McKnight's Long-Term Care News articles from March 2007

McKnight's Long-Term Care News archives from March 2007

'75% Rule' under attack.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Nine senators have re-energized the battle over where certain rehabilitation patients should receive services. Their new bill, S. 543, would lessen the flow of admissions to nursing and rehab facilities. Current federal rules say that 75%...

Providers rage over Bush payment cuts.
March 1, 2007... Nursing home operators and their advocates trashed President Bush's 2008 budget proposal, which would cut payments for half a decade. The proposal calls for more than $101 billion in Medicare and Medicaid spending cuts, such as no...

New rules for CMS, others.
March 1, 2007... President Bush has signed an executive order giving the White House more sway over rules issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The directive is expected to reduce nursing homes' regulatory burdens, analysts say. The order...

Loneliness, disease tied.(NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Older people who are lonely have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, new research shows. Participants who reported a high degree of loneliness had about twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, compared with someone...

Flu test cuts drug overuse.(NEWS)
March 1, 2007... A new test may help cut what many see as an overuse of antibiotics in this country. The rapid flu test can tell within a few minutes whether a person has influenza. Antibiotics are useless against viruses, such as the flu, but bacterial...

Tax breaks may affect minimum wage battle.(NEWS)
March 1, 2007... The Senate approved an increase in the federal minimum wage just before press time. But senators also added new tax breaks as a concession for small businesses. As a result, representatives from each chamber of Congress needed to hammer...

Expert: long-term care is growing.(NEWS)
March 1, 2007... To paraphrase the well-known saying, news of the nursing home industry's death is more than a bit premature. "Everyone thinks the nursing home industry is shrinking, but the actual number of beds has grown slightly," said Michael Hargrave,...

A million-dollar.(At deadline)
March 1, 2007... A million-dollar advertising campaign urges lawmakers to reject funding cuts to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Ads by the Coalition to Protect America's Health include a toll-free telephone number that connects callers with their...

More hospice.(At deadline)
March 1, 2007... More hospice programs are allowing the use of life-extending services and medicines, according to The New York Times. People are more likely to enroll in hospice programs under these conditions, the paper said.

The Joint Commission.(At deadline)
March 1, 2007... The Joint Commission has released a report addressing ways providers can communicate better with residents. Among its 35 recommendations: communication methods such as "teach back," greater sensitivity to residents' literacy levels and...

60 seconds with ... Stacie Maass.(NEWS)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... Q: How fair was the abundance of criticism that came when the Medicaid Commission's final report was submitted? A: Considering the final vote was 11-1--there was one abstention and two governors were not present to vote--they did a pretty...

New SEIU union could spur organizing trouble: attorney.(NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Nursing home providers could see an increase in union activity as a result of the formation of SEIU Healthcare, a new union within the Service Employees International Union. "The fact [that] there is going to be a strategic focus on a...

GAO tells HHS to step up privacy efforts.(NEWS)
March 1, 2007... The Department of Health and Human Services should do more to protect patient privacy as it makes the transition to electronic medical records, the Government Accountability Office said in a recent report. Recommended steps include...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month issued guidance for communities on how to fight pandemic influenza in the months before a vaccine would become available.(Regulatory Update)
March 1, 2007... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month issued guidance for communities on how to fight pandemic influenza in the months before a vaccine would become available. The main strategy is to keep people physically apart as much as...

As of Feb. 1, employers were required to post.(Regulatory Update)
March 1, 2007... As of Feb. 1, employers were required to post a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2006.

Sens. Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) last month introduced a bill that would help Americans prepare for long-term care costs.(Bill Watch)
March 1, 2007... Sens. Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) last month introduced a bill that would help Americans prepare for long-term care costs. It would create a savings mechanism to assist individuals in covering long-term care costs and...

Senators and Congressmen in January.(Bill Watch)
March 1, 2007... Senators and Congressmen in January introduced legislation that would redefine certification criteria for long-term acute care hospitals.

Ask the care expert.(NEWS: Resident Care)
March 1, 2007... More of our residents are getting orders for transdermal medicine patches. I am having trouble keeping the patches on my residents' skin. Do you have any suggestions for keeping them on the required length of time? It's true that it can be...

Research: exercise does not affect osteoarthritis onset.(NEWS: Resident Care)
March 1, 2007... Seniors suffering from mild knee pain can continue their moderate exercise with the knowledge that the activity neither hastens nor delays the onset of osteoarthritis in the knee. By measuring "joint space loss" as an indicator of knee...

