McKnight's Long-Term Care News articles from July 2008

McKnight's Long-Term Care News archives from July 2008

Panel favors pay reforms.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Providers praised the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's recent recommendations to revise the Medicare payment system for skilled nursing facilities. "We think they're right on target," commented Larry...

A pitched battle over arbitration clauses.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... U.S. lawmakers continued to campaign for an end to nursing home pre-admission agreements. They hammered providers recently on the topic, holding no fewer than three congressional hearings and introducing the second of two bills that would...

Stars coming soon for LTC.
July 1, 2008... Federal regulators announced they are creating a five-star rating system to help consumers assess quality care in the nation's nursing homes. Respective facility rankings will be posted on the government's Nursing Home Compare Web site...

Sign halts wanderlust.(NEWS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Expecting a certain bus in Germany might be the equivalent of "Waiting For Godot." Several facilities have installed fake bus stops outside their facilities to prevent residents with Alzheimer's from wandering away. Since these...

Stay tuned for coupons.(NEWS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The so-called "boob tube" received a pitch from lawmakers last month. They want to make sure that nursing home and long-term care residents can watch TV when the technology switches from analog to digital on Feb. 17,...

Providers hope to delay therapy caps' full return.(NEWS)
July 1, 2008... The process that exempts most nursing home residents from therapy payment caps was set to expire at the beginning of this month, federal regulators cautioned providers. Barring the passage of special legislation before July 1, a...

Industry pans GAO study methods.(NEWS)
July 1, 2008... An unflattering report on the survey system has its own warts, according to industry officials. Their outcry responds to a recent Government Accountability Office report that alleged widespread oversight and consistency failings. The GAO...

All nursing facilities must have sprinkler systems in place by 2013, under a new federal proposal.(At deadline)
July 1, 2008... All nursing facilities must have sprinkler systems in place by 2013, under a new federal proposal. The government estimates new systems will cost about $850 million. Acting Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Kerry Weems said...

The government recently announced new hospice rules intended to change care delivery in this area.(At deadline)
July 1, 2008... The government recently announced new hospice rules intended to change care delivery in this area. Providers will be required to identify resident and quality Of care outcomes, and monitor progress toward defined goals. Residents can help shape...

The Food and Drug Administration will add warnings to the labels of older antipsychotic drugs.(At deadline)
July 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration will add warnings to the labels of older antipsychotic drugs. The drugs may harm seniors with dementia, recent findings indicate.

60 seconds with ... Mary Jane Koren, MD: Steering Committee Chair, Advancing Excellence.(NEWS)(Interview)
July 1, 2008... Q: The buzz has been that the Advancing Excellence campaign will go beyond its original two-year time frame. True? A: Improvement is happening and those in the campaign are improving faster than those not in it, so we thought, why stop? The...

Senator blasts mandatory, private arbitration clauses.(NEWS)
July 1, 2008... Citing a "disturbing increase" in pre-dispute mandatory arbitration agreements, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) made some of the most impassioned appeals to nullify them at a recent congressional hearing he chaired. "Typically, admissions agreements...

Being forced to defend a legal shell game.(NEWS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Many in Congress and in the nursing home industry are being forced to support the continuation of a Medicaid practice that they admit amounts to a "necessary con." The practice in question allows states to artificially raise federal payments to...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been closely watching the implementation of the National Provider Identifier requirement, which took effect in May.(Regulatory Update)
July 1, 2008... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been closely watching the implementation of the National Provider Identifier requirement, which took effect in May. No major problems were initially reported.

The Food and Drug Administration has been reminding healthcare professionals and facilities to remove recently recalled heparin products.(Regulatory Update)
July 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration has been reminding healthcare professionals and facilities to remove recently recalled heparin products from drug and device storage areas.

Reps. Pete Stark (D-CA) and Dave Camp (R-MI) introduced the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Acquisition Reform Act of 2008.(Bill Watch)
July 1, 2008... Reps. Pete Stark (D-CA) and Dave Camp (R-MI) introduced the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Acquisition Reform Act of 2008. The bill would delay the competitive bidding process for durable medical goods and other equipment. The policy was scheduled...

Ask the care expert.(NEWS: Resident Care)
July 1, 2008... We have a resident who is constantly losing her dentures. Can you offer some ideas that we may not be thinking of to keep track of them? I used to have some dentures that I wish we could put a GPS system on! Maybe the dental supply field...

