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

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

The House passed. (Late Breaking News).
July 12, 2002... The House passed a Republican-sponsored Medicare reform bill that would partially continue skilled nursing facility add-on payments set to expire Oct. 1. H.R. 4954 also would grant providers a two-year reprieve from scheduled $1,500 therapy...

Nursing homes and other U.S. employers. (Late Breaking News).
July 12, 2002... Nursing homes and other U.S. employers would be forced to institute better ergonomics controls in the workplace under S. 2184, which narrowly passed out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Hawaii has signed into law. (Late Breaking News).
July 12, 2002... Hawaii has signed into law a measure that will start it toward becoming the first with a state-run long-term care program.

Long-term care spending. (Late Breaking News).
July 12, 2002... Long-term care spending by government programs will take up nearly three-fourths of all federal revenues by 2030, according to a report from the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

Alzheimer's disease will cost corporate America. (Late Breaking News).
July 12, 2002... Alzheimer's disease will cost corporate America $61 billion - almost twice as much as thought in 1998 - according to a new study from the Alzheimer's Association.

Committee: LTC funding unsustainable.
July 12, 2002... Congress should focus immediately on the "impending crisis" of long-term care financing, concluded a report from the Senate Special Committee on Aging. The current manner of funding will become unsustainable in the near future, the report...

Corporate compliance game gets more players. (News).
July 12, 2002... When the Office of the Inspector General released its final compliance program guidance for nursing facilities more than two years ago, the voluntary' standard drew a mixed response. While many larger nursing home chains rallied to bring...

View from the top: CMS quality data no big deal. (Quality Initiative).
July 12, 2002... Complaints about the accuracy and consistency of the data published by the federal government as part of the nursing home quality initiative have been widespread. But what are facilities rated above-average saying? Are they complaining as...

Databank.
July 12, 2002... Databank Building breakdown All types of senior living construction are down in 2002, except continuing care retirement communities, which rose by 52% Composition of new seniors housing construction in 2002 CCRCs ...

Agency: 47% more beds needed by 2020. (News).
July 12, 2002... The demand for nursing facilities is expected to increase "significantly" over the next two decades, according to a new report from a federal seniors housing commission. The number of nursing beds needed in 2020 will grow to 2.2 million --...

McKnight's honored for news coverage. (News).
July 12, 2002... McKnight's Long-Term Care News has been honored with a Silver Certificate for news coverage by the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors (ASHPE). The journalism society praised the McKnight's editorial staff for its Oct. 29,...

Hard data.
July 12, 2002... 25 The percentage of those seniors who fracture a hip in a f all who wind up dying within a year, according to the National Safety Council. 30 The percentage of nurses responding to a recent hospital-chain survey who said they...

Lawmakers focus on preventing elder abuse. (News).
July 12, 2002... Federal lawmakers have elder-abuse prevention in their sights, and now they also have a new National Academy of Sciences report feeding them ammunition. The report said that elder abuse is ill-defined, often undetected and inadequately...

Shorter MDS form. (Regulatory Update).
July 12, 2002... As of July 1, frontline nursing home caregivers were allowed to start using a shorter assessment form for Medicare claims. It will cut filling-in time to about 45 minutes, according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Report criticizes accountability. (Regulatory Update).
July 12, 2002... The General Accounting Office concluded that the U.S. Justice Department should improve its accountability for collections and expenditures under the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) program, which was established to prevent Medicare...

Medicare pays more for supplies. (Regulatory Update).
July 12, 2002... Medicare is paying above-market prices for medical supplies such as wheelchairs, according to a recent report from the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. The study also found that Medicare and its...

Legislative update.
July 12, 2002... H.R. 4946 would amend the Internal Revenue Code to provide healthcare incentives related to long-term care. Introduced by Rep. John Hayworth (R-AZ). Approved by the Committee on Ways and Means, the measure would help pay for the cost of...

Resident surveys wanted to measure quality of care. (Gauging Satisfaction).
July 12, 2002... Many long-term care providers are pushing results from resident satisfaction surveys as a more accurate depiction of care quality in the wake additional quality data being placed on a federal government Web site for consumers. The Center...

