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

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

OSHA alters SNF survey programs.
November 14, 2003... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has decided to add nursing homes to its Site Specific Targeting (SST) program, according to the agency. In doing so, the federal regulator also announced it would not be continuing a...

Sens. Bill Frist (R-TN) and Charles Grassley (R-IA).(Late Breaking News)
November 14, 2003... Sens. Bill Frist (R-TN) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) formally requested the General Accounting Office and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to examine the appropriateness of fire-safety regulations. Deadly nursing-home fires in...

The Food and Drug Administration.(Late Breaking News)
November 14, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration officially approved memantine Oct. 17. It is the first drug approved tar treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease in the U.S.

Provider giant Kindred Healthcare Inc.(Late Breaking News)
November 14, 2003... Provider giant Kindred Healthcare Inc. announced Oct. 28 that President and COO Paul J. Diaz would become the firm's CEO in January. He has been Kindred's President and Chief Operating Officer since January 2002. He will succeed CEO Edward L....

Reversing a 12-year trend.(Late Breaking News)
November 14, 2003... Reversing a 12-year trend, contributions to the largest charities fell last year, according to a survey released Oct. 27 by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. A troubled economy and donor uncertainly were blamed.

Databank.... ADL limitations.
November 14, 2003... More than half of U.S. nursing home residents required some sort of help in eating in 2002. The other dependence on activities of daily living was even higher. Residents needing help with... Bathing 95% Dressing ...

Margaret "Peggy" Mullen of Beatitudes Campus of Care, Phoenix.(Late Breaking News)
November 14, 2003... Margaret "Peggy" Mullen of Beatitudes Campus of Care, Phoenix, was named the chair-elect of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging at the group's annual meeting Oct. 28. Mullen will succeed William T. Smith, Ph.D., who...

Steven Chies was elected chairman of the American Health Care Association.(Late Breaking News)
November 14, 2003... Steven Chies was elected chairman of the American Health Care Association at the group's annual meeting last month in San Diego. He is currently the senior vice president of the Minnesota-based Benedictine Health System.

New funding pledged for direct care.
November 14, 2003... Leading provider groups have assured Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) that additional Medicare funds provided by a market basket adjustment will be applied directly toward resident care services. In letters to the Senate Finance Committee...

Hard data.
November 14, 2003... 1.5 Millions of Americans who are "late deafened." Approximately the same number fall into the "deaf" category, while 25 million others are hard of hearing, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and other sources. 4.5 Percentage of Americas...

As fraud recoveries rise, more investigations likely.(Reimbursement)
November 14, 2003... In an increasingly stringent government crackdown on healthcare fraud and quality, nursing home administrators face added pressures to the day-to-day rigors of running a home. "The change has been exponential," said Michael Kogut, an...

If you think the Medicare war has been bad ...(News Analysis)
November 14, 2003... After four years of bitter partisisan battles, it appeared that Medicare legislation would be enacted at press time. But Congress is likely to tackle an even bigger publicly-funded healthcare program in the year ahead: Medicaid. All that's...

A bill to establish minimum nurse.(Legislative update)
November 14, 2003... A bill to establish minimum nurse staffing requirements was moved to the House of Representatives committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means on Oct. 21. The Nursing Home Staffing Act of 2003 would implement minimum nurse staffing...

The Department of Health and Human Services.(Regulatory update)
November 14, 2003... The Department of Health and Human Services released the 2004 Medicare and premiums deductibles Oct. 16. For beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities, the daily co-insurance for longer than 20 days and up to 100 days will be $109.50 in 2004,...

Single-task worker boom? As full approval of the new 'feeding assistant' rule nears, some say facilities may not search too hard to hire them.(Cover Story)
November 14, 2003... With the official publishing in late September of a new rule allowing a separate class of feeding assistant in nursing homes, the debate turned from whether the rule should be enacted to what providers would actually do with it. Oct. 27...

Administrators earning $68,600 per year.(News)
November 14, 2003... Nursing home administrators are earning an average of $68,600 annually this year, according to the 12th annual McKnight's Long-Term Care News salary survey of providers. That's a 2.70% increase ($1,800) over the previous survey. The median...

Service contracts prescribing better resident care.(Pharmacy)
November 14, 2003... Long-term care providers who view pharmacy service companies merely as a vehicle for drug delivery are still missing the big picture, industry experts say. A shift away from a pure drug delivery model is nothing new, but many of the...