Survey: facility satisfaction rises among LTC consumers.(NEWS: Resident Care)
July 1, 2008... New research finds that 82% of long-term care consumers say they are satisfied with their facility. It marks a 2% rise compared to a year earlier among residents and family members describing their levels of satisfaction as "excellent" or...

Sleep apnea underreported, study finds.(NEWS: Resident Care)
July 1, 2008... Just one-half of 1% of nursing home residents have sleep apnea documented on their medical records, a number that is undoubtedly too low, according to researchers. Their analysis of residents' medical records are in direct conflict with...

Hospitalizations due to Clostridium difficile-associated disease (or CDAD) have increased the most among the 65 to 84 population, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publication.(Caregiving Update)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Hospitalizations due to Clostridium difficile-associated disease (or CDAD) have increased the most among the 65 to 84 population, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publication. Fatalities and severity of illnesses...

More appropriate use of osteoporosis medication is needed for nursing home residents with a high risk of bone fractures, according to Boston-area researchers.(Caregiving Update)
July 1, 2008... More appropriate use of osteoporosis medication is needed for nursing home residents with a high risk of bone fractures, according to Boston-area researchers. They found only 11.5% of 4,400 seniors who were admitted to a nursing home as the...

Ask the treatment expert.(NEWS: Wound Care)
July 1, 2008... What should be included in wound documentation to support appropriate caregiving measures? Assessment and documentation should be carried out at least weekly. The exception is when there is evidence of deterioration, in which case both the...

Dressing made of silica gel shows potential for wounds.(NEWS: Wound Care)
July 1, 2008... A new type of dressing made of silica gel fibers is showing early wound care potential. Developed by scientists in Germany, this novel dressing has many advantages: k is shape-stable, pH-neutral and 100% bioresorbable. Once applied, it...

Smith & Nephew's negative-pressure wound therapy products will be available in nine of 10 designated metropolitan areas included in the first phase of a federal competitive bidding program, the firm announced.(Treatment Update)
July 1, 2008... Smith & Nephew's negative-pressure wound therapy products will be available in nine of 10 designated metropolitan areas included in the first phase of a federal competitive bidding program, the firm announced. The Smith & Nephew systems are...

Oculus Innovative Sciences plans to put its wound-cleaning Microcyn solution to work in a wide new market with a unique automated monitoring and cleaning system.(Treatment Update)
July 1, 2008... Oculus Innovative Sciences plans to put its wound-cleaning Microcyn solution to work in a wide new market with a unique automated monitoring and cleaning system. The company has filed for a patent on the system and intends to file for a 510k...

The Wound Healing Society has given a Blue Ribbon Award to Derma Sciences.(Treatment Update)
July 1, 2008... The Wound Healing Society has given a Blue Ribbon Award to Derma Sciences. The award recognizes Derma Science's barrier gauze line of dressings. The recognition took place at the society's annual meeting.

Advanced BioHealing is preparing to submit a proposal to the FDA seeking approval for a clinical trial of cryopreserved allografts.(Treatment Update)
July 1, 2008... Advanced BioHealing is preparing to submit a proposal to the FDA seeking approval for a clinical trial of cryopreserved allografts in a wound healing model.

Ask the nursing expert.(NEWS: Nursing)
July 1, 2008... My staff educator thinks I should do some of the clinical in-services. How do I find the time with all the things I am expected to do already? If the DON role is to coach, teach and mentor his or her staff, teaching speaks for itself....

Many nurses like the boss better than the big wheels.(NEWS: Nursing)
July 1, 2008... While much of the attention of the most recent My InnerView national satisfaction survey focused on generally positive resident and family views, responses from workers also pointed out areas of concern for top management. Only 47% of...

Ethical challenges haunt many: survey.(NEWS: Nursing)
July 1, 2008... Frustration with ethical issues makes many nurses and social workers want to leave work, a new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing found. Forty-one percent said they would not choose their profession again, while...

Elderly dementia patients are at three times the risk of a serious health problem or dying within a month of taking antipsychotic drugs.(Medication Update)
July 1, 2008... Elderly dementia patients are at three times the risk of a serious health problem or dying within a month of taking antipsychotic drugs. That compares with those who are not given the drugs, according to a report published in the Archives of...

