McKnight's Long-Term Care News articles from May 2003

McKnight's Long-Term Care News archives from May 2003

Fed budget eliminates Medicaid cuts.
May 2, 2003... House and Senate negotiators offered financial help to long-term care providers by issuing a conference report that eliminated $93 billion in Medicaid cuts from the fiscal year 2004 budget resolution. The lawmakers dropped a House-approved...

American Health Care Association. (Late Breaking News).
May 2, 2003... Skilled nursing facilities could be forced to absorb as much as $6.67 per patient day in bad debt by 2006 if an administration proposal that would encourage states to abandon dual-eligible Medicaid obligations is adopted, according to a study...

Business groups. (Late Breaking News).
May 2, 2003... A House panel approved legislation that would allow employers to offer paid time off as compensation for overtime hours worked instead of overtime pay. Business groups support the bill.

Social workers. (Late Breaking News).
May 2, 2003... About 46% of all Medicare beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities do not receive all the psychosocial services outlined in their care plan,according to a new government report. Social workers cited paperwork, lack of time and inadequate...

Assisted Living Federation. (Late Breaking News).
May 2, 2003... Paul Willging was ousted as president and CEO of the Assisted Living Federation of America after less than a year in office. The new chairman of the board praised Willging but also said it was time for new direction.

American Geriatrics Society. (Late Breaking News).
May 2, 2003... The widespread hospice model of care is set up for younger patients and often doesn't work well for frail elderly patients, according to a new study published in the April 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

US Supreme Court. (Late Breaking News).
May 2, 2003... In a case that could have huge indirect implications for long-term care providers, the US Supreme Court ruled that any punitive damage award more than 10 times the actual damages for a sustained injury should be seen as excessive. It tossed a...

Databank.
May 2, 2003... DATABANK...... ASKING FOR MORE A recent poll asked a cross section of 2,374 adults nationwide, "what would you like to see the government do in the future for the elderly?" Provide a prescription drug benefit 69% Increase...

Deficiencies on the rise in facilities.
May 2, 2003... Surveyors found nearly 50% more deficiencies in nursing homes nationwide in 2001 than in 1998, according to a new report. The total number of deficiencies recorded in 2001 was more than 94,000 -- up 46% from just three years earlier. Ten...

Hard data.
May 2, 2003... 1.5 The percentage of the American population that is 85 or older, the equivalent of about 4.2 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 4.5 The percentage of the population living in nursing homes in 2000, which equates to 1.56...

Single-task worker ruling is delayed amid leers, cheers. (Regulation).
May 2, 2003... Long-term care providers anxiously awaiting final word from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the single-task worker rule will have at least several more months to wait for a verdict. The rule, which was expected to become...

Voting strictly along party lines. (Capital Briefing: Legislative Issues).
May 2, 2003... Voting strictly along party lines, the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee approved the Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act (HR 810) in early April. Among other provisions, the bill would allow nursing homes that receive...

Support for the 2003 Medicare. (Capital Briefing: Legislative Issues).
May 2, 2003... Medical Nutrition Therapy Amendment Act, which would expand coverage of nutrition therapy for those with heart disease, recently grew to 12 co-sponsors -- in addition to its sponsors, Sens. Larry Craig, chairman of the Senate Special Committee...

Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA). (Capital Briefing: Regulatory Issues).
May 2, 2003... Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services criticizing the lack of timeliness of the data found on Nursing Home Compare, CMS' Web site designed to bring nursing home...

Bankruptcy, smoking OK, PACE expansion. (State News).
May 2, 2003... Northeast/Connecticut Lexington Healthcare Group, the owner of eight Connecticut nursing homes, announced April 2 that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. A day earlier, a federal bankruptcy judge had approved payment of employee...

Institutional care on trial: the administration's New Freedom Initiative seeks to transfer as many residents as possible out of skilled nursing facilities to home-based care. (Cover Story).
May 2, 2003... Nursing home operators feeling a twinge of anti-institutional bias at the recent American Society on Aging conference in Chicago weren't imagining things. But they shouldn't necessarily be worried about federal and state governments...

Flu shots, work visas, disputed study, drug list. (Nursing News).
May 2, 2003... Flu shots may protect the elderly against heart disease and stroke, according to a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. People over 65 who received influenza vaccinations had shorter hospital stays for heart disease or...

Court gives approval to preferred drug list. (Pharmacy News).
May 2, 2003... The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has upheld a ruling that says states can create preferred Medicaid drug lists to try to restrain the costs of prescription drugs. The decision is likely to influence prescription drug...