Exercise value, fall rates, drug for bladder.(Nursing News)
November 14, 2003... Exercise may slow some of the damage caused by Alzheimer's disease particularly physical impairment, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle studied 153 Alzheimer's patients. Some were trained in...

Falls account for most seniors' ER visits.(Nursing News)
November 14, 2003... More than three-fifths of seniors' injury-related visits to emergency rooms were due to falls in 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Overall, about 2.7 million seniors were treated in emergency rooms for non-fatal...

13% of nursing students are smokers, study finds.(Nursing News)
November 14, 2003... More than 13% of nursing students smoke cigarettes, according to a study appearing in the October issue of Chest magazine. The Thomas Jefferson University study included 397 medical students and 126 nursing students. It found that 13.5% of...

Mather LifeWays wins $672,000 grant.(Nursing News)
November 14, 2003... Mather LifeWays was awarded a five-year $672,708 grant by the Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration Oct. 24 to expand its long-term care workforce development and recruitment plan, LEAP. The Illinois...

Drug may offer relief for overactive bladder.(Pharmacy News)
November 14, 2003... A new drug, trospium, reduced subjects' perceived need to urinate, a study performed by researchers at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN found. The researchers said that the drug, on average, lowered the sensed need to urinate from...

FDA stresses: no recalls of flu vaccine issued.(Pharmacy News)
November 14, 2003... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration forcefully sought to stop rumors Oct. 20 that "contaminated" flu vaccine had hit the market. Agency officials, along with colleagues from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, were jointly...

Manor Care Inc. saw its third-quarter net income fall 16%.(Earnings)
November 14, 2003... * Manor Care Inc. saw its third-quarter net income fall 16% as cost increases outstripped revenue growth. The Toledo-based nursing home operator reported earnings of $31 million, or 35 cents a share, a penny below Wall Street estimates. In the...

Officials with Beverly Enterprises.(Financings)
November 14, 2003... * Officials with Beverly Enterprises met with potential investors on the West and Fast coasts the last week of October, hoping to entice them into participating in the company's $225 million debt-refinancing plan. Separately, Beverly CEO...

Genesis HealthCare Corp. sold $225 million of senior subordinated notes.(Financings)
November 14, 2003... * Genesis HealthCare Corp. sold $225 million of senior subordinated notes in the 144a private placement market, according to a published report. Lehman Brothers Inc., Credit Suisse First Boston and UBS Investment Bank were the joint...

An assisted living facility in the U.S.(Worth Watching)
November 14, 2003... * An assisted living facility in the U.S. costs on average $2,379 per month, or $28,548 per year, according to a survey released by MetLife Mature Market Institute. This marks a 10.2% increase from April 2002. The highest monthly average...

New statistics from a forthcoming report.(Worth Watching)
November 14, 2003... * New statistics from a forthcoming report by AARP indicate that 14.9% of baby boomers in a 2001 survey expected an inheritance from their parents, down from 26.9% in 1989. Among "post-boomers" (those born after 1964) the figures are even...

Building private pay a priority.(Operations)
November 14, 2003... Like hotels that put a chocolate on your pillow to encourage you to return to that vacation spot, nursing homes should focus on the small details to increase their private-pay census, according to long-term care marketing experts and nursing...

Formula for success: focus on strengths.(Executive Decisions)
November 14, 2003... Q What leadership qualities allow a person to attract and retain high-performing employees? A Many exist, but optimism and individualization are critical. One of the most important things leaders have is their belief that the world is...

All nursing homes should be equipped.(Enterprise)
November 14, 2003... * All nursing homes should be equipped with fire sprinklers, according to the president of the National Fire Protection Association. James M. Shannon made the request in the wake of two recent nursing home fires in Hartford and Nashville, in...

Combining two common antibiotics.(Enterprise)
November 14, 2003... * Combining two common antibiotics may help delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, Canadian researchers reported at the recent Infectious Diseases Society of America meeting. Dr. Mark Loeb, associate professor at McMaster University in...

Don't let documents be used against you.(Legal Matters)
November 14, 2003... Q Since you've already discussed aspects of the liability insurance crisis and alternative risk mechanisms, can you speak to what's vital about risk management programs? A A critical component of every risk management program must include...

Therapy caps already hurting the system.(Regulations/Compliance)
November 14, 2003... Q Has the impact of the therapy caps in their first six weeks in place been better or worse than you expected? A On an annualized basis, there will be approximately 400,000 individuals who will exceed the cap. Specifically, during the...

