McKnight's Long-Term Care News articles from March 2005

McKnight's Long-Term Care News archives from March 2005

Flu shots' use under scrutiny.
March 1, 2005... Emphasizing flu vaccinations for seniors has not saved lives, suggests a study that covered three decades of inoculation data. Researchers said that while vaccination rates for seniors have tripled over the last 20 years, there has been no...

Battle over Beverly leads to showdown.
March 1, 2005... Spurned by the rejection of its $1.5 billion bid for Beverly Enterprises Inc., a powerful group of investors is attempting a hostile take over of the nursing home giant. Formation Capital LLC Chief Executive Arnold Whitman said his group...

Budget axe to hack Medicare.
March 1, 2005... A White House proposal to reduce Medicare payments to nursing facilities by $1.5 billion in 2006 drew a quick and angry industry response. The administration's proposal amounts to a 10-year, $24 billion reduction in Medicare payments,...

NIC: cap rates stabilize in 3Q.(News)
March 1, 2005... Third-quarter capitalization rates remained steady for skilled nursing and assisted living operators, according to "NIC Key Financial Indictors," a quarterly report from the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industries....

Bone screens aid detection.(News)
March 1, 2005... Using a machine to estimate bone density may help reduce hip-fracture risks among residents, according to researchers. Elderly people who were screened were more than a third less likely (36%) to experience fractures over the next six...

Groups' alliance will expand care choices.(News)
March 1, 2005... The country's second-largest nursing home association has formed a strategic 'alliance with another association to expand adult day-care services. The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) and the National Adult...

Measure limits provider liability.(News)
March 1, 2005... Providers quickly endorsed a Senate bill designed to limit provider liability in lawsuits. Sens. Judd Gregg (R-NH) and John Ensign (R-NV) introduced the malpractice measure last month. Based on a similar California law, the legislation...

The antipsychotic drug Seroquel may speed up Alzheimer's-related deterioration.(At deadline)
March 1, 2005... The antipsychotic drug Seroquel may speed up Alzheimer's-related deterioration. A study in the British Medical Journal found that residents taking the drug suffered twice the rate of cognitive decline as those on Exelon.

Senate and House lawmakers introduced measures to end Medicare therapy caps.(At deadline)
March 1, 2005... Senate and House lawmakers introduced measures to end Medicare therapy caps. Existing law has two ceilings in place: one for occupational therapy and another for physical/speech therapy. A current moratorium on enforcement expires at year's...

Freestanding nursing homes with above-average Medicare or Medicaid populations tend to experience slightly lower occupancy level.(At deadline)
March 1, 2005... Freestanding nursing homes with above-average Medicare or Medicaid populations tend to experience slightly lower occupancy levels, according to the most recent NIC Market Area Profile.

A New Jersey doctor's lawsuit alleges ongoing Medicare and Medicaid fraud by Beverly Enterprises Inc., Fort Smith, AR.(At deadline)
March 1, 2005... A New Jersey doctor's lawsuit alleges ongoing Medicare and Medicaid fraud by Beverly Enterprises Inc., Fort Smith, AR. Beverly refuted the allegations and said the "frivolous" lawsuit will likely be dismissed.

Medicare over payments to a bankrupt nursing facility should be returned to the government rather than other creditors, an appellate court has ruled.(At deadline)
March 1, 2005... Medicare over payments to a bankrupt nursing facility should be returned to the government rather than other creditors, an appellate court has ruled. Slater Health Center Inc., Pawtucket, RI, was overpaid by $370,569.

60 seconds with ... Terry Kuzman: president, Conn. Assn. of Health Care Facilities.(News)
March 1, 2005... (At press time, leaders of the National Commission on Nursing Workforce for Long-Term Care were hoping to issue their finalized report in mid-March. Terry Kuzman is a prominent nursing home administrator who serves on the commission.) Q:...