Report: new drug slows Alzheimer's progress. (Pharmacy News).
May 2, 2003... A new drug, memantine, currently marketed only in Europe, has been shown to be effective in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease in individuals in the late stage of the disease, according to a published report. The drug is the...

'Granny' taxing popular pursuit for states. (Reimbursement).
May 2, 2003... The warnings proved prophetic: As states have found themselves increasingly between budgetary rocks and hard places, they have reached to impose taxes on long-term care beds more often. And with state budgets needing to be balanced by...

Early DAVE monitoring takes collaborative approach. (Resident Assessment).
May 2, 2003... A government program designed to check up on the accuracy of Minimum Data Set coding by skilled nursing facilities that doesn't induce anxiety? Sounds impossible, but according to Maureen Gartland, a nursing home administrator who went...

Medicare bill: Camp training amendment causes howls. (Regulation).
May 2, 2003... An amendment that could help nursing homes ease staffing shortages has sparked new quarrels over a Medicare reform bill that otherwise had been sailing smoothly through the House of Representatives. The amendment, offered by Rep. Dave Camp...

HIPAA faces court challenge as new rules take effect. (Regulation).
May 2, 2003... Nursing homes and other long-term care providers have begun anew era under more watchful federal eyes when it comes to medical privacy rules. But the final story line on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act - HIPAA --...

Sun Healthcare Inc. (Briefs).
May 2, 2003... Sun Healthcare Inc. is out of Chapter 11 proceedings, but quarterly results show it still has a way to go to become financially more comfortable. its latest quarterly report noted the provider chain lost $415.5 million before taxes and...

Gentiva Health Services Inc. (Taxes).
May 2, 2003... Gentiva Health Services Inc. has revised its fiscal 2001 intraperiod tax allocation between continuing operations and discontinued operations. The revision resulted in an increase in the tax benefit from continuing operations of $8.3 million...

The government should pay most long-term care costs. (Worth Watching).
May 2, 2003... The government should pay most long-term care costs, according to 42% of the respondents in a recent Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive poll. Among other choices, 27% said it should be a family responsibility. Only 2% picked...

At least one state may borrow money to pay its overdue nursing home bills. (Worth Watching).
May 2, 2003... At least one state may borrow money to pay its overdue nursing home bills. Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes proposed a borrowing plan to raise $1.4 billion for cash-strapped providers who have waited months to be reimbursed by the state. "The...

Health and Human Services. (Worth Watching).
May 2, 2003... Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has introduced a national plan to address diabetes in women. Diabetes isa major contributor to heart disease, the number one killer of women. The plan recommends expanding community-based...

Re-engineering the DON role. (Managing).
May 2, 2003... Edyth Cassel Walters thought she had seen just about everything in long-term care. Then, the 37-year veteran heard about the nurse who was given the responsibility of checking sprinkler system components. If there was anything that...

Governors' group seeks Medicaid changes. (Executive Decisions).
May 2, 2003... Q With all the problems now facing states, why are governors so focused on the Medicaid program? A The Medicaid program is crushing our budgets. We believe that restructuring the program is one of the most effective actions we can take to...

The keys to building a strong finance team are motivation, stimulation and innovation. (Enterprise).
May 2, 2003... * The keys to building a strong finance team are motivation, stimulation and innovation. That's one lesson from the Best Workplaces program, an effort co-sponsored by the Association for Financial Professionals. The group recently recognized...

Experience the key when hiring legal counsel. (Legal Matters).
May 2, 2003... Q What do you feel is most important when hiring a legal rep in our field? A There are several factors that a purchaser of legal services should consider when hiring a lawyer as general counsel or special project counsel. I believe the...

Medicare reform bill doesn't go far enough. (Regulations/Compliance).
May 2, 2003... Q How much of a real impact can providers expect from HR81O (The Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act of 2003) if it passes in its current form? A HR810 is very similar to legislation that the House passed last year in order to...

Worker competitions need personal touches. (Staffing Concerns).
May 2, 2003... Q How do you recommend we promote competition among our nursing ranks and still keep It reasonable? [I think "competing" against One's peers to do a better Job Is good but also realize It can lead to foul pray, hard feelings, etc.] A The...

Take a new look at Rehab Low for best results. (Payment Answers).
May 2, 2003... Q How can the use of Rehab Low be a benefit to a nursing facility? A Rehab Low consists of two components, killed therapy services for at least 45 minutes! 3 days of treatment and 2 RAI compliant Restorative Nursing programs in the...