New federal panel reviewing states' Medicaid policies. (News).
July 12, 2002... The newly formed Medicaid National Institutional Reimbursement Team (NIRT) has begun reviewing states' Medicaid reimbursement policies in an effort to ensure consistency nationally. CMS advised state Medicaid directors of the NIRT panel's...

Study: Alzheimer's impact to increase in coming decades. (Southeast).
July 12, 2002... CHAPEL HILL, NC -- Although progress has been made recently in diagnosing and managing Alzheimer's disease, a new study from the University of North Carolina found that the number of people suffering from the disease will more than double by...

Mississippi providers prefer higher LTC bed tax. (Southeast).
July 12, 2002... RIDGELAND, MS -- With possible painful cuts to the Medicaid budget looming, some Mississippi long-term care providers are advocating increasing the bed tax rate. Mississippi nursing homes now pay about $735 per year per bed for the tax....

Study: seniors add 2-4 years to life by quitting smoking. (Southeast).
July 12, 2002... DURHAM, NC -- Quitting smoking, even as a senior, may be a successful strategy to living a longer life, new study findings suggest. "Stopping smoking as early as possible will maximize life expectancy, but even smokers who quit at age 65...

CMS approves plan to alter TN state Medicaid program. (Southeast).
July 12, 2002... KNOXVILLE, TN -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has approved Tennessee's plan to alter TennCare, the state's Medicaid program. The changes took effect July 1. Eligibility and benefits offered under TennCare were affected. The...

Missouri law would shield residents from sexual abuse. (Midwest).
July 12, 2002... JEFFERSON CITY, MO--A law that would penalize employees of nursing homes who engage in sexual acts with residents, whether consensual or not, would go into effect in Missouri if Coy. Bob Holden (D) signs it as expected, the St Louis...

Association, members sue governor over reduced funding. (Midwest).
July 12, 2002... JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- The Missouri Health Care Association and three of its members sued Missouri Gov. Bob Holden (D) to try and regain the $20 million formerly earmarked for nursing homes that was cut from the state's budget. The lawsuit...

Illinois homes get mixed bag in new budget. (Midwest).
July 12, 2002... SPRINGFIELD, IL -- Gov. George Ryan announced that the state will borrow about $1 billion dollars to help pay its overdue bills, including long overdue Medicaid reimbursements to the state's nursing homes, according to published reports. ...

Nursing home operator to pay $1.1 million for work violations. (West).
July 12, 2002... LA CANADA, CA -- Labor violations involving workers at more than 35 California nursing homes will cost their operator more than $1.1 million in back pay and penalties. Officials said they believed it is one of the biggest instances of fines and...

Legionnaires' disease kills two residents at nursing home. (Northeast).
July 12, 2002... HORSHAM, PA -- A Philadelphia-area nursing home resorted to flushing hot water through its pipes and faucets to kill bacteria after two residents died from Legionnaires' disease. The Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life also...

Pennsylvania bill would limit lawsuit liability. (Northeast).
July 12, 2002... HARRISBURG, PA -- The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to limit nursing home lawsuit liability in early June. The House bill would confine the concept of "joint and several liability," according to a published report. Joint and...

Market Monitor.
July 12, 2002... Market Monitor Nursing facility measure: Average daily nursing home costs for a private room--most expensive cities City Daily cost Stamford, CT $347 Anchorage, AK $331 New York ...

Correction.
July 12, 2002... In an article about bed taxes on page 15 of our May 24 issue, we inadvertently referred to discussions from a previous year when talking about Tennessee legislators. Lawmakers approved an increase in an annual per-bed tax from $2,600 to $3,250...

Winners & Losers.
July 12, 2002... WINNERS & LOSERS Company name Percent change * Winners Advocat (AVCA) 25% Sunrise Assisted Living (SRZ) 9% National Health Realty...