Lawmakers call for panel to shape Medicaid's role.(News)
March 1, 2005... A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation to establish a Medicaid commission. Their move follows the president's fiscal year 2006 budget proposal, which calls for $60 billion in Medicaid reductions. The Medicaid panel would...

Study discredits drugs for Alzheimer's.(News)
March 1, 2005... New research concludes that many medications used to treat symptoms of dementia, including agitation and delusions, are not effective. The research found that antidepressants such as Prozac and mood stabilizers such as Tegretol don't work...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Feb. 3 proposed new coverage criteria for power wheelchairs and scooters.(Regulatory Update)
March 1, 2005... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Feb. 3 proposed new coverage criteria for power wheelchairs and scooters. It looks to clinical guidance for evaluating whether a beneficiary needs a device and what kind of device is needed.

Employers with more than 10 employees are now required to post a summary of the number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2004.(Regulatory Update)
March 1, 2005... Employers with more than 10 employees are now required to post a summary of the number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2004, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

New legislation would prohibit requiring nurses to work more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period or 80 hours in a 14-day period, except in a declared emergency.(Bill Watch)
March 1, 2005... New legislation would prohibit requiring nurses to work more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period or 80 hours in a 14-day period, except in a declared emergency. Reps. Pete Stark (D-CA) and Steven LaTourette (R-OH), and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)...

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) also is sponsoring a bill that would allow importation of prescription drugs.(Bill Watch)
March 1, 2005... Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) also is sponsoring a bill that would allow importation of prescription drugs from Canada and establish an Office of Health Information Technology.

Ask the care expert.(Resident Care)
March 1, 2005... How can I help residents who seem to be depressed? (we've determined the symptoms are not medication related.) Depression, even mild forms, can cause residents to feel hopeless and helpless, and experience symptoms that can seriously...

Study: electrical therapy boosts walking recovery.(Resident Care)
March 1, 2005... Functional electrical stimulation (FES) assists in the physical recovery of residents who are recovering from a first acute stroke, according to new study results. When added to standard rehabilitation, FES improves lower extremity...

Research: ibuprofen can hurt intestine.(Resident Care)
March 1, 2005... More than 70% of people who took painkillers such as ibuprofen for more than three months suffered damage to their small intestines, according to new research. The finding follows reports that advanced pain medications known as COX-2...

Adults 50 and older cope better with chronic pain than younger adults, according to new research.(Caregiving Update)
March 1, 2005... Adults 50 and older cope better with chronic pain than younger adults, according to new research. A study from the University of Michigan and the University of South Florida found that older blacks and whites were better able to cope with their...

Older people who tend to worry a lot may be more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, a new study reveals.(Caregiving Update)
March 1, 2005... Older people who tend to worry a lot may be more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, a new study reveals. People 65 or older who were prone to feeling stressed were more than twice as likely to develop the disease within three to six years,...

It takes nine months to attain the optimal benefits of cardiac rehabilitation, a University of Toronto study says.(Caregiving Update)
March 1, 2005... It takes nine months to attain the optimal benefits of cardiac rehabilitation, a University of Toronto study says. Only three months are generally prescribed for such rehab patients. The study found that in a 52-week rehab program patients...

Ask the nursing expert.(Nursing)
March 1, 2005... We often have to use contract staff to supplement our staffing needs. Any ideas on how to provide orientation information to them so that they can better follow our facility protocols? I recommend that you meet with your staff nurses and...

Study: nurses fail to talk about care delivery flaws.(Nursing)
March 1, 2005... Care delivery is undermined when facilities and nurses fail to address poor communication, a new study has found. The report is a collaboration between the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) and VitalSmarts, a company...

Nurse who killed 22 gets life sentence.(Nursing)
March 1, 2005... A nurse at a Swiss nursing home has been sentenced to life in prison after admitting to the murders of 22 residents over a six-year period. The victims of Roger Andermatt, 36, were primarily women between the ages of 66 and 95. He either...