Researchers based in the Netherlands have found a formula to help determine whether joint pain that does not add up to a specific arthritic disease will turn into rheumatoid arthritis.(Caregiving Update)
March 1, 2007... Researchers based in the Netherlands have found a formula to help determine whether joint pain that does not add up to a specific arthritic disease will turn into rheumatoid arthritis. The nine clinical variables investigators used to predict...

The majority of patients with dementia associated with Parkinson's disease.(Caregiving Update)
March 1, 2007... The majority of patients with dementia associated with Parkinson's disease also suffer from a range of psychiatric and neurological symptoms, including anxiety, agitation and hallucinations, according to researchers at Stavanger University...

Nearly 80% of all long-term care is provided in-home, and most of it is performed by family members, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.(Caregiving Update)
March 1, 2007... Nearly 80% of all long-term care is provided in-home, and most of it is performed by family members, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. While this care is usually provided for "free," it is nonetheless estimated to be worth about $306...

Ask the treatment expert.(NEWS: Wound Care)
March 1, 2007... I heard Xenaderm[R] ointment (balsam peru 87.0 mg, castor oil USP/NF 788.0 mg, trypsin NL T 90 USP units), made by Healthpoint[R] is no longer reimbursed by Medicare. Is this true? Correct. Healthpoint[R] received notice from the Centers...

Oral wounds take longer to heal in older women: study.(NEWS: Wound Care)
March 1, 2007... Mouth wounds heal slowest in older women, according to new findings from the University of Illinois at Chicago. "While wounds to the skin heal more quickly in women than in men, our study suggested the opposite is true for healing of wounds...

Molnlycke Health Care Group will be purchased by Investor AB and Morgan Stanley for $3.7 billion.(Treatment Update)
March 1, 2007... Molnlycke Health Care Group will be purchased by Investor AB and Morgan Stanley for $3.7 billion. The firm, based in Goteborg, Sweden, makes wound care and surgical products for the professional healthcare sector. It had sales of about $986...

Medline Industries Inc.(Treatment Update)
March 1, 2007... Medline Industries Inc. has announced the release of PictZar, a software program that helps clinicians measure and track the progress of wound healing. Clinicians using the program take a digital image of the wound and a ruler. The ruler in...

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Innocoll Inc.(Treatment Update)
March 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration has approved Innocoll Inc.'s application to conduct a Phase 2 study for its CollaRx Gentamicin product. The topical antibiotic treatment will be used for mildly infected diabetic foot ulcers. Currently, no...

The Wound Healing Society and Blackwell Publishing.(Treatment Update)(Medical condition overview)
March 1, 2007... The Wound Healing Society and Blackwell Publishing have announced the publication of the WHS Clinical Guidelines for Chronic Wounds in a special issue of Wound Repair and Regeneration.

Ask the nursing expert.(NEWS: Nursing)
March 1, 2007... I am trying to do some goal setting for this year but keep getting bogged down in the day-to-day work to be done. Any advice? Somehow we have to get past "crisis" to best practices. Do the best you can to be proactive in all that you do....

Future will require nurses with special skills: expert.(NEWS: Nursing)
March 1, 2007... Not only will more long-term care nurses be needed in coming years, but nurses with enhanced clinical and management skills will also be in high demand, according to Alan Rosenbloom, president of the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care. ...

Certain blood-pressure medications are less likely to be associated with an increased risk of diabetes, new research published in The Lancet has found.(Medication Update)
March 1, 2007... Certain blood-pressure medications are less likely to be associated with an increased risk of diabetes, new research published in The Lancet has found. ARBs and ACE inhibitors are least associated with diabetes. These are followed by...

Contrary to common belief, aspirin actually does more good than harm in cancer patients who suffer heart attacks.(Medication Update)
March 1, 2007... Contrary to common belief, aspirin actually does more good than harm in cancer patients who suffer heart attacks. Patients often do not receive aspirin because doctors fear lethal bleeding. Yet patients can die without it, researchers at the...

Antidepressants could raise the risk of bone fractures in older people, according to Canadian researchers.(Medication Update)
March 1, 2007... Antidepressants could raise the risk of bone fractures in older people, according to Canadian researchers. People aged 50 and older who took Zoloft, Prozac and other top-sellers doubled their risk of broken bones during five years of follow-up...

Medicare Part D enrollees aren't set on brand-name drugs.(Medication Update)
March 1, 2007... Medicare Part D enrollees aren't set on brand-name drugs. Nearly 60% of all prescription drugs dispensed through the third quarter of 2006 were generics. Such data bodes well for federal program costs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...

Ask the payment expert.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
March 1, 2007... I'm still not sure when to complete a "no pay" bill. Can you help? There is a lot of confusion in the industry regarding the "no pay" bill. Many questions have been asked of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to clarify this...