'Repositioning' has differing implications. (P & L Journal).
May 2, 2003... We regularly get questions from Chief Financial Officers. Here is a recent inquiry: I hear the word "repositioning" used increasingly as an area for strategic planning. What is meant by this term and to whom does it apply? ...

Market monitor. (Business).
May 2, 2003... MARKET MONITOR Resident skin care characteristics, 2001 Nosocomial % receiving % with pressure preventative pressure sore rate skin ...

Skin care and wound treatment in the spotlight. (Industry Innovators).
May 2, 2003... There is no mistaking the importance of wound and skin care care in long-term care, experts note. Government and legal officials have pursued numerous cases where skin breakdown, neglected sores or poor wound care have led to citations or fines...

Medicine-On-Time. (New Vendors: Pharmacy Companies).
May 2, 2003... The new adherence packaging system from Medicine-On-Time, Owing Mills, MD, enables a pharmacist to custom sort, package and label a patient's multiple medications into a series of personalized dosage cups. For long-term care facilities, it...

Building Better Solutions Group. (New Vendors: Pharmacy Companies).
May 2, 2003... The Building Better Solutions Group, White Plains, NY, has entered the long-term care pharmaceutical arena with ThePillBag[TM], a replacement for a pill box that is a comfortable, and sanitary way to carry pills. The resealable plastic bag can...

Aventis. (New Vendors: Pharmacy Companies).
May 2, 2003... Aventis, Bridgewater, NJ, has introduced a new dispensing option and needle safety device for its low-molecular-weight heparin, Lovenox[R]. The new dosing options meets a range of pharmacy needs through enhanced dispensing accuracy and reduced...

Donovan Industries. (Nadona'03 Show Stoppers).
May 2, 2003... DawnMist[R] PremiumAdultWashcloths are the highest quality and value. These extra large (9" x 13"), hypoallergenic, and alcohol-free washcloths help moisturize with Aloe and Lanolin. They are made of a soft, exceptionally tear-resistant non...

Pellerin Milnor Corp. (Nadona'03 Show Stoppers).
May 2, 2003... Milnor has introduced a control -- called the E-P One Touch microprocessor--with pre-set healthcare wash formulas. This delivers fast operation and reduced operator-training time. The F-P One Touch control is used exclusively on Milnor's...

Direct Supply. (Nadona'03 Show Stoppers).
May 2, 2003... Direct Supply introduces the Invacare Tracer[R] EX2 Wheelchair, a versatile chair designed to save you money. The EX2 costs up to 30% less than previous models, and offers a dual-height frame and front riggings that adjust by hand, so there's...

Resource Systems. (Nadona'03 Show Stoppers).
May 2, 2003... Resource Systems is the developer of CareTracker, an innovative system for collectingADLs, mood/behavior, bowel/bladder, restorative and all types of supportive documentation using wall mounted touch screens. The additional accuracy of...

Hertz Supply Co. Inc. (Nadona'03 Show Stoppers).
May 2, 2003... Volker, "The Healthcare Bed in Disguise," is again bringing the latest developments in bed technology to savvy healthcare customers. In addition to totally unique features such as disappearing side rails, disappearing casters, fine wood...

Gojo Industries Inc. (Nadona'03 Show Stoppers).
May 2, 2003... The new PROVON[R] 3-in-1 Wash Cream, a single product for complete perineal care and bed bathing. Designed to help LTC facilities deliver effective and efficient incontinent care, the new wash cream helps maintain skin integrity, increases skin...

Total coverage wireless telephone system for senior facilities. (New Products).
May 2, 2003... * Wireless handset has 15 hours of talk time, 150 hours of standby time and rechargeable battery * Lightweight and durable * Easy interface to any PABX or analog lines * Produced by Guardian Wireless Inc. Circle 167 on reader...

Confidential document containers. (New Products).
May 2, 2003... * Comply with HIPAA -- dispose of proprietary information securely * Versatile containers are sturdy and tamper-resistant * Containers include keyed lock storage and paper slot that prevents unauthorized removal * Produced by...

Safety-Walk[TM] cushion matting 5250. (New Products).
May 2, 2003... * Spring-coiled vinyl compresses uniformly and continually, providing more comfort and less fatigue * Open-coiled design allows liquids to pass through, providing a safer, drier surface * Chemical-resistant coating keeps mat resilient...

Clickeze privacy systems. (New Products).
May 2, 2003... * Over 200 fabrics in a variety of colors and patterns * Coordinated colors and patterns for cubicle curtains, window treatments and bedspreads * Pleated, vertical, faux wood, aluminum mini-blinds and roller shade blinds available ...