If aspirin therapy is stopped, a patient's risk of having another stroke is three times greater within one month.(Medication Update)
March 1, 2005... If aspirin therapy is stopped, a patient's risk of having another stroke is three times greater within one month, according to research presented at the recent American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference.

Treatment with a popular blood pressure drug cut the incidence of pneumonia in post-stroke patients.(Medication Update)
March 1, 2005... Treatment with a popular blood pressure drug cut the incidence of pneumonia in post-stroke patients, according to Japanese researchers in the journal Neurology. Investigators studied 1,000 stroke patients for 35 months to reach their...

The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists has called for changes to a manual that provides guidance to Medicare and Medicaid surveyors.(Medication Update)
March 1, 2005... The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists has called for changes to a manual that provides guidance to Medicare and Medicaid surveyors. Current requirements regarding gradual dose reduction and the use of psychotherapeutic medications in...

Ask the payment expert.(Payment & Policy)
March 1, 2005... How does our facility access additional funding for AIDS residents? The AIDS add-on for skilled nursing facilities is part of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement & Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), which went into effect Oct. 1, 2004....

Leavitt blasts states that bloat Medicaid numbers.(Payment & Policy)
March 1, 2005... Newly installed Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt wasted little time outlining how he plans to trim $60 billion from Medicaid spending over the next decade. Nursing homes would be directly affected by, most of his...

NCA lauds payment plan.(Payment & Policy)
March 1, 2005... More than 13 million Americans could use reverse mortgages to defray their long term care costs, according to a study from the National Council on the Aging. The report notes that many seniors could use the funds to pay for home modifications...

Go figure.(Payment & Policy)
March 1, 2005... 2.2 Total federal spending on the elderly reached $2.2 trillion in 2003. The figure is expected to reach $3.7 trillion by 2015, according to the Brookings Institution. 473 The cost of Medicare and Medicaid was $473 billion last year, less...

Manor Care Inc.'s earnings rose 26% to $48 million in the 2004 fourth quarter. Revenues expanded by 2% to $806 million.(Business Briefs)
March 1, 2005... Manor Care Inc's earnings rose 26% to $48 million in the 2004 fourth quarter. Revenues expanded by 2% to $806 million. For the entire year, profits increased by 41% while revenues grew by 6%. A lower effective tax rate contributed to higher...

Baptist Health System of Birmingham, AL, sold Shelby Ridge nursing home, a 131-bed facility, for $7.1 million.(Business Briefs)
March 1, 2005... Baptist Health System of Birmingham, AL, sold Shelby Ridge nursing home, a 131-bed facility, for $7.1 million. The buyer was an affiliate of Montgomery, AL-based Schmidt Wallace Healthcare Management Company Inc., which currently owns three...

Kindred Healthcare Inc. expected 2004 fourth quarter income from continuing operations to total $25 million to $26 million on revenues of approximately $903 million.(Business Briefs)
March 1, 2005... Kindred Healthcare Inc. expected 2004 fourth quarter income from continuing operations to total $25 million to $26 million on revenues of approximately $903 million. It fore cast 2005 net income of $95 million to $101 million with consolidated...

Extendicare Health Services of Markham, Ontario, completed the purchase of Assisted Living Concepts of Dallas for $27S million (U.S. currency).(Business Briefs)
March 1, 2005... Extendicare Health Services of Markham, Ontario, completed the purchase of Assisted Living Concepts of Dallas for $27S million (U.S. currency). The company gained 177 assisted living facilities with about 7.000 beds in the transaction. It now...

Advocat Inc. sold two nursing homes in Texas.(Business Briefs)
March 1, 2005... Advocat Inc. sold two nursing homes in Texas. Proceeds from the transaction will be used to reduce debt. The Franklin, TN based company said the sale "completes our plan of eliminating underperforming facilities in the state." It also ceased...