GAO report reiterates call for tougher survey process.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
March 1, 2007... Nursing homes' reputation took a hit recently in a Government Accountability Office report focusing on "high risk" areas of the federal government. The result could be a stronger push for a tougher survey process for facilities. GAO...

Insurance payments split.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
March 1, 2007... Long-term care insurance benefit payments are nearly evenly split among nursing home care, assisted living care and home- and community-based care, a new report indicates. In 2006, more than 36% of insurance benefit payments went to...

Go figure.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
March 1, 2007... 80 This percentage of long-term care is provided in-home. Family members provide most if it at no official cost, though experts estimate its worth at about $306 billion annually. 8,000 Nearly this many Americans are turning 60 each day (2.8...

Genesis HealthCare Corp.'s profits fell by 6% in the first quarter of 2007, in part because of costs related to its recent buyout announcement.(Business Briefs)
March 1, 2007... Genesis HealthCare Corp.'s profits fell by 6% in the first quarter of 2007, in part because of costs related to its recent buyout announcement. Earnings fell to $10 million from $11 million last year. Stronger revenues in inpatient services and...

Manor Care Inc.'s earnings for the fourth quarter jumped by 56%, to $50 million, compared with earnings of $32 million in the same quarter last year.(Business Briefs)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Manor Care Inc.'s earnings for the fourth quarter jumped by 56%, to $50 million, compared with earnings of $32 million in the same quarter last year. Also, revenues for the largest skilled nursing chain in the country rose by 8% to $934...

Metro monitor.(NEWS: Companies)
March 1, 2007... Metro Monitor The markets with the biggest and smallest differences in monthly revenue per occupied skilled nursing bed (private-pay only) and assisted living unit for the third-quarter of 2006. Leaders Rank Market ...

Providers see more profits from post-acute care sector.(NEWS: Companies)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... More long-term care providers are acknowledging the financial rewards of focusing on short-term post-acute care. As the number of short-term patients who require intensive medical and rehabilitative services grows, the face of nursing homes...

Sunrise faced with shareholder lawsuits.(NEWS: Companies)
March 1, 2007... Several law firms have filed class action lawsuits against Sunrise Senior Living Inc., which is confronting accusations of insider trading from an investor. More than five law firms had filed lawsuits against the McLean, VA-based chain, as...

In his State of the Union address, President Bush said better information technology can make healthcare more affordable and reduce medical errors.(IT Update)
March 1, 2007... In his State of the Union address, President Bush said better information technology can make healthcare more affordable and reduce medical errors. He called on federal lawmakers to use IT improve insurance nationwide and to save small...

The federal government has awarded $103 million in Medicaid grants to programs in 27 states.(IT Update)
March 1, 2007... The federal government has awarded $103 million in Medicaid grants to programs in 27 states. Funds will be used to expand the use of electronic healthcare records, to improve collection of owed amounts from estates, and for quality-improvement...

Kalorama Information reports that the wireless healthcare technology market will grow from $1.8 billion in 2005 to $7 billion by 2010.(IT Update)
March 1, 2007... Kalorama Information reports that the wireless healthcare technology market will grow from $1.8 billion in 2005 to $7 billion by 2010, with an annual growth rate of 33%.

More adoption of electronic prescriptions and electronic health records could actually increase providers' costs.(IT Update)
March 1, 2007... More adoption of electronic prescriptions and electronic health records could actually increase providers' costs, according to economists Robert Reischauer, president of the Urban Institute, and Eugene Steuerle, a senior fellow at the...

The Department of Health and Human Services plans to seek proposals for a contract to develop a trial implementation of core elements of a nationwide health information network.(IT Update)
March 1, 2007... The Deportment of Health and Human Services plans to seek proposals for a contract to develop a trial implementation of core elements of a nationwide health information network. HHS plans to award the contract by June or July, said John Loonsk,...

Leavitt accepts suggested standards for healthcare IT.(NEWS: Technology)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A nationwide health information network appears to be moving closer to reality. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt announced he will accept 30 consensus standards put forth by the Healthcare Information...

I couldn't live without ...".(NEWS: Technology)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Numerous small wireless sensors placed in strategic living areas, including on the bed, on the toilet and in the kitchen, allow staff at NewCourtland Elder Services in Philadelphia to continually monitor residents without intruding on their...

Facilities fight for higher wages.(MIDWEST)
March 1, 2007... MINNESOTA -- Nursing homes in rural parts of the state need to pay better wages to compete with their counterparts in larger cities, some lawmakers believe. But so far they have not passed any legislation to this effect. Legislators have...

