McKnight's Long-Term Care News articles from January 2002

McKnight's Long-Term Care News archives from January 2002

Almost $25 billion in capital. (Late Breaking News).
January 11, 2002... Almost $25 billion in capital, $5 billion for skilled nursing facilities alone, will be needed for new seniors properties in the next nine years, according to a study from the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing and Care...

Nearly 1 in 5 Florida. (Late Breaking News).
January 11, 2002... Nearly 1 in 5 Florida nursing homes wasn't expected to meet the state's Jan. 1, 2002, deadline to have liability insurance, according to a University of South Florida study.

New projections. (Late Breaking News).
January 11, 2002... New projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics say that 561,000 registered nurse positions will be added over the next nine years.

The United States. (Late Breaking News).
January 11, 2002... The United States spent 7.2% of its gross domestic product on support for the elderly in the mid-1990s, according to a new Notional Institute on Aging report. Uruguay and Italy were highest at about 15% each.

Congress passes staffing bills.
January 11, 2002... The assault on the nursing shortage received a boost when Congress passed a pair of key bills the day before it left on Christmas recess. Under the Nurse Reinvestment Act (H.R. 3847), which was passed by the House on Dec. 20. the Nurse...

Databank.
January 11, 2002... Databank Calling it home Due to over saturation, the senior housing market has seen a drastic cutback in the number of assisted-living facilities being built, while the skilled-nursing sectors is seeing renewed interest from the...

Bond slams proposed changes to survey. (News).
January 11, 2002... Another U.S. lawmaker has ripped a proposal by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that, he says, would relax monitoring standards for nursing homes. "Unconscionable" is how Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO) characterized any changes...

Medicaid and Medicare rates pose problems for providers. (Reimbursement Update).
January 11, 2002... As the economy worsens, the demands on Medicare and Medicaid increase. Healthcare costs continue to rise, and state after state tries to reduce spending, often by reducing payments to nursing facilities. Looming in the not-so-distant future...

Survey: Many consumers are unaware of LTC costs. (News).
January 11, 2002... Though America is rapidly aging, most Americans are uninformed about the costs and funding sources of long-term care services, according to a new study. Only 15% of respondents to the survey could identify the cost of nursing home care...

MedPAC: Medicare payment inadequate. (News).
January 11, 2002... The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) declared that Medicare payments for hospital-based skilled nursing facilities are inadequate. At its December meeting, MedPAC suggested that Congress look into updating payment rates. The...

House passes Medicare reform bill. (News).
January 11, 2002... The U.S. House easily passed a Medicare reform bill in December, but a similar Senate bill was not expected to be discussed until sometime this month. The House's Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act of 2001 (HR 3391) was a...

Bar codes for drugs. (Capital Briefing).
January 11, 2002... Federal Register 12-3-01 (66 Fed. Reg. 61165). The Food and Drug Administration has announced that it plans to propose a rule requiring bar codes on all prescription drugs. The agency said it would publish a notice of the rule by April. It will...

New Medicare Beneficiary Database. (Capital Briefing).
January 11, 2002... Federal Register 12-6-01. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a new Medicare beneficiary database, which, when fully functional, would be able to provide full personal data on Medicare beneficiaries as well as people...

Legislative update. (Capital Briefing).
January 11, 2002... S. 1745 would delay until at least Jan. 1, 2003, any changes in Medicaid regulations that modify the Medicaid upper payment limit for non-state government-owned or operated hospitals. Referred to the Committee on Finance. H.R. 3431 would...

Staffing, funding, quality of care top tests for 2002. (Cover Story).
January 11, 2002... A national crisis. A faltering economy. The long-term care field may have suffered from the effects of recent national events as much as many other industries have. But it could be a couple of lingering -- indeed, festering -- problems,...

Iowa's new survey policy draws cheers and jeers: Could lengthen interval between inspections to 30 months; needs volunteers to get pilot started. (News).
January 11, 2002... Iowa-based long-term care providers still reeling from their last inspection could soon be breathing a sigh of relief thanks to a state policy that could double the length of time between certain nursing home surveys. Officials from the...