When stroke patients use antidepressants as a preventative measure, they cut their depression rate by more than half and may even prolong their life, a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found.(Medication Update)
July 1, 2008... When stroke patients use antidepressants as a preventative measure, they cut their depression rate by more than half and may even prolong their life, a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found. Being...

Manufacturer prices for 185 generic medications fell by an average of 9.6% in 2007, according to a study by AARP.(Medication Update)
July 1, 2008... Manufacturer prices for 185 generic medications fell by an average of 9.6% in 2007, according to a study by AARP. It was the largest decrease since at least 2003.

The Food and Drug Administration and other groups can now can use medical record data to ensure that new drugs and medical devices are safe for consumers.(Medication Update)
July 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration and other groups can now can use medical record data to ensure that new drugs and medical devices are safe for consumers. A new initiative permits access to data from more than 25 million Medicare drug...

Ask the payment expert.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
July 1, 2008... We recently lost our MDS nurse and assessments are backing up. What should we do? You cannot be without someone to complete your assessments. We strongly recommend that multiple people are involved in this process so that if one person...

Report: culture change may lead to bottom-line growth.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
July 1, 2008... Nursing homes that have adopted aspects of the culture change movement, or at least strive to, are more likely to see benefits in resident satisfaction, staff retention, higher occupancy rates and improved operational costs, according to a...

OIG: fix Part D drug pay.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
July 1, 2008... Problems persist in the payment of Medicare Part D drugs for dual-eligible nursing home residents, according to a report from the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare Part D drug plans do not...

Go figure.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)(Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... 5.3 There were 5.3 million people 85 or older in the United States, as of July 1, 2006, according to population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. 47 There were only 47 men for every 100 women 85 or older as of July 1, 2006, the U.S....

The Carlyle Group announced.(Business Briefs)
July 1, 2008... The Carlyle Group announced the formation of a committee to advise the firm on quality-of-care issues at its nursing-home company ManorCare Inc. The appointment drew a swift denouncement from the Service Employees International Union, which...

Profits at Skilled Healthcare Group Inc.(Business Briefs)
July 1, 2008... Profits at Skilled Healthcare Group Inc. soared in the first quarter by 81% to approximately $8 million. Revenues helped boost profits, increasing to about $181 million from nearly $145 million. The company's focus on treating higher acuity...

Kindred Healthcare Inc.(Business Briefs)
July 1, 2008... Kindred Healthcare Inc. spent $250,000 to lobby the federal government in the first quarter, the company recently disclosed. It lobbied on bills designed to increase industry oversight.

Metro monitor.(Business Briefs)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Metro Monitor Areas with the greatest and least number of beds (in the top 30 metropolitan areas), as of the first quarter of this year. Leaders Rank Metro Beds 1. New York ...

Not-for-profit organizations see a 3.7% growth in units.(NEWS: Companies)
July 1, 2008... Senior living's largest not-for-profit multi-site organizations grew by an annual rate of 3.7% last year, according to the 2008 AAHSA Ziegler AZ 100, a listing of the largest providers by total number of units. List members comprised...

Advocat says no to sell-off.(NEWS: Companies)
July 1, 2008... Advocat Inc.'s shareholders last month voted against a proposal to sell the Brentwood, TN-based skilled nursing chain. Stockholder Bristol Capital Advisors LLC recommended that the board of directors engage an investment-banking firm and...

Andrew Stern.(Good month)
July 1, 2008... Andrew Stern: He has been re-elected as president of the Service Employees International Union, the nation's largest healthcare union.

Electronic records.(Good month)
July 1, 2008... Electronic records: House legislation would create adoption of a nationwide electronic health record system.

Grapes.(Good month)
July 1, 2008... Grapes: Researchers in Florida and Wisconsin have found that "resveratrol," a protein found in grapes, has a significant positive effect on heart health in old age.

Dual eligibles.(Good month)
July 1, 2008... Dual eligibles: These residents will have easier access to Medicare-covered drugs, under a settlement.

Drug coverage.(Bad month)
July 1, 2008... Drug coverage: Medicare Part D drug plans do not always cover drugs prescribed to dually-eligible nursing home residents, according to a report from the Inspector General.

