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

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

Insurance bill to cover LTC?
November 1, 2005... Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Mike DeWine (R-OH) were preparing legislation at press time that would create a national insurance program for long-term care services. The Community Living Assistance Services and Support Act would let...

Feds pumping cash into e-records push.
November 1, 2005... The federal government is putting money behind its push to have providers adopt more electronic record-keeping measures. The Department of Health and Human Services issued three contracts in October worth $17.5 million to private groups to...

Public supports Medicaid: poll.
November 1, 2005... Adults strongly favor the Medicaid and Medicare programs, according to a new Harris Interactive poll. The online survey of 2,242 U.S. adults found an overwhelming majority (91%) say they support Medicaid, the primary payer for nursing home...

Antipsychotics given caution.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... Elderly patients who take atypical antipsychotic drugs for dementia might be at a higher risk of death, a new study concludes. Among some 5,000 elderly dementia patients, those taking the drugs had a 54% increased risk of dying within 12...

Hip fracture? Blame parents.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... If you are 69 years old and suffered a hip fracture, there's a good chance heredity played a role in the injury. New research indicates that genes influence an older person's susceptibility to bone fracture, depending on the type of...

AHCA tightens panels, preps own fund cuts.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... The American Health Care Association has drastically restructured its leadership tree, deeply reducing the number of voting members and renaming several top panels. The redesign, passed with scant dissent at the association's annual meeting in...

Panel sought to fix 3 programs.(NEWS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... New House and Senate measures would establish an eight-member panel to shore up the finances of the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Rep. John S. Tanner (D-TN) unveiled legislation in their...

The number of immigrant nurses providing long-term care has nearly quadrupled since 1990, while the number of nursing aides has more than doubled, an AARP report has found.(At deadline)
November 1, 2005... The number of immigrant nurses providing long-term care has nearly quadrupled since 1990, while the number of nursing aides has more than doubled, an AARP report has found. About 64,000 immigrant nurses were working in nursing homes in 2003,...

The gap between Medicaid spending growth and state tax revenue growth declined to 2.6%, its lowest level since 1999, according to a new state survey by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.(At deadline)
November 1, 2005... The gap between Medicaid spending growth and state tax revenue growth declined to 2.6%, its lowest level since 1999, according to a new state survey by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. An improving economy and state...

State and federal officials should closely monitor the transition to the new Medicare Part D drug benefit of state nursing home residents.(At deadline)
November 1, 2005... State and federal officials should closely monitor the transition to the new Medicare Part D drug benefit of state nursing home residents, according to a report from the California Health Care Foundation,

A consumer group urged Texas lawmakers to hold hearings into whether recent nursing home ownership changes involving the Mariner Health Care.(At deadline)
November 1, 2005... A consumer group urged Texas lawmakers to hold hearings into whether recent nursing home ownership changes involving the Mariner Health Care chain may put residents at risk.

60 seconds with ... Linda O'Brien: RN, Founder, Elder Care Ethics Associates.(NEWS)(Interview)
November 1, 2005... Q: What have you learned from your one-of-a-kind statewide ethics program (the New Jersey SEED project) for long-term care providers? A: We say 95% of ethical problems are communications problems--people not having their views heard and...

QIOs celebrate improved worker retention and care.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... Powerful things can happen when facilities concentrate on person-directed care. This theme dominated the Outcomes Congress, which took place Oct. 5 and 6 in Providence, RI. The Congress presented results of a yearlong project involving...

Depression linked to fatal health risks.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... Depressed nursing home residents may face a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes and death, a new study has found. Researchers, led by Dr. Joseph Gallo of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine, studied more than 1,200...

The government released its final rule on flu shot regulations last month.(Regulatory Update)
November 1, 2005... The government released its final rule on flu shot regulations last month. It requires that all residents receive vaccines except those who refuse or whose families refuse. A few other exceptions also apply. The rule bothers some providers who...

Codes for power wheelchairs were delayed following a lawsuit filed by a coalition of suppliers and manufacturers.(Regulatory Update)
November 1, 2005... Codes for power wheelchairs were delayed following a lawsuit filed by a coalition of suppliers and manufacturers. Still, the rules regarding the wheelchairs went into effect Oct. 25.

Congress approved a compromise bill in October that would renew a federal program covering the cost of Medicare Part B premiums for low-income beneficiaries.(Bill Watch)
November 1, 2005... Congress approved a compromise bill in October that would renew a federal program covering the cost of Medicare Part B premiums for low-income beneficiaries. The program, called Qualifying Individuals, covers the cost of Medicare Part B...