Kindred Healthcare Inc. (New Business).
July 12, 2002... * Kindred Healthcare Inc, Louisville, KY, announced plans to open a long-term acute care hospital inside The Medical Center in Beaver, PA. Kindred will operate the 37 beds under a lease agreement with Heritage Valley Health System, the operator...

Newton Senior Living. (New Business).
July 12, 2002... * Newton Senior Living, Needham, MA, purchased three assisted living residences and signed an agreement to manage a fourth. The company acquired Chancellor Gardens in East Longmeadow, MA, Chancellor Park in Media, PA, and Avery Gardens in...

Athena Communities. (New Business).
July 12, 2002... * Athena Communities, Southington, CT, assumed partial ownership and full management functions at Rosedale at Fairway Crossing, Glastonbury, CT, formerly Alterra Clare Bridge. The 52-apartment community is designed for residents with memory...

Extendicare Inc. (New Business).
July 12, 2002... * Extendicare Inc., Markham, ON, sold seven leased nursing homes in Florida for proceeds of $28.6 million. The facilities were sold to Tandem Health Care Inc., Moon Township, PA, which operated the facilities under a lease agreement since Jan....

Emeritus Assisted Living. (New Business).
July 12, 2002... * Emeritus Assisted Living, Seattle, signed a letter of intent to lease 24 communities from a private entity that plans to purchase the communities from Marriott International. The lease will cover a 10-year period with a right to purchase. The...

Sunrise Assisted Living. (Construction).
July 12, 2002... * Sunrise Assisted Living, McLean, VA, opened its 200th home. The two newest Sunrise communities, which opened on the same day, are Sunrise of Naperville North (IL), and Sunrise at Mount Vernon (VA). Sunrise at Mount Vernon is the fourth...

GE Capital, Stamford, CT, announced the launch of a new business unit, GE Capital Healthcare Financial Services. (Financing).
July 12, 2002... * GE Capital, Stamford, CT, announced the launch of a new business unit, GE Capital Healthcare Financial Services. The new unit focuses on providing capital, financial solutions and related services to the healthcare industry. GE Capital...

HUD faucet gushes for mammoth loan package: Chain more than halfway through approvals; experts caution such deals not for everyone. (Business).
July 12, 2002... A long-term care refinancing deal of unprecedented proportions is being hailed as a positive sign for the industry. But it should not be seen as a trendsetter, observers cautioned. The deal is the only one of its kind under new, more...

Nestle Clinical Nutrition introduced a wound management Web site. (Resources).
July 12, 2002... * Nestle Clinical Nutrition introduced a wound management Web site, www. woundnutrition.com. The site provides clinical program and support materials to assist healthcare professionals in providing quality wound care. It includes information on...

Briggs Corp. released a documentation manual designed. (Resources).
July 12, 2002... * Briggs Corp. released a documentation manual designed to address the needs of caregivers serving people with dementia in long-term care settings. Dementia Care Documentation Manual for Long-Term Care offers explanations of various types of...

Managing and Treating Urinary Incontinence. (Resources).
July 12, 2002... * Health Professions Press published a book on incontinence for healthcare professionals. Managing and Treating Urinary Incontinence offers resources such as educational handouts, instructive illustrations, detailed assessment forms, clinical...

In My Shoes: Growing Old. (Resources).
July 12, 2002... * In My Shoes: Growing Old is a new staff training simulation that offers staff members the experience of growing old while playing a game. According to the game developer, it will reinforce for staff common conditions of aging, adaptive...

Top long-term care facilities. (Leading LTC Firms).
July 12, 2002... Leading LTC Firms Top long-term care facilities 6/17 5/17 Company Market capitalization * 1 1 Manor Care (HCR) $2,491 2 2 Healthcare Property ...

Top nursing home chains. (Leading LTC Firms).
July 12, 2002... Top nursing home chains Company Stock price Kindred Healthcare (KIND) $44.00 Monor Care Inc. (HCR) $24.84 National Healthcare (NHC) $19.05 Beverly Enterprises (BEV) $8.04...