Chronic conditions.(Bad month)
July 1, 2008... Chronic conditions: Fully seven of every 10 deaths in this nation are the result of chronic conditions, according to testimony at a recent healthcare forum.

Pancakes.(Bad month)
July 1, 2008... Pancakes: Four residents at an Australian nursing home became ill after eating pancakes containing small amounts of caustic soda. The poisonous agent had been earlier used to scour a burnt pan.

The Department of Health.(IT Update)
July 1, 2008... The Department of Health and Human Services recently selected a dozen communities to participate in a five-year Medicare demonstration project. The initiative awards incentive payments to physicians who use qualified electronic health records....

Student engineers.(IT Update)
July 1, 2008... Student engineers at Florida Atlantic University recently unveiled a device that helps cerebral palsy and stroke patients receiving physical therapy. The machine employs computerized robotics, magnets, pulleys and a joystick to guide patients...

IBM scientists.(IT Update)
July 1, 2008... IBM scientists in the United States and Israel have announced creation of a technology that standardizes the method of sharing health information. The secure, Web-based portal system--The Public Health Information Affinity Domain--automates the...

President Bush.(IT Update)
July 1, 2008... President Bush recently signed H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, into law. The measure prevents health insurers from canceling, denying, refusing to renew, or changing the terms or premiums of coverage based...

Stakeholders.(IT Update)
July 1, 2008... Stakeholders addressing a congressional subcommittee pressed for passage of healthcare IT legislation. Testifying before the House's Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, they added that privacy should remain paramount.

Pharmaceutical.(IT Update)
July 1, 2008... Pharmaceutical companies are relying more on signal detection technologies to aid in identifying and managing adverse drug events, according to a report from Datamonitor.

A 'defining' moment for the healthcare field's IT jargon.(NEWS: Technology)
July 1, 2008... When it comes to information technology, the jargon can read like alphabet soup. Worse, acronyms don't always carry a uniform meaning A nonprofit organization--The National Alliance for Health Information Technology--recently unveiled...

"I couldn't live without ...".(NEWS: Technology)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... One of Tami James' favorite features of the My Companion cabinet is its locking wheels--that and the incredible amount of space available for storage. "It's very handy, very easy to move, very accessible... I'd love one for my bedroom,...

Brain injured residents settle suit.(NORTHEAST)
July 1, 2008... MASSACHUSETTS -- A lawsuit settlement would allow as many as 2,000 nursing home residents with brain injuries to relocate to homes in the community. The class-action complaint, filed in May 2007, alleges that the state violated the...

Laws regulate facility ownership, quality.(MARYLAND)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... In response to increasing concerns about the effects of nursing home ownership on quality of care, Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) recently signed two groundbreaking bills. H.B. 1187 requires companies applying for nursing home licenses to be...

Bills would increase nurse rolls.(NORTHEAST)
July 1, 2008... NEW YORK -- The New York State Assembly is considering two pieces of legislation to address a growing nursing shortage in the state. One of the bills would allow a nursing student to claim unemployment insurance benefits while she is...

Medicaid overhaul concerns.(NORTHEAST)
July 1, 2008... RHODE ISLAND -- Gov. Donald Carcieri's (R) recent proposal to overhaul Rite Care, the state's Medicaid program, could harm seniors who need long-term care, advocates fear. The plan, according to the governor, would save taxpayers...

Study: nosocomial infections up.(NORTHEAST)(Report)
July 1, 2008... NEW YORK -- The rate of hospital-acquired infections has increased, according to a new study, but that could be due to researchers' ability to track a larger number of infections. About 3,200 of 1.45 million hospitalizations resulted in a...

State to manage more drugs.(NORTHEAST)
July 1, 2008... PENNSYLVANIA -- The governor's administration has proposed giving the state Department of Public Welfare control of the prescription drug component of Medicaid managed care plans. The move is expected to save the state approximately $95...

SNFs approved for sex offenders.(SOUTHWEST)
July 1, 2008... OKLAHOMA -- The state Legislature recently voted to establish separate, stand-alone nursing homes for elderly convicted sex offenders. The legislation, H.B. 2704, which aims to protect residents in long-term care facilities from potential...

Doctor or nurse? Both, actually.(SOUTHWEST)
July 1, 2008... NEVADA -- A university awarded the state's first-ever doctorate degrees in nursing. The University of Nevada-Las Vegas in May gave doctoral degrees to two nursing students, Lara Carver and Anne Diaz. UNLV's School of Nursing launched...

