A)
December 12, 2003... Nursing home nursing aides were subject to a shockingly high number of assaults by residents, and others, a study by researchers from the University of Cincinnati revealed recently. Older aides and those trained to deal with stressful...

Enjoy what you can.(Commentary)
December 12, 2003... The odds are strong management skills have had you thinking about 2004 for quite some time now. But that doesn't mean you should forget about 2003 just yet, for it was not a bad year. Yes, there are still fires to be put out in many, many...

St. Barnabas Health System.(Milestones)
December 12, 2003... DOUGLAS W. DAY has been promoted to senior vice president of St. Barnabas Health System, Gibsonia, PA. After starting with the system 21 years ago while in high school as an admission counselor, Day has progressed to the point where he now...

Extendicare Health Services, Milwaukee, has appointed professionals to three key positions.(Milestones)
December 12, 2003... Extendicare Health Services, Milwaukee, has appointed professionals to three key positions. SUE SCHULZ is clinical program manager, in which she is responsible for developing and tracking guidelines and reports for ongoing quality care efforts....

Aegis.(Milestones)
December 12, 2003... CONNIE LARKIN has been named executive director at of Aegis of South San Francisco. She formerly was the executive director of Merrill Gardens at Mill Creek, WA. Aegis Assisted Living is based in Redmond, WA.

University Retirement Community.(Milestones)
December 12, 2003... In California, MARK BLAZER, former executive administrator for University Retirement Community in Davis, was promoted to regional vice president. Also, MIKE MORRIS, who served as administrator of health services since the community opened was...

Eskaton Village.(Milestones)
December 12, 2003... MARILYN KENNEDY is the new executive director at Eskaton Village in Northern California.

Who was your most memorable resident?(Reader Poll)
December 12, 2003... LORI MADALONE Registered dietitian, Peak Medical Corporation, Broken Arrow, OK Miss Dixie. This gentlewoman stole my heart. I am a registered dietitian and my first experience with long-term care involved an encounter with a woman in her...

McKnight's ADLs.(People & Opinions)
December 12, 2003... "Mrs. Wilson's son and daughter-in-law have taken her to their home for the holidays." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Madame resident: she's outspoken, in demand for her views and opinions, an accomplished organizer--and the first resident to serve on AAHSA's national board.(McKnight's LTCN profile)
December 12, 2003... Jean Wright doesn't worry whether she's up to being the first resident member of the national board of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. She's more concerned with how long she can keep some of her thoughts and...

Why LTC insurance is such a tough sell: despite promise, the product is not exactly flying off the shelves.(Parting Shots)
December 12, 2003... At first glance, it would appear that the stars are well aligned for private long-term care insurance sales to explode. After all, the product offers something for three key stakeholders. For providers, long-term care insurance holds the...