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) proposed legislation in October that would create healthcare savings accounts for Medicaid beneficiaries.(Bill Watch)
November 1, 2005... Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) proposed legislation in October that would create healthcare savings accounts for Medicaid beneficiaries. The bill would create experimental accounts.

Ask the care expert.(NEWS / Resident Care)
November 1, 2005... What resident-care tip might you never find in a book but nonetheless endorse or employ wholeheartedly? Practice based on sound knowledge and scientific facts certainly is essential, yet to provide holistic care--care that addresses the...

Study: diabetics exhibit increased risk of falling.(NEWS / Resident Care)
November 1, 2005... Diabetic nursing home residents are more likely to fall than those who do not have diabetes, a recent study suggests. One cause of high fall rates among the diabetic elderly may be peripheral neuropathy, a condition caused by problems with...

Weight loss might signal Alzheimer's.(NEWS / Resident Care)
November 1, 2005... Unexplained weight loss in older adults could foreshadow the onset of Alzheimer's disease that occurs years later, according to a recent study. The theory, while still unproven, has provoked discussion. Researchers at Rush University...

Staying active could help stem memory loss in old age, a neuroscientist said recently at a Dublin, Ireland, conference.(Caregiving Update)
November 1, 2005... Staying active could help stem memory loss in old age, a neuroscientist said recently at a Dublin, Ireland, conference. Those who are fit, avoid stress and have a varied social life are likely to remain alert in old age, said the scientist from...

Researchers have found the secret to a long life--in mice.(Caregiving Update)
November 1, 2005... Researchers have found the secret to a long life--in mice. When the animals were genetically engineered to overproduce a protein called klotho, their life spans increased by 20% to 30%. The findings, published in the journal Science, could have...

Poor hearing could undermine memory, a new study suggests.(Caregiving Update)
November 1, 2005... Poor hearing could undermine memory, a new study suggests. Because adults with mild- to moderate-hearing loss have to work harder to hear and understand speech, they may forget what they have just heard, according to a report in Current...

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that "lingual resistance exercises" may help prevent swallowing difficulties among older adults.(Caregiving Update)
November 1, 2005... Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that "lingual resistance exercises" may help prevent swallowing difficulties among older adults. In an eight-week program of progressive tongue resistance exercises, 10 adults aged...

Ask the treatment expert.(NEWS / Wound Care)
November 1, 2005... My staff nurses are staging superficial wounds with yellow slough as Stage II pressure ulcers. Is this approach correct? The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory panel defines a Stage II pressure ulcer as partial thickness skin loss involving...

Wound-dressing coating fights spread of bacteria.(NEWS / Wound Care)
November 1, 2005... University of Florida researchers have helped develop a wound-dressing coating that can prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This microbicidal coating--which can be chemically bonded to gauze bandages, socks and other...

Antimicrobial aids foot ulcer healing.(NEWS / Wound Care)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A new antimicrobial product outperformed povidone iodine in healing foot ulcers, a new study has found. The product, Microcyn Technology, proved superior in microbial load reduction, healing time, surgical dehiscence and adverse side...

Stress urinary incontinence places a large emotional burden on women, a new global survey has found.(Treatment Update)
November 1, 2005... Stress urinary incontinence places a large emotional burden on women, a new global survey has found. One in five sufferers is so worried about accidental leaks that she spends as much as a third of her waking hours every day thinking about her...

Covalon Technologies Ltd. has made a 510(k) application for FDA approval of Covaclear-AgTM, a hydrated collagen antimicrobial silver wound dressing.(Treatment Update)
November 1, 2005... Covalon Technologies Ltd. has made a 510(k) application for FDA approval of Covaclear-AgTM, a hydrated collagen antimicrobial silver wound dressing. The product offers the benefits of collagen and antimicrobial silver in a transparent moist...

People using Negative Pressure Wound Therapy delivered by the KCI V.A.C System had lower rates of hospitalization and emergency care for wound related problems.(Treatment Update)
November 1, 2005... People using Negative Pressure Wound Therapy delivered by the KCI V.A.C System had lower rates of hospitalization and emergency care for wound related problems when compared to other wound care and treatment, according to the firm.