Scott[R] Coreless JRT[R] E-Z load dispensing system. (New Products).
May 2, 2003... * Cordless tissue and dispensing system makes maintenance easier * Keyless dispensing system can be reloaded with one hand * Dispenser has 80% fewer parts than standard jumbo roll dispenser * Produced by Kimberly-Clark Corp. ...

DawnMist[R] Bleach-Wipes[TM]. (Product Focus).
May 2, 2003... DawnMistare[R] Bleach-Wipes' are formulated to meet CDC & OSHA standards for bloodborne pathogen decontamination. Unlike quaternary products which take up to 10 minutes, they kill Tuberculosis in 1 minute, HIV in 30 seconds and hundreds of...

New pressure-relieving mattress. (Product Focus).
May 2, 2003... Direct Supply's exclusive new Panacea[R] ComfortMax pressure-relieving mattress provides residents with exceptional pressure relief -- even for those with single-site Stage III wounds. Featuring a Lura-Flex[TM] foam top layer, the ComfortMax ax...

Worth repeating.
May 2, 2003... "What do these two people have in common? They both take goods and services without paying for them." Charles Roadman II, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association, pointing to a slide showing Uncle Sam on one side and...

Malpractice meets academia. (Q & A).
May 2, 2003... Doctoral candidate David Stevenson and a fellow Harvard researcher, Professor David Studdert, recently published findings of a national survey of attorneys involved in nursing home malpractice. They note. the relative recent boom of lawsuits...

Senior Lifestyle Corporation. (Milestones).
May 2, 2003... RUTH MANSMITH is the new corporate wellness director for Senior Lifestyle Corporation, Chicago. A nationally board certified rehabilitation registered nurse, she is responsible for wellness programs for all of the company's resident programs....

Heartland Division for Life Care Centers of America. (Milestones).
May 2, 2003... DAVE CERVENY, a licensed nursing home administrator, is the new vice president of the Heartland Division for Life Care Centers of America, which is based out of Cleveland TN. Cerveny will supervise operations of centers in Indiana, Missouri,...

Classic Residence. (Milestones).
May 2, 2003... EVELYN BEAGAN is the new director of personal care for Classic Residence by Hyatt in Yonkers, NY. She was previously director of nursing for Riverdale Nursing Home in Riverdale, NY.

Michaux Manor Living Center. (Milestones).
May 2, 2003... SEANMCFARLAND, administrator at the Michaux Manor Living Center, Fayetteville, PA, was given the distinguished service award by the Pennsylvania Health Care Association and the Center for Assisted Living Management.

Benchmark Assisted Living. (Milestones).
May 2, 2003... Benchmark Assisted Living, Wellesley, MA, named new executive directors for five of its communities. TOM PALLOTTA is the new leader at Waltham Crossings in Waltham, a community offering both traditional assisted living and Alzheimer's care....

Asbury Methodist Village's Apartments and Villas. (Milestones).
May 2, 2003... ANDREW APPLEGATE has been appointed the new administrator for Asbury Methodist Village's Apartments and Villas, Gaithersburg, MD. His duties include managing the community's new 41,000-square-foot wellness and cultural arts center.

Parkside Senior Services. (Milestones).
May 2, 2003... DAVID C. DEEDS is the new senior vice president of finance and CFO at Parkside Senior Services, Skokie, IL.

Country Meadows Retirement Communities. (Milestones).
May 2, 2003... DAVID LEADERS' is the new COO at Country Meadows Retirement Communities, a Hershey, PA-based chain of 34 skilled nursing, assisted living and independent living facilities in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Lakeside Village. (Milestones).
May 2, 2003... Todd J. Miller is the new executive director of Lakeside Village at A Classic Residence by Hyatt in Lantana, FL. A veteran of more than 20 years of experience in management at everything from skilled nursing to independent congregate...

Who is your most memorable resident? (Reader Poll).
May 2, 2003... CARL L. WILKINS Executive Director, Morningside of Fullerton, Fullerton, CA The man who is the voice of "Tony The Tiger." The gentleman is a current resident of our community and is still employed by Kellogg. He is memorable because no...

Recipe for success: a soft-spoken volunteer's actions speak louder than any words could at the West Virginia facility she graces. (LTCN Profile).
May 2, 2003... There's no clear sign it happened this way, but one could have forgiven Denise Worley if she had thought her payroll records were goofed up shortly after starting her job as administrator at Raleigh Center in Daniels, WV. Where, she could...