CMS considers Medicaid loophole already closed. (News).
January 11, 2002... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it will publish a final rule limiting the Medicaid upper payment limit by March 2002. The agency already has formally told states they should no longer apply for the excess payments. In a...

Feds say Missouri 'improperly' took $1.6 billion. (Midwest).
January 11, 2002... ST. LOUIS -- A federal audit discovered that Missouri "improperly reaped" more than $1.6 billion from Medicaid, leading to the possible withholding of millions of dollars in other federal funds, according to a published report. Centers for...

Drug companies object to Michigan's Medicaid formulary. (Midwest).
January 11, 2002... DETROIT -- The Michigan Department of Community Health has released a "preferred" drug list as part of an effort to cut costs, drawing howls of protest from the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, which earlier had filed a lawsuit to prevent...

Lawyers, judges busted for widespread misuse of elderly's savings. (Northeast).
January 11, 2002... NEW YORK -- More than a dozen lawyers and judges who had been entrusted with safeguarding the assets of the elderly and infirm have been accused of plundering the very estates they were engaged to protect. A two-year investigation of...

New Jersey nurses coming close to getting OT relief. (Northeast).
January 11, 2002... TRENTON, NJ -- The New Jersey legislature sent the governor a bill that would bar forced overtime for nurses. Acting Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco was expected to make a decision on the measure by Jan. 8, his last day in office. The bill...

Court: Law barring ex-cons as employees unconstitutional. (Northeast).
January 11, 2002... HARRISBURG, PA -- Individuals who have been convicted of a crime cannot automatically be legally barred from holding jobs in senior care facilities under amendments to a Pennsylvania elder care act, a court has ruled. In a 5-2 decision,...

Beverly completes leasing agreement to leave Florida. (Southeast).
January 11, 2002... TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Beverly Enterprises Inc., Fort Smith, AR, has officially transferred operations of its 49 skilled nursing facilities and four assisted living centers in Florida to Florida Health Care Properties. The state gave licensing...

$78 million award Arkansas' biggest, under appeal. (Southeast).
January 11, 2002... MENA, AR -- A jury has awarded plaintiffs an Arkansas record $78,425,000 in the death of a 93-year-old Alzheimer's disease patient at Rich Mountain Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The victim had not eaten or drunk anything for 24 to 48 hours...

'Grandmother Tax' causes rift between for-profits, nonprofits. (Southeast).
January 11, 2002... TOPEKA, KS -- It would cost about $2 per person per day, and that is too much. A proposed per-bed tax that nursing homes would pay is being opposed by some Kansas patient advocates. They call it the "grandmother tax" because they fear that...

Market Monitor.
January 11, 2002... Market Monitor Nursing facility measure: Indirect care expense per resident day (median values) State 1998 1997 1996 Alabama 11.79 11.30 10.11 Alaska N/A 35.51...

Stock watch.
January 11, 2002... Stock watch WINNERS & LOSERS Company name Percent change (*) Winners Beverly Enterprises (BEV) 20% Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. 18% (OHI)...

Survey shows customer satisfaction tough to come by. (Business).
January 11, 2002... Facility operators and administrators can be optimistic about some results of a new national survey that gauges the public's opinions of nursing homes. But there are undeniably negative indicators that should also worry the nursing home...

State turns to nurses for help with shortage. (Nursing Report).
January 11, 2002... All licensed registered nurses in Wisconsin are being required to fill out a survey that, state officials hope, will lead to ideas for alleviating the nursing shortage. State and professional organizations developed and supported the survey....

LPN gets 10-year sentence for falsifying records. (Nursing Report).
January 11, 2002... A former licensed practical nurse has been sentenced to 10 years in prison because she changed medical records, covering up the fact that she caused a nursing home resident to overdose on a blood-thinning drug. It is the first such prison...

Study: Intensive drug therapy, teamwork best for diabetes. (Pharmacy Report).
January 11, 2002... Healthcare providers can help diabetes patients postpone major complications and achieve good glycemic control through a combination of intensive drug therapy and a team approach to care, according to new research. The Agency for Healthcare...