Ask the nursing expert.(NEWS / Nursing)
November 1, 2005... Any advice for protecting oneself when helping transfer or when otherwise working with a dementia (or other) resident who might unexpectedly lash out physically? Nothing can substitute good dementia training in this area given by experts...

Nursing resource teams ease staffing shortages.(NEWS / Nursing)
November 1, 2005... A new strategy could help create full-time jobs and attract nurses who might otherwise find it difficult to obtain full-time work, a Canadian study from McMaster University has found. One response to staffing shortages has been to use a...

Certification program helps ease pain.(NEWS / Nursing)
November 1, 2005... The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has unveiled the nation's first nurse-focused pain management certification program. The offering is designed to help healthcare professionals better understand pain management, according to the...

A recent study suggests that vitamin B supplements may help prevent mental deterioration in the elderly.(Medication Update)
November 1, 2005... A recent study suggests that vitamin B supplements may help prevent mental deterioration in the elderly. Higher blood levels of homocysteine in older people have been tied to heart disease and stroke and are now suspected to be associated with...

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that statin drugs have contributed to a 40-year drop in average cholesterol levels among older Americans.(Medication Update)
November 1, 2005... Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that statin drugs have contributed to a 40-year drop in average cholesterol levels among older Americans. Average total cholesterol levels for men ages 60 to 74 fell 12%,...

The Food and Drug Administration recently rejected a marketing application for an osteoporosis treatment submitted by the drug maker Pfizer Inc.(Medication Update)
November 1, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration recently rejected a marketing application for an osteoporosis treatment submitted by the drug maker Pfizer Inc. The drug, Oporia, is a selective estrogen receptor modulator, or SERM, a drug that occupies...

Ask the payment expert.(NEWS / Payment & Policy)
November 1, 2005... I work for a community college and teach in the LTC program. Medicare, of course, confuses me, like everyone else. I have accessed the CMS Web site many times and have looked at their computerized manuals. My concerns: Which sections belong to...

Grassley mulls cuts to Medicare, not Medicaid.(NEWS / Payment & Policy)
November 1, 2005... The powerful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee recently began floating a plan to reduce Medicare payments--instead of making wide cuts to Medicaid. Although many parts of Sen. Charles Grassley's (R-IA) proposal may not make this...

Asset transfers studied.(NEWS / Payment & Policy)
November 1, 2005... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is finding it difficult to quantify how many people transfer assets to qualify for Medicaid-covered long-term care services, a new report says. Much of the available evidence appears to be...

Go figure.(NEWS / Payment & Policy)
November 1, 2005... 32 Food-sanitation issues are the most commonly cited problem identified by state agency surveyors. Nearly a third of all facilities (32%) are cited here, according to the University of California, San Francisco. 45 Between 1994 and 1998,...

Manor Care Inc. restated its 2005 first quarter earnings, raising its profits to $40.4 million, or 46 cents per share.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Manor Care Inc. restated its 2005 first quarter earnings, raising its profits to $40.4 million, or 46 cents per share. That's up from a previously disclosed $31.2 million, or 36 cents per share. The restatement followed a review of its...

LTC Properties Inc. purchased three skilled nursing properties in New Mexico from Four Seasons Nursing Centers Inc. for $27 million.(Business Briefs)
November 1, 2005... LTC Properties Inc. purchased three skilled nursing properties in New Mexico from Four Seasons Nursing Centers Inc. for $27 million. The Malibu, CA-based company leased the properties, which have 465 licensed beds, to "an operator with strong...

Kindred Healthcare Inc.(Business Briefs)
November 1, 2005... Kindred Healthcare Inc.'s pharmacy subsidiary agreed to acquire the assets of RXPERTS Inc., which operates a long-term care pharmacy servicing nursing facilities and assisted living facilities exclusively in Chicago. Financial terms of the...

MetroMonitor.(NEWS / Companies)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The nation's best and worst metropolitan areas for the development of skilled nursing facilities, as ranked by current penetration rate (number of nursing beds vs. households with someone 75 or older for the 2nd quarter of 2005): Top 5 ...

REIT will invest $92,000 per bed in 14-facility deal.(NEWS / Companies)
November 1, 2005... One of the country's largest real estate investment trusts made an acquisition last month that has reverberated throughout the skilled nursing market. Nationwide Health Properties Inc. of Newport Beach, CA, entered into an agreement to...