Group launches MRSA campaign.(SOUTHWEST)
July 1, 2008... ARIZONA -- The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association recently disclosed a statewide campaign to prevent the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It will focus on proven prevention strategies and include...

Medicaid cuts provoke providers.(SOUTHEAST)
July 1, 2008... LOUISIANA -- Nursing home owners were threatening to sue the state, as of press time, over potential Medicaid cuts. The House in May approved a $30 billion state budget for fiscal year 2009 that was $240 million less than the governor's...

Vencor founder to run for Senate.(SOUTHEAST)
July 1, 2008... KENTUCKY -- State Democrats have tapped Bruce Lunsford, the wealthy founder of a nursing home chain, to oppose Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in the November election. Lunsford in 1985 founded Vencor Inc., which is now...

Ask the legal expert.(NEWS: Legal Matters)
July 1, 2008... A resident recently died, and we would like to be paid for lengthy caregiving services at our nursing facility. The surviving spouse said they were separated so she shouldn't have to pay anything. How do we resolve this problem? There are...

Class-action settlement will expand Part D drug access.(NEWS: Legal Matters)
July 1, 2008... Seniors and individuals with disabilities are expected to get better access to full benefits of the Medicare drug benefit and a low-income subsidy after plaintiffs and the federal government agreed upon terms of a settlement June 19. The...

Report: providers lose 9 in 10 appeals.(NEWS: Legal Matters)
July 1, 2008... The federal government won 66 of 71 appeals cases brought by nursing home providers last year according to a recent report from the Center for Medicare Advocacy. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services won all 18 cases decided on the...

Keane.(Company Briefs)
July 1, 2008... Keane announced that it has signed a $1.5 million five-year contract with Golden Living. Under the deal, Keane will implement documentation and e-prescribing software that's designed to improve efficiency and patient safety. The software is...

Dakim.(Company Briefs)
July 1, 2008... Dakim announced that 93-year-old fitness guru Jack LaLanne has joined the firm as a "brain fitness motivational coach," Dakim's product helps seniors combat mental decline. It is now used in over 100 senior living communities nationwide,...

Gaymar.(Company Briefs)
July 1, 2008... Gaymar will supply patient temperature management products to providers in the Premier healthcare alliance under the terms of a three-year deal.

Medline Industries.(Company Briefs)
July 1, 2008... Medline Industries has signed a three-year agreement to purchase mouth rinse from Chester Labs, a manufacturer of liquid products for personal care, infection control and diagnostic use in medical facilities.

Derma Sciences.(Company Briefs)
July 1, 2008... Derma Sciences, a provider of advanced wound care products, announced that it has signed a multi-year supply agreement with MedAssets Supply Chain Systems.

Samarion.(Company Briefs)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Samarion has integrated ultrasound-based tracking technology into its long-term care software. Sonitor has developed the technology, which will allow Samarion to help long-term care facilities track residents, staff, visitors and equipment...

Walgreen Co.(Company Briefs)
July 1, 2008... Walgreen Co. will pay $35 million to resolve allegations that the firm switched patients to more expensive drugs in order to get higher Medicaid reimbursements.

McKesson Corp.(Company Briefs)
July 1, 2008... * McKesson Corp. has agreed to pay about $13.2 million in fines to six U.S. attorney's offices to settle allegations that company officials failed to report suspicious Internet sales of controlled substances that it distributed.

Google retains title as the world's most powerful brand.(News: Venders)
July 1, 2008... Vendors in the long-term care arena could take a few lessons from Google. The Mountain View, CA-based firm has again been named the world's most powerful brand by Millward Brown, as part of its annual BrandZ ranking. In fact, Google has topped...

New ASCP firm to target revenue streams.(News: Vendors)(American Society of Consultant Pharmacists )(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists has launched ASCP Ventures, a for-profit subsidiary. The new firm will pursue sustainable enterprises and new revenue streams, according to the organization. Joseph Gruber will lead the new...

How to do it ... incontinence care.(Business & Marketing)
July 1, 2008... Incontinence care products and programs require a large portion of a facility's resources. That makes choosing the right ones vital--and taking the right steps to make choices highly crucial. Providers need to recognize their resident...