Drug may reverse Parkinson's flare-ups. (Pharmacy Report).
January 11, 2002... Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas have found that patients with advanced Parkinson's disease were able to reverse symptom flare-ups with injections of amorphine. The drug stimulates the brain's...

Buying ads: Get a plan, stick to it. (Marketing Issues).
January 11, 2002... Q: We are getting overwhelmed with calls from various media. How do we sort out whom to use and whom not to? A: This is a common aggravation. Once the word gets out that you are buying media, a "feeding frenzy" usually happens. The best...

Closing Medicaid loophole will cause pain. (Regulatory Issues).
January 11, 2002... Q: What do you think the likelihood is that the "upper payment limit" loophole will be totally closed as officials and politicians are now squabbling over? A: The administration appears to be very determined to phase out the upper payment...

Insurance, good decisions are transport musts. (Legal Issues).
January 11, 2002... Q: We're starting to transport our residents more. What are some legal pitfalls we need to watch for? A: When a provider serves its residents, it has two potential areas of exposure: breach of contract or negligence, which is a breach of...

Best to keep former staff off campus. (Workplace Issues).
January 11, 2002... Q: I have a number of former employees who come back to visit with their farmer co-workers and residents. I don't want them around. What can I do? A: You have the right and the obligation to control who is on your premises. Legal...

Horizon Healthcare Technologies. (Date Management).
January 11, 2002... Horizon Healthcare Technologies presents cost-effective and tightly integrated clinical, reimbursement and financial software built to automate workflow processes and make your business more successful. Utilizing Windows-based, 32-bit,...

American HealthTech. (Data Management).
January 11, 2002... Our software's enhanced Access Control and Privacy Features are ready to help now. We've enhanced our already robust security features to give you customizable control over data security, access logging and more. Plus our X12N Electronic...

Health Care Software Inc. (Data Management).
January 11, 2002... HCS INTERACTANT is an integrated healthcare information system for long-term care, subacute, and rehabilitation providers. INTERACTANT features registration, census, MDS, care planning, clinical documentation, billing, and financial tools...

Accu-Med Services Inc. (Data Management).
January 11, 2002... Software: Clinical MDS 2.0, RUGS III, MDS electronic submission, care plans, QI/Outcomes & Analysis, Pre-admissions/cost analysis, JCAHO reporting, financial management, scheduling, time card, forecasting, resource management, 32 bit 3 tier...

Wescom Solutions Inc. (Data Management).
January 11, 2002... PointClickCare.com is an Internet-based subscription service that delivers all the functionality and benefits of a complete long-term care solution without the frustration and expense of having to buy, install, upgrade or maintain any hardware...

QuickCare Inc. (Data Management).
January 11, 2002... The total solution for your information technology requirements. Software for clinical, billing, accounts receivable, general ledger, accounts payable and payroll, fully integrated with no duplication of data entry. Designed to operate on your...

American Data. (Data Management).
January 11, 2002... Electronic Chart System by American Data can provide great efficiency in nursing and support departments. ECS can save hundreds of thousands of dollars because it changes the process of medical record keeping to a point of service system....

Achieve Healthcare Information Systems. (Data Management).
January 11, 2002... Achieve solutions go further in helping long-term care providers generate higher levels of quality and improve their bottom line. Solutions like the PathLinks system are standard-bearers. PathLinks is a patient-centered, process-oriented system...

Universal mounting bracket holds monitors. (New Products).
January 11, 2002... Universal Medical Products Universal Medical Products introduces a universal mounting bracket that will accept all bed, chair, personal or voice monitors that UMP presently offers. According to the company, this accessory will fit onto...

Commercial extractor speeds up washing. (New Products).
January 11, 2002... Direct Supply Healthcare Equipment Direct Supply's new Unimac extractor features fast cycle times and high extraction speeds that reduce labor costs by speeding up the washing process. According to the company, the extractor also has a...

Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise. (Resources).
January 11, 2002... The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society has published a new book aimed at helping healthcare providers use multiple IT systems to improve the flow of clinical information, Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise. The book...

Resource Directory for older people. (Resources).
January 11, 2002... The National Institute on Aging is offering its Resource Directory for Older People. The 111-page directory lists hundreds of non-profit organizations and government agencies that focus on healthcare, legal and financial issues, long-term care...