Executive admits to lying.(MIDWEST)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... MISSOURI -- A former nursing home executive pleaded guilty to repeatedly lying to government regulators. Charles B. Kaiser III did not tell the truth when his company said it had adequate staff to care for residents, the government said. In...

Laws protect record privacy.(MIDWEST)
March 1, 2007... MICHIGAN -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) signed two bills that force health providers in the state to guard patient medical records more closely. One bill requires providers to maintain records for at least seven years and sets up a system...

Budget would reduce facility reimbursement.(NEW YORK)
March 1, 2007... Many nursing homes in the state may have to trim staff if a new budget proposal by Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) passes the Legislature. The governor proposed a new state budget that would cut reimbursements to nursing homes by $460 million next...

Chain's employees can own stock.(MIDWEST)
March 1, 2007... INDIANA -- Employees of the Miller's Merry Manor nursing home chain have ownership in the company, starting this year. Under a new employee stock ownership plan, current and future employees of the Warsaw, IN-based company working 1,000...

Panel wants to ID sex offenders.(SOUTHEAST)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... VIRGINIA -- The Virginia State Crime Commission is calling for closer screening of sex offenders in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It is pushing legislation that would require facilities to check residents' names against the...

House promotes Green Houses.(SOUTHEAST)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... ARKANSAS -- Last month the state House passed two bills that give a boost to Green House projects. One of the bills (HB 1363) gives the state Office of Long-Term Care authority to establish staffing standards for nursing home facilities...

Law raises insurance costs.(NORTHEAST)
March 1, 2007... MASSACHUSETTS -- A new health insurance law may be squeezing small not-for-profit providers. Under the law, all Massachusetts residents must obtain health insurance by July 1 or face financial penalties. Employees of companies that offer health...

Medicaid underpays pharmacies.(NORTHEAST)
March 1, 2007... NEW HAMPSHIRE -- The Medicaid agency in the state illegally underpaid pharmacy providers for products they dispensed to Medicaid recipients, the Massachusetts state Supreme Court has ruled. Medicaid acted in this way to recover costs for prior...

Governor: don't expect pay hike.(NORTHEAST)
March 1, 2007... CONNECTICUT -- The state cannot afford to raise funding for nursing homes next fiscal year, Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R) announced in her budget message. The funding halt is another blow to facilities that have felt the effects of flagging...

Governor proposes bed taxes.(NORTHEAST)(Martin O'Malley )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... MARYLAND -- Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) wants to charge providers a bed tax, a move that should benefit providers. Homes with 45 or more beds would be charged a fee equaling up to 2% of their income, The homes would recover the money in higher...

Bill extends home-based care.(PLAINS/MOUNTAINS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... WYOMING -- A bill introduced in the state Senate would allow more seniors to receive home-based care. The bill contains $3 million for programs that provide in-home medical care and help with household chores, There is currently a long list of...

OIG: Medicaid overpaid providers.(WEST)
March 1, 2007... CALIFORNIA -- The state's Medicaid program should refund the federal government more than $3.6 million as a result of overpayments to the state for skilled nursing services provided at public hospitals. Additional reimbursement amounts for...

Home care savings touted.(MIDWEST)
March 1, 2007... OHIO -- The state will have to invest in home care to offset the staggering costs of nursing home care, according to a study by a group representing personal care aides and hospice workers. Investing upfront in home care programs could save...

Ask the legal expert.(NEWS: Legal Matters)
March 1, 2007... How can we establish a no-smoking policy at the facility without violating residents' rights? Some residents have smoked in the facility for years. They say the facility is their home. Many long-term-care facilities have successfully...

Providers balk at proposal to halt union secret ballots.(NEWS: Legal Matters)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Congress was gaining momentum toward eliminating the need for secret ballots in union elections at press time. Providers, and other employers, were not pleased. The Employee Free Choice Act (HR 800) is viewed as a pro-union bill because it...

Proviso ruled unconscionable but legal.(NEWS: Legal Matters)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Despite finding that an arbitration provision was "procedurally unconscionable," the Ohio Court of Appeals, 11th District, ruled that the estate of a deceased resident was bound by it. The tipping point in the 2-1 ruling was that the...

Asking for more while promising less: providers say it's unfair for regulators to ask for funding cuts and then expect better quality.(NEWS: Analysis)
March 1, 2007... The howls were loud, clear and in unison after President Bush released his proposed 2008 Budget last month. It seemed there wasn't a single voice missing from the healthcare provider chorus. That's because most of them--long-term care...