Look before you leap to turn in your boss.(Staffing Concerns)
November 14, 2003... Q When is it appropriate to go over your administrator's head, say, to the board of directors, if you think an executive is doing something wrong or harmful to the future of the facility (and, therefore, our jobs)? A Going over the head of...

Administrators can check Medicare claims.(Payment Answers)
November 14, 2003... Q As an administrator, I want to monitor my Medicare claims but I'm not sure what to look at. Do you have any advice? A Monitoring your Medicare systems is very important and not a ways an easy task. I suggest that review of Medicare claims...

Charitable contributions often ignored.(P&L Journal)
November 14, 2003... When non-profit providers consider their organizations" cash flow drivers, four categories emerge: net operating income, entrance fee receipts (for continuing care retirment communities), treasury management and, unique to the not-for-profit...

Resident special treatments by state, 2001.(Market Monitor)
November 14, 2003... Resident Special Treatments by State, 2001 Percentage of residents with Unplanned Weight Ostomy Loss/Gain Care Dialysis United States ...

Forrester: healthcare Web sites lag behind.(Managing Technology)
November 14, 2003... All Web sites are not created equal. Which produce the best overall experience for users? Not healthcare sites, according to a report from Forrester Research. Healthcare providers significantly lag retail and media leaders, failing to...

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.(Quality Corner)
November 14, 2003... * The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is accepting applications for its eighth annual Ernest A. Codman Award. The award recognizes excellence in the use any of process and outcomes measures to improve healthcare...

Only about 1 in 2 nursing home.(Quality Corner)
November 14, 2003... * Only about 1 in 2 nursing home residents receive appropriate treatment to prevent recurrent strokes, according to a report in Friday's issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. The study reviewed nursing home admission...

"Teamwork Magic: Training for Nursing Assistants and Their Leaders".(Resources)
November 14, 2003... * Simon & Kolz Publishingis releasing a pedagogical program for nursing trainers entitled "Teamwork Magic:. Training for Nursing Assistants and Their Leaders" as part of the Magic Series for Nursing Assistants and Their Leaders. The packet...

"Caring Communication: Cooperative Communication at the End-of-Life".(Resources)
November 14, 2003... * The Foundation for Long-Term Care offers a new manual for nursing home staff dealing with residents who are grappling with end-of-life issues. "Caring Communication: Cooperative Communication at the End-of-Life" is a 104-page $45 manual...

A training kit so nursing assistants may reduce stress and increase staff morale and quality of care.(Resources)
November 14, 2003... * Columbia University's Dr. Nanette Kramer and Dr. Michael Smith conducted a study at Brooklyn, NY-based Sephardic Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and created a training kit so nursing assistants may reduce stress and increase staff...

"Setting Realistic Expectations".(Resources)
November 14, 2003... * The 15-minute video "Setting Realistic Expectations," produced by Extended Care Products, has sold 15,000 copies to nursing homes around the country. It is shown to families during the admissions process, in an attempt to the help nursing...

MyZiva.Net.(Resources)
November 14, 2003... * MyZiva.Net, an independent Web site launched by Chief Executive Robert Abrams, gives skilled nursing facilities the forum to clarify deficiency reports compiled by government regulators. Providers can offer explanations on governmental survey...

2002 Nursing Home Statistical Yearbook.(Resources)
November 14, 2003... * Cowles Research Group has released its 2002 Nursing Home Statistical Yearbook with trends on nursing homes nationwide. Visit www.longtermcareinfo.com/crg.

Worth repeating.(People & Opinions)
November 14, 2003... "The crisis in Medicaid is simply a mirror for what's going on in healthcare throughout the country. It will soon be a large crisis for the private sector." Robert Day, director of Kansas' Medicaid program, commenting on how funding for...

Looking for the right policy.(Q&A)
November 14, 2003... Taking taxpayers off the hook for the financing of so many long-term care costs is a "laudable" goal that Sen. Larry Craig says needs to be addressed. A big proponent of long-term care insurance, he has introduced a bill in Congress that would...

Ready for an extra helping?(Commentary)
November 14, 2003... One would think now that the feeding assistant rule has been put into play by the federal government, long-term care providers would be wearing more smiles. But I've seen a few other expressions since that Oct. 27 green light went on. ...

Northwest Division of Life Care Centers of America.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... DOUG SWAIM has been named vice president of the Northwest Division of Life Care Centers of America. A licensed nursing home administrator for 20 years, Swaim will be relocating to Federal Way, WA, and will be responsible for overseeing five...