Top assisted living chains. (Leading LTC Firms).
July 12, 2002... Top assisted living chains Company Stock price Sunrise Assisted Living (SRZ) $30.00 Emeritus Corp. (ESC) $4.06 Capital Senior Living (CSU) $3.10 American Retirement...

Top REITs. (Leading LTC Firms).
July 12, 2002... Top REITs Company Stock price Healthcare Property Investors Inc. (HCP) $43.40 Healthcare Realty Trust Inc. (HR) $30.90 Health Care REIT Inc. (HCN) ...

Seniors housing theories changing in all categories. (Marketing Issues).
July 12, 2002... Q: In looking at what we should be in 10 years, what does your crystal ball tell you about this industry? A: You are right to look at what your community will look like 10 to 20 years from now because things are definitely going to change....

Social Security numbers doubted more often. (Legal Issues).
July 12, 2002... Q: The Social Security Administration has sent us a letter noting that some Social Security numbers do not appear to belong to our employees. Do we have to fire the employees? A: There has been a significant increase in the number of...

Medicare drug benefit key to 'cliff' funding. (Regulatory Issues).
July 12, 2002... Q. Congress is liable to keep us guessing up to the very end, but what do you think it will ultimately do about the Medicare add-ons that that are set to expire Oct. 1? A. A proposal by the House Ways and Means Committee would add an...

Staff 'survivors' need patience, special attention. (Workplace Issues).
July 12, 2002... Q: I was recently recruited to take over a facility in another part of the country. When I arrived I found a staff (especially the management staff) that had been traumatized by the former administrator. There is a lot of anger end resentment...

2002 Software Source.
July 12, 2002... Our annual Software Source Survey continues to be one of McKnight's Long-Term Care News' most popular annual features. This year, 40 technology companies took part. You'll notice in the following pages an array of vendors to handle your system...

Wheelchair cushion provides relief for tailbone ulcers. (New Products).
July 12, 2002... Biomedical Systems Corp. The Air Flow[R] Wheelchair cushion is designed to help relieve and speed the healing of coccyx pressure sores by elevating the tailbone, reducing pressure and providing comfortable seating. According to the...

Supply cart has convenient drawers and keyless entry. (New Products).
July 12, 2002... InterMetro Industries Corp. The Metro Starsys[TM] wound dressing cart has full extension drawers, drawer dividers, label holders and color-coded drawer pulls. According to the company, supplies can be secured within a single locked drawer...

Strap-style stander safely raises wheel chairs users. (New Products).
July 12, 2002... Altimate Medical The Ovation Strap Stand allows individuals to stand directly from their wheelchairs. The lifting mechanism gently raises the user, minimizing pressure on the knees, and a large padded lifting strap offers extra support,...

Fall monitoring system under wheelchair seat. (New Products).
July 12, 2002... Colonial Medical Assisted Devices The Safe.t mate[TM] Under Seat Fall Monitoring System eliminates the need of using limited life sensor pads. According to the company, the under seat system mechanism is placed under a sling seat and is...

Elevated toilet seat repels bacteria. (New Products).
July 12, 2002... Maddak Inc. The Rehosoft Elevated Toilet Seat elevates the seat by 4 inches. It is made of sanitized PVC to repel bacteria. According to the company, it is especially useful for people with limited lower body control, and is comfortable,...

Direct Supply Healthcare Equipment. (Product Focus: Financial Services).
July 12, 2002... Direct Supply's equipment financing programs are designed to help long-term care communities acquire the equipment they need to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Their programs also allow customers to set the financing term, from...

Healthcare Business Credit Corp. (Product Focus: Financial Services).
July 12, 2002... Healthcare Business Credit Corporation provides asset-based and cash flow financing exclusively to healthcare providers throughout the United States. HBCC provides a full range of financing products (lines of credit, acquisition loans, term...

Worth repeating.
July 12, 2002... "We did what we could. The rest is in the hands of Congress." Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Thomas Scully, regarding his agency's delay of provisions that would have cost providers $1 billion in Medicare reimbursements. ...