How to do it ... info technology.(Business & Marketing)
March 1, 2007... Some of the most expensive, and permanent acquisitions a long-term care operator will make pertain to information technology. They're also some of the most confusing. With such a competitive marketplace, providers need all the help they can get...

Building a new tradition: longtime provider finds success with new model--a community with four clusters of rooms, one for each level of dementia care.(Business & Marketing: Design)
March 1, 2007... Sears Methodist Retirement System knew it wanted to implement a different model of care when it set out to build the new Wesley Woods Alzheimer's Care Center in Waco, TX. Yet the four-community dementia care facility also builds on a...

How to grow: the latest rub.(THE BIG PICTURE)
March 1, 2007... Perhaps comparisons to the phoenix are a bit extreme. But like the mythological figure, for-profits seem to be rising from the proverbial ashes. For many operators, the recent recovery follows two tumultuous decades. Assisted living...

New regime could tighten clamps on long-term care.(Editor's DESK)
March 1, 2007... Long-term care providers may find themselves more perturbed at the outcome of the fighting in Iraq than they might have realized. Why? The war over the weapons of mass destruction that couldn't be found is the primary reason for the mood...

Reader Poll: "what do you do to recruit and retain employees?".(Opinion)
March 1, 2007... "We use a pool of direct care staff to do interviews. So they are the hiring cohort. It's much more successful for us. They're vested in making sure that the person stays? --Recreation/Wellness Consultant, Margaret Hemauer, the Evangelical...

How your future might look.(HAVING MY SAY)(Speech)
March 1, 2007... I'd like to share with you a story of our future. AAHSA recently completed our second scenario-planning exercise. It is designed to help us see what the next 10 years might hold for our field. The exercise will help us not to predict the...

Stern warning: unions no friend of facility operators.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I have been reading and benefiting from McKnight' s Long-Term Care News for as long as I can remember. Among the handful of trade magazines for long-term care/senior housing, it is the best, in my opinion. I cannot recall ever having been...

Sprinkler mandate diverts funds from care, staffing.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I don't disagree with John O'Connor's opinion piece arguing the need for sprinklers (December 2006, p. 20). However, I do take exception, not with your position, but with the way the regulation is likely to be enforced. Our building is...

Helping hands: more nursing homes are beginning to see the benefits of contracting out their laundry and housekeeping services.(Laundry/housekeeping)
March 1, 2007... Laundry and housekeeping are two household tasks most homeowners would rather leave to other people. Many in long-term care feel the same way. Just as cleaning services serve a purpose on the home front, contract companies fill a need...

Team players: wound care has taken on a new status in long-term care, and like many celebrities, an entourage now often accompanies it.(Wound care)
March 1, 2007... A quarterback can make all the great throws in the world, but if he doesn't have someone to catch the ball, the point is moot. A softball pitcher needs her catcher, not to mention teammates to field and hit the ball. A soccer player?...

Recent arrivals: these new products provide you with the tools to conduct your business successfully.(New Products)
March 1, 2007... (1) Essential hospice forms Briggs Corporation now offers an expansion of its Hospice Documentation System to include inpatient hospice documentation. With 35 new and revised forms. Briggs documentation now addresses all levels of...

Resident monitoring: protect your residents, and yourself, with these products.(Product Focus)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... BED CHECK Bed-Check[R] Corporation offers electronic monitoring systems for fall-risk patients in bed, or on a chair or toilet. Systems are available with battery or AC power supplies, many tones and volumes, alarm history and no on-off...

A day in the life: Bhakti Gosalia, Administrator.(Careers)
March 1, 2007... IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS that make her job worthwhile, says Bhakti Gosalia, administrator at Sun Health Boswell in Sun City, AZ. Take this past holiday season, when Santa Claus and carolers paid a visit to the 115-bed short-term stay...

Salary snapshot: MDS coordinator.(Careers)
March 1, 2007... Salary Snapshot: MDS Coordinator Median salaries (all facilities) REGION SALARY($) REGION SALARY($) 1 57,876 6 41,756 2 60,155 7 43,160 3 53,997 8 ...

Furnishing & interiors.(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2007... AirScrub Systems (803) 641-6000 www.airscrub.com Barlow Tyrie Inc. (800) 451-7467 www.teak.com Claflin Contract Furnishings (800) 343-7776, ext. 8250 www.claflin-cf.com Curtain Fair (800) 497-1588...

Constant gardener.(Profile)(Biography)
March 1, 2007... Jennie Chin Hansen, AARP president-elect WHEN JENNIE CHIN Hansen opens up about eldercare, her compassion and enthusiasm are almost palpable. She somehow manages to lend a sense of levity to a discussion about challenging long-term...