There have been a slew of new administrator appointments in West Virginia recently.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... There have been a slew of new administrator appointments in West Virginia recently. DAVID CONAWAY is new at Pine View Continuous Care, while JUDITH LITTELL is the new administrator at Rivendale Personal Care Home and SCOTT MURRAY is Carehaven...

SunBridge Care & Rehab for Putnam.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... Also, MATTHEW KEEFER was named administrator at SunBridge Care & Rehab for Putnam, taking over for RODNEY HANNAH, who is the new executive director at Maplewood Retirement Community.

Named interim administrators.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... Named interim administrators were CHRISTINE MARTIN, at Heartland of Keyser; TOM JENKINS at MonPointe Continuing Care Center; SHEILA CLARK, at AMFM of Fayette; ANNICA STANSBERRY, at Mariner Health Care; and KATHY HADDON at Heritage Center.

Hunter College Brookdale Center.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... DR. DENNIS KODNER has been named The Rose Dobrof Executive Director of the Hunter College Brookdale Center on Aging. He also has been appointed Professor of Urban Public Health in the Schools of Health Professions at the New York-based college....

NewCourtland Elder Services.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... GAIL KASS, president and CEO of NewCourtland Elder Services, a network of six nursing homes in the Philadelphia area, was honored for the 2003 Meritorious Service Award from the American Homes and Services for the Aging.

NewCourtland.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... NEWCOURTLAND also was honored with the Innovation of the Year Award for its Golden Eagle Scout program. Begun in February 2002, the Golden Eagle program involves seniors working with Boy Scouts to earn seven badges to attain the highest...

Kroontje Health Care Center.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... HEATHER GEARHART is the new administrator at Kroontje Health Care Center of Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg, VA. She is a licensed nursing facility administrator and certified assisted living administrator. Kroontje also named 30-year...

The Assisted Living Residence and Care Center.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... CATHLEEN KELLY is the new director of nursing at The Assisted Living Residence and Care Center at La Jolla Village Towers in La Jolla, CA.

EPOCH Senior Living.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... EPOCH Senior Living has named DEBORA PFAFF senior vice president and CFO.EPOCH manages more than 750 skilled nursing and 1,700 assisted living units in nine states.

Thomas Sheehan is the executive director of Village Crossings at Cape Elizabeth, while Colleen Galisa is the new executive director of the Monarch Center of Saco.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... THOMAS SHEEHAN is the executive director of Village Crossings at Cape Elizabeth, while COLLEEN GALISA is the new executive director of the Monarch Center of Saco. The facilities are both operated by Commonwealth Communities Management and...

Masonic Homes.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... WILLIAM DAVIS JR. is the new COO of health care services at Masonic Homes of the Grand Lodge in Pennsylvania. He will direct quality initiatives and benchmarking for assisted living at three of the organization's four properties.

Erickson Retirement Communities.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... ADAM KANE is the director of government affairs for Erickson Retirement Communities, Catonsville, MD. He previously was director of public policy at the provider association LifeSpan.

NeighborCare Inc.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... JOHN J. ARLOTTA was named chairman and CEO of NeighborCare Inc., the planned spin-off of Genesis Health Ventures. Arlotta, who joined the Kennett Square, PA-based company in July, most recently was the president and COO of Caremark...

Mather Lifeways.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... SARA KLOSE was named the director of marketing for Mather Lifeways, an Evanston, IL-based organization with senior living communities, the Mather Institute on Aging and community programs.

NeighborCare Pharmacy.(Milestones)
November 14, 2003... JOANNE MACCIONE has been named a director of account management at NeighborCare Pharmacy.

McKnight's ADLs.(People & Opinions)
November 14, 2003... Midnight rebellion on the second floor. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Fax blaster: like a David fighting an elusive Goliath, an administrator takes on those who clutter her fax machine and scores a symbolic victory.(McKnight's LTCN profile)
November 14, 2003... Kerry Kaufmann was fed up. So she did something about it. Now, she's being praised for standing up for the "put-upon little guy." As a nursing home administrator, that's nothing new for her. What's different this time, though, is it was...

Corporate culture and other modern myths: companies are made up of many different cultures, driven by local conditions.(Parting Shots)
November 14, 2003... Think your company's unique culture is what makes it special? Think again, Marcus Buckingham would say. Actually, he said this and a lot more during the recent American Health Care Association meeting in San Diego. One of his key...