Five Star Quality Care Inc., of Newton, MA, entered into an agreement to put chase six assisted living communities for $63.5 million in western Pennsylvania.(Business Briefs)
March 1, 2005... Five Star Quality Care Inc., of Newton, MA, entered into an agreement to put chase six assisted living communities for $63.5 million in western Pennsylvania. A privately owned company currently operates the communities, whose revenues come...

Beverly's fate in doubt as proxy election nears.(Companies)
March 1, 2005... The niceties long dispensed With, Beverly, Enterprises' top management is campaigning against an unwelcome but persistent suitor. The Fort Smith, AR-based nursing home giant recently rejected a $1.5 billion bid from an investment group led...

Genesis 1Q profits soar.(Companies)
March 1, 2005... Genesis HealthCare Corp. showed a robust 81% increase in first-quarter profits, compared with the year-earlier quarter, which had been weighed down by a recorded loss of $1.6 million from discontinued operations. The Kennett Square,...

Beverly Enterprises' stockholders.(Good month)
March 1, 2005... Beverly Enterprises' stockholders: The value of their holdings jumped by 25% after a takeover bid became public.

Tired nurses.(Good month)
March 1, 2005... Tired nurses: New legislation would limit the instances when nurses can be forced to work overtime.

Panels.(Good month)
March 1, 2005... Panels: They have been proposed or will be set up to examine the Medicaid program, drugs in the marketplace and Medicare Part D coverage implementation.

Former smokers.(Good month)
March 1, 2005... Former smokers: In a 14-year study of 5,887 middle-aged smokers with mild lung disease, those who were randomly assigned to a quit-smoking program had a lower death rate than those assigned to usual care.

Medicare/Medicaid funding.(Bad month)
March 1, 2005... Medicare/Medicaid funding: The administration's 2006 budget plan would reduce funds from these programs to providers by billions of dollars in the next decade.

FDA.(Bad month)
March 1, 2005... FDA: Facing withering criticism about medication problems, the agency was forced to create a panel that will monitor medicines already on the market.

BP Care Inc.(Bad month)
March 1, 2005... BP Care Inc.: Its suit to overturn Medicare fines was rejected when a federal appeals court ruled it had not exhausted all its administrative remedies.

HHS Secretary Leavitt.(Bad month)
March 1, 2005... HHS Secretary Leavitt: Democrats and provider groups have hounded him for details on how proposed Medicaid cuts will actually be enacted.

More on-line resources are now available to American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) members through a new affiliation with MyZiva, a New York company that offers an on-line platform for nursing facility management.(IT Update)
March 1, 2005... More on-line resources are now available to American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) members through a new affiliation with MyZiva, a New York company that offers an on-line platform for nursing facility management. Under the...

Software and storage are the leading technology wish-list items for companies this year, according to a survey, sponsored by Merrill Lynch & Co., of 100 chief information officers.(IT Update)
March 1, 2005... Software and storage are the leading technology wish-list items for companies this year, according to a survey, sponsored by Merrill Lynch & Co., of 100 chief information officers. Respondents indicated that services and computers would be less...

President Bush announced his fiscal 2006 budget proposal would include $125 million for healthcare information technology demonstration programs (see story on page 36).(IT Update)
March 1, 2005... President Bush announced his fiscal 2006 budget proposal would include $125 million for healthcare information technology demonstration programs (see story on page 36). Bush also announced the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued...

Employees believe management is using technology to watch over them for the wrong reasons, according to new survey results from Career Journal.com and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).(IT Update)
March 1, 2005... Employees believe management is using technology to watch over them for the wrong reasons, according to new survey results from Career Journal.com and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The survey found that employees and...

Next new tech upgrade? Could be your sprinklers.(Technology)
March 1, 2005... When most people think of technological innovation, they rarely consider sprinkler systems. Yet these could mark the next significant technology, upgrade coming to many nursing homes. More than 1.6 million elderly and disabled people reside...