Quality quest continues. (People & Opinions).
July 12, 2002... The first big hurdle regarding the government's new nursing home quality initiative -- the pilot project -- has been cleared. But now a more daunting task looms: readying all 50 states for the national rollout of the official program, which is...

A story worth reading. (Commentary).
July 12, 2002... Sometimes the best way to know where you're going is to know where you've been. That line of thinking is especially fitting when it comes to long-term care in the United States. That's what one might surmise from a new publication that...

A good way to sell senior living facilities. (Having My Say).
July 12, 2002... In recent years, diversified and vertically integrated healthcare systems have been rethinking their commitment to non-core assets, such as senior living facilities and other non-acute care businesses. Ideally, they wish to recoup their...

Letters.
July 12, 2002... QUALITY DESERVES AN EQUAL LOOK I just completed reading your whole magazine of May 24 and concentrated on the Quality Measurement issues. I am concerned about the fact that the measures are not equal to all residents of a facility, but...

Louis Martinez. (People).
July 12, 2002... Louis Martinez has been named director of nursing for The Sterling Aventure, a recently opened luxury assisted living community in the north Dade County area of Florida. ACTS Retirement-Life Communities Inc., an owner and manager of...

Mitchell Richman. (People).
July 12, 2002... Mitchell Richman has been named area executive director, a newly created position in which he will coordinate shared services and programs for three communities: Spring House Estates, Gwynedd Estates and Fort Washington Estates. He will...

Jeffrey Rathfon. (People).
July 12, 2002... Jeffrey Rathfon is the new managing director of ACTS mission development services, a newly created position. Rathfon will oversee new site selection, including acquisition, approvals, design and construction activities for the company, which...

Elsie French. (People).
July 12, 2002... Elsie French has been named the new privacy officer of the ACTS corporation. The president and CEO of Village Nursing Care Inc., Gainesville, GA, French is also vice president of health services administration for the corporation.

Lori Altman. (People).
July 12, 2002... Lori Altman was named director of acounting for Classic Residence by Hyatt at The Glen, a life care retirement commmunity in Glenview, IL, set to open this fall on the site of the former Glenview Naval Air Station.

Danielle Mullally. (People).
July 12, 2002... Danielle Mullally was named executive director at Devon Oaks in Westlake, OH. Patricia Bowman is the new administrator at the Health Center at The Renaissance, another Cleveland-area facility in the Eliza Jennings Group.

Rosalie Yorks. (People).
July 12, 2002... Rosalie Yorks has been named executive director at Kingsley Pace at Lincoln Square, Chicago.

Amy Keistler. (People).
July 12, 2002... Amy Keistler is the new administrator at Daystar Nursing Center, Cairo, IL.

Rayann Maxey. (People).
July 12, 2002... Rayann Maxey was appointed assistant executive director of the Golden Slipper Uptown Home, Philadelphia.

Mary Kay Burke. (People).
July 12, 2002... Mary Kay Burke was named the new president and CEO of White Horse Village, Newton Square, PA.

Laura Hermann. (People).
July 12, 2002... Laura Hermann has been named director of nursing for the King Home and Ten Twenty Grove, two retirement communitis in Evanston, IL.

Larry Carlson. (People).
July 12, 2002... Larry Carlson was appointed administrator at Addolorata Villa in Wheeling, IL

Administrator's warmth opens window to LTC success. (LTC Profile).
July 12, 2002... His name is Glass but he certainly isn't transparent-despite his clear-cut views. One could best describe nursing home administrator W. Bruce Glass as someone who'd do just about anything in the name of quality care. What the...

Form vs. Function. (Focus Considering Design: Advertisement).
July 12, 2002... In the past it seemed function was more important than form in many health care facilities. Health care furniture was not winning any design contests. Not anymore. Duracase LLC, which sells Duraframe furniture now offers facilities...

Carl McAloose. (People).
July 12, 2002... The West Point, PA-based chain has announced that Carl McAloose is the new executive director of Brittany Pointe Estates, Lansdale, PA.

Lori Bain. (People).
July 12, 2002... Lori Bain was named assistant director of personnel for St. Baranabas Health System, Gibsonia, PA.