ADLs and You: Breaking the code. (Resources).
January 11, 2002... HCPro is offering a video designed to aid facilities in MDS training. ADLs and You: Breaking the Code takes the task of coding section G of the MDS and breaks it down into segments. It begins with a simple definition of the ADLs and advances to...

Sharps Safety and needlestick prevention. (Resources).
January 11, 2002... The Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) published a new resource for evaluating and selecting sharps-safety technologies. The Sharps Safety and Needlestick Prevention guide features comparative evaluations for more than 65 currently...

ACHCA University. (Resources).
January 11, 2002... The American College of Health Care Administrators and Care2Learn.com have introduced a new online resource for long-term care professionals to pursue continuing education. Beginning this month, students will be able to access the new online...

Local Power. (Q&A).
January 11, 2002... Healthcare, like politics, is a very local issue, says Daniel Reingold, Executive Vice President of The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale. That's just one of the reasons why he thinks not-for-profit long-term care facilities have an edge...

The good book on staffing. (Commentary).
January 11, 2002... January is when many employees test the job-opportunity waters. So chances are pretty good that you may have just lost -- or are about to lose -- a person who makes your professional life less difficult. Perhaps several people. Staff...

Letters.
January 11, 2002... END THE MEDICAID SHELL GAME To the Editor: Kudos to John O'Connor on his willingness to get people thinking by being controversial. His latest column, "Five ways to improve long-term care" (Nov. 19 issue, p. 19), is sure to arouse...

Look back to see ahead. (Having My Say).
January 11, 2002... The long-term care and seniors housing industry provides a unique case study in the principles of organizational development from which important lessons can be drawn. The history of the long-term care and seniors housing industry...

For impassioned LTC aides, all the world's a stage. (LTC Profile Heartwork).
January 11, 2002... Paraprofessionals in the long-term care sector may not always get the credit they deserve, but for six aides, that's certainly no reason to jump ship. If anything, that lack of acknowledgement and respect provided an incentive -- and the...

Merrill Gardens. (New Business).
January 11, 2002... Seattle-based Merrill Gardens announced it acquired two existing senior housing communities through an agreement with Health Care REIT Inc. The new Merrill Gardens communities are located in Austin, TX and Mesa, AZ. Each building is less than...

Manor Care Inc. (New Business).
January 11, 2002... Nursing home and assisted living center operator Manor Care Inc. authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of its stock. The authorization is a renewal of a share buyback program authorized in February 2000. The company said the...

The Senior Resource Group. (New Business).
January 11, 2002... The Senior Resource Group, San Diego, announced the acquisition of two senior-living communities in Tucson, AZ. The 120 unit Amber Lights and 107-unit Silver Springs communities were bought at auction from NetWest Development for $17.2 million....

Design Firm WAI/Continuum, St. Paul, MN, announced that construction began on the Margaret S. Parmly residence in Chisago City, MN. (Construction).
January 11, 2002... Design Firm WAI/Continuum, St. Paul, MN, announced that construction began on the Margaret S. Parmly Residence in Chisago City, MN. The facility is an assisted living facility on the same grounds as a skilled nursing and dementia care facility....

Island Nursing and Rehab Center. (Construction).
January 11, 2002... Island Nursing and Rehab Center, Holtsville, NY, announced its opening. The 120-bed facility offers long-term and Alzheimer's care as well as rehabilitation and hospice services.

Cambridge Realty Capital Companies. (Financing).
January 11, 2002... Cambridge Realty Capital Companies, Chicago, provided more than $16.6 million in fixed-rate permanent mortgage financing to fund the acquisition of three southern Illinois nursing and rehabilitation centers: the Virgil Calvert Nursing & Rehab...

GMAC Commercial Mortgage Corp. (Financing).
January 11, 2002... GMAC Commercial Mortgage Corp, Horsham, PA, arranged $5,000,000 in fixed-rate permanent refinancing for the Chatelaine Residences in Lincoln, NE. The 80-unit senior housing property received the funding with a 30-year amortization.