"I couldn't live without ...".(Technology)
March 1, 2005... "The distance learning satellite broadcast," says Jon Conrad, the administrator of Florida Lutheran Retirement Center, a continuing care retirement center, with 60 nursing beds, in DeLand, FL. His center, through The Distance Learning...

Medicaid cuts proposed.(Northeast)
March 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- Nursing homes could see a cut in their Medicaid reimbursement rates if the recommendations of New York Gov. George E. Pataki (R) to the Legislature become part of his overall budget. Pataki is proposing a total of nearly $1...

Bill proposed to limit eligibility.(Northeast)
March 1, 2005... NEW HAMPSHIRE -- A legislator has proposed a bill that would restrict many Medicaid recipients from getting nursing home care, another example of states' attempts to pare down Medicaid costs. Sponsored by Rep. Neal Kurk (R), the bill would...

Nursing home fined for pollution.(Northeast)
March 1, 2005... MASSACHUSETTS -- Overlook Masonic Health Center Inc., Charlton, MA, agreed to pay nearly $163,000 in penalties because it allegedly dumped pollutants from its 167 bed nursing home into a nearby river. From 1998 to 2003, Overlook Masonic...

Suspect in fire can't be tried.(Northeast)
March 1, 2005... CONNECTICUT -- A state panel has determined that a woman accused of setting a fire that killed 16 residents at a Hartford nursing home in February 2003 is not competent to stand trial. Lesley Andino, 25, and a multiple sclerosis patient,...

SNF exec saves teen.(Illinois)
March 1, 2005... Local officials as well as friends and family of a teen who was the victim of a car crash, gathered to honor Gerry Jenich, CEO of NuCare Services, Corp., a Lincolnwood, IL, long-term care management company. Jenich, a former paramedic, said...

Malpractice law passes.(Northeast)
March 1, 2005... MARYLAND -- The Maryland General Assembly has passed a new medical malpractice law, despite Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s (R) veto of the measure last year. The new law, passed in January, creates a state fund to hold insurance rate...

Operator convicted in death.(Northeast)
March 1, 2005... CONNECTICUT -- Hillcrest Healthcare Inc., Montville, has been convicted of second-degree manslaughter in the death of a 74-year-old resident who prosecutors say died from poor care. Prosecutors said it is rare that a corporation, and no...

Shift money from homes?(Southeast)
March 1, 2005... KENTUCKY -- In an effort to close a $500 million gap this fiscal year, Gov. Ernie Fletcher has proposed a measure, dubbed the "Freedom Plan," which would allow more people to choose to use Medicaid to pay for care in the community. Currently,...

Privatizing Medicaid.(Southeast)
March 1, 2005... FLORIDA -- Desperate to harness escalating Medicaid costs, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) has proposed that the state's 2.1 million Medicaid recipients be permitted to purchase their own healthcare coverage. The proposed program increases...

Use for discarded drugs.(Southeast)
March 1, 2005... ARKANSAS -- An Arkansas House of Representatives committee has proposed a bill that would permit unused prescription drugs to be redirected to free health clinics statewide. An estimated $5 million worth of medications is simply disposed of...

Private Medicaid option.(Southeast)
March 1, 2005... GEORGIA -- Gov. Sonny Perdue has allowed private health insurers to bid on Medicaid coverage. He says it is an effort to better control Medicaid spending in the state. The effort will help encourage the nearly 1 million uninsured in the...

Execs ordered to pay $13.1 million.(Midwest)
March 1, 2005... INDIANA -- Two former board members of a closed nursing home in Flora were ordered to pay $13.1 million for allegedly depleting the assets of the nonprofit home. A Marion County judge ordered Dean Beckner to pay $10.3 million and Joseph...

Efficiency-based pay?(Midwest)
March 1, 2005... OHIO -- If Gov. Bob Taft has his way, the state's nursing homes that keep costs down will receive better payments than those whose costs are higher. As part of Gov. Taft's proposal nursing homes with below-average costs would earn an...