What elephant? Feels like a tree to me: many LTC groups content to push own agendas, while ignoring other views. (Parting Shots).
May 2, 2003... David Brinkley once wrote a book called "Everyone Is Entitled to My Opinion." The title aptly describes the views many long-term care stakeholders seem to embrace. Steve Moses, president of the Center for Long-Term Care Financing, revealed...

Technologies may lower costs, improve care. (Trends).
May 2, 2003... New technology cannot solve all the problems facing providers. But it can act as a catalyst for improved care, lowered costs, better policy and perhaps, higher reimbursement. That was the message delivered in April at the "Future of Aging...

Avoiding the long-term plan. (Commentary).
May 2, 2003... There's a great scene near the beginning of the movie "The Sting" where a con man sticks a bundle of money in his waistband and exchanges it for a worthless wad of material. All the while, he acts as if he's letting his mark in on how somebody...

Therapy caps clarified--limits soon.
May 23, 2003... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a program memorandum updating some aspects of the outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps program to be implemented with claims submitted beginning July 1,2003--and the long-term care...

CMS has recommended that temporary Medicare payment add-ons under the Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs) system continue through fiscal 2004. (Late Breaking News).
May 23, 2003... CMS has recommended that temporary Medicare payment add-ons under the Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs) system continue through fiscal 2004. The extension would postpone up to $1 billion in payment cuts. Also on May 16, regulators called for a...

Identical bills introduced in the House and Senate on May 8. (Late Breaking News).
May 23, 2003... Identical bills introduced in the House and Senate on May 8 would provide states with more Medicaid funds. The "Strengthening Our States" Act was introduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) in the Senate and Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) in the House in...

Fewer than half of seniors with disabilities receive needed assistance with activities of daily living, according to a report from AARP. (Late Breaking News).
May 23, 2003... Fewer than half of seniors with disabilities receive needed assistance with activities of daily living, according to a report from AARP, which also predicted that care shortcomings for seniors with disabilities will continue to get worse.

The nation's largest assisted-living provider, Sunrise Senior Living. (Late Breaking News).
May 23, 2003... The nation's largest assisted-living provider, Sunrise Senior Living, announced May 7 that it signed yet another sale/long-term manage back transaction, this one a 44-property, $564 million deal. Sunrise will retain a 10% interest in the...

New study results show that poorly controlled diabetes leads to dementia among seniors. (Late Breaking News).
May 23, 2003... New study results show that poorly controlled diabetes leads to dementia among seniors. Diabetit people over age 60 scored lower on cognitive function tests if their disease was not under control, Ohio State University researchers found.

Databank.
May 23, 2003... DATABANK.... SLEEP INTERRUPTION Adults ages 55 to 84 who recently took part in a nationwide poll reported these symptoms disturb their sleep Pain 19% Coughing 6% Heartburn 6%...

Study: good care cheaper than bad.
May 23, 2003... Good quality nursing home care cost nearly $7 per patient day less than poor quality care, according to researchers from the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri, Columbia. The differences in total direct care costs were...

Hard data.
May 23, 2003... 5.8 The average number of days for hospital stays for elderly patients in 2001, a dramatic drop from 12.6 days in 1970, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 19.4 The percentage of physicians in a recent survey who...

Experts: sensors to ease life for residents, staff. (Technology).
May 23, 2003... New sensing systems and monitoring devices will promote greater independence for seniors, technology experts say. Many of the improvements being developed for these technologies are aimed at seniors living at home, but providers should be aware...

Aging committee chair: more needed from AL. (Assisted Living).
May 23, 2003... While praising the first report from a coalition of assisted living stakeholders, the chairman of the Senate Aging Committee also declared that more was needed from members of the young industry. Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) received the...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Capital Briefing: Regulatory Issues).
May 23, 2003... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a new rule to reduce fraud and abuse that would require all providers and suppliers to complete an enrollment form and submit specific information to get and keep Medicare billing...

The Office of the Inspector General. (Capital Briefing: Regulatory Issues).
May 23, 2003... The Office of the Inspector General has issued an advisory bulletin warning providers against certain joint venture arrangements where they may profit from making patient referrals. The bulletin addresses a new surge of contractual joint...

The Department of Health and Human Services. (Capital Briefing: Regulatory Issues).
May 23, 2003... The Department of Health and Human Services released comparative quality data on home healthcare from eight pilot states May 1, as part of a quality initiative similar to the ongoing nursing home quality initiative. The data reflect 11 quality...