More unannounced inspections.(Midwest)
March 1, 2005... WISCONSIN -- The state Board on Aging & Long Term care has plans to expand its volunteer ombudsman program to allow for more unannounced visits to nursing homes. The expansion would allow more ombudsmen to spend more time talking with...

Nuns come clean on overpay.(Midwest)
March 1, 2005... OHIO -- A Toledo-area nursing home has had to return nearly $262,000 to the state in duplicate Medicaid payments. Late last year, Sister Judith Meredith wrote to tell the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services that it had overpaid...

Ask the legal expert.(Legal Matters)
March 1, 2005... How do we get one of those temporary restraining orders for visitors or family members who are a royal pain in the neck and sometimes abusive to staff? Generally, when a person (wrongdoer) poses a real threat to a resident or staff member,...

New law to change venue for class-action lawsuits.(Legal Matters)
March 1, 2005... President Bush has signed a bill making it harder for class-action lawsuits against nursing homes to be filed and won. Under the legislation, class-action suits seeking $5 million or more would be heard in state court only if the primary...

Court rejects 'feeding assistant' brief.(Legal Matters)
March 1, 2005... A federal court has denied the American Health Care Association's motion to join the defense in a lawsuit critical of the recently created "feeding assistant" class of nursing home worker. The U.S. District Court for the Western District...

More needed on Medicare drug benefit: as time runs shorter, providers say the final CMS rule leaves a lot to the imagination.(Analysis)
March 1, 2005... With all the day-to-day hassles of running a nursing home, most operators don't have the opportunity to worry about problems that will first hit their doorstep in 10 months. Then again, there's never been a Medicare prescription drug...

How to do it ... improve payer mix.(Business & Marketing)
March 1, 2005... Most facilities want to see more private payers. For the most part, Medicaid doesn't cover costs and Medicare is a short-term fix. One of our clients indicated that a 1% increase in private pay residents results in $150,000 net to their bottom...

Building the business.(Business & Marketing)
March 1, 2005... Challenge: Unmet needs Response: Expanded services Result: Urban renewal CASE STUDY: NewCourtland Elder Services offers a network of nursing homes, housing and programs for flail elders throughout the Philadelphia area. Recently,...

Design decisions: therapy area rubs Wood Haven the right way.(Business & Marketing)
March 1, 2005... WHEN A $1 MILLION renovation was recently launched at Wood Haven Health Care in Bowling Green, OH, there was little doubt where the primary focus should be. While the work at the 100-bed, county-owned facility includes a revamped nursing...

Pushing to the top.(Profile)
March 1, 2005... SCALING MOUNT Kilimanjaro might seem like good preparation for running the nation's largest nursing home chain. And for Bill Floyd, taking on the three-and-a-half-mile uphill climb was within character. For whether it's trekking to the...

Helpful words for the new boss.(The Big Picture)
March 1, 2005... There's a time-honored tradition in Washington that happens when a new president is elected. The outgoing commander in chief usually leaves a brief note behind in the Oval Office. The correspondence tends to be short and cheerful: a few...

The key to Beverly's fate rests in the voters' hands.(Editor's Desk)
March 1, 2005... Like the O.J. Simpson murder trial, details of Formation Capital's takeover bid of Beverly Enterprises are slowly unfolding in an intriguing way. And both episodes have presented incredible learning opportunities--just substitute "corporate...

"Who do you admire most professionally?".(Reader Poll)
March 1, 2005... Larry Minnix. He has been dedicated to long-term care for many years. He spent his early years being innovative in bringing new services for his residents and clients in Atlanta. The last few years, as president of AAHSA (American Association...

Fire-safety concerns.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... Recent fires in nursing homes have made all of us in the long-term care field very much aware of the importance of fire safety. The fires have also generated a lot of studies regarding the perceived problems and causes. One such study was...