Beverly seeks to halt rumors.(NEWS / Companies)
November 1, 2005... As the clock winds down on an extended financing grace period, Beverly Enterprises Inc. has been trying to quiet unsettling rumors about its sale to North American Senior Care. Beverly Chairman and CEO William R. Floyd asserted in a local...

Flu season.(Good month)
November 1, 2005... Flu season: The Senate voted to spend almost $4 billion on avian flu preparedness in the wake of cases overseas.

Eden Alternative.(Good month)
November 1, 2005... Eden Alternative: The Alzheimer's Foundation of America has awarded an inaugural $20,000 grant to the Eden Alternative for a unique program that "nurtures each person's capacity for growth."

Cholesterol levels.(Good month)
November 1, 2005... Cholesterol levels: Statin drugs have contributed to the drop in average cholesterol levels among older Americans since the 1960s, according to a new study. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that average...

Gulf Coast abuses.(Bad month)
November 1, 2005... Gulf Coast abuses: The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General will investigate allegations of neglect and abuse at Gulf Coast region nursing homes.

Social Security reform.(Bad month)
November 1, 2005... Social Security reform: President Bush appeared to back off from making Social Security reform a top priority. Restraining federal spending, paying for an ongoing war in Iraq and rebuilding the Gulf Coast are more pressing issues, he said.

Medicare drug implementation.(Bad month)
November 1, 2005... Medicare drug implementation: The new Medicare prescription drug benefit will force nursing homes to fundamentally change the way they operate, according to a study by Avalere Health.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a tutorial on the national provider identifier.(IT Update)
November 1, 2005... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a tutorial on the national provider identifier. The six-page publication notes that covered entities under HIPAA must use only the national identifier in HIPAA standard transactions by...

The House Government Reform Committee.(IT Update)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The House Government Reform Committee recently held a hearing to consider actions that the federal government could take to help facilitate improved healthcare information technology standards, Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV) said that the federal...

The Department of Health and Human Services.(IT Update)
November 1, 2005... The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded three contracts valued at $17.5 million to three private groups to broaden the use of electronic medical records. Long-term care is one of the provider classes that is being urged to adopt...

Most American consumers support Internet-based health records if they can be secured to protect patient privacy, a new study concludes.(IT Update)
November 1, 2005... Most American consumers support Internet-based health records if they can be secured to protect patient privacy, a new study concludes. In a nationwide poll of 800 Americans, 72% said they favored electronic health records. The support was...

The continued evolution of technology appears to have lessened cellular telephones' electromagnetic interference with medical devices such as monitors and respirators, a Mayo Clinic study indicates.(IT Update)
November 1, 2005... The continued evolution of technology appears to have lessened cellular telephones' electromagnetic interference with medical devices such as monitors and respirators, a Mayo Clinic study indicates. In their most recent analysis of cellular...

Experts: IT buyers need to do their homework.(NEWS / Technology)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Adopting information technology is not just about replacing paper and clipboard with computer screens, Palm Pilots and wireless Internet. It also requires thoughtful strategic planning and an understanding of an organization's business...

"I couldn't live without ...".(NEWS / Technology)
November 1, 2005... A healthy staff is a happy staff. That is what the Rev. John Esbenshade, nursing home administrator, said he learned when his facility installed floor lifts about 12 years ago. Since that time, Ephrata Manor in Ephrata, PA, which has 120...

Non-evacuators being investigated.(SOUTHEAST)
November 1, 2005... LOUISIANA -- Several Louisiana nursing homes are facing possible criminal charges for not evacuating before Huricane Katrina hit. A total of 13 nursing homes are under criminal investigation for failure to evacuate their patients before...

New transfer rules.(NEW HAMPSHIRE)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Gov. John Lynch and State Health Commissioner John Stephen have devised new rules aimed at preventing the inappropriate transfer of assets by nursing home residents who are Medicaid beneficiaries. The rules have been sent to federal officials...

Resident 'kidnapped' for marriage.(NEW HAMPSHIRE)
November 1, 2005... KENTUCKY -- The disappearance of a Salyersville Health Care resident led staffers to the home of a woman who had sneaked him out of the facility because she wanted to "marry him." Noreine F. Hammonds, 62, was charged with custodial...

Company pays $1 m settlement.(NEW HAMPSHIRE)
November 1, 2005... TENNESSEE -- Allied Home Medical Inc., a Cookeville, TN-based durable medical equipment supplier, has agreed to reimburse the federal Medicare program and TennCare $930,075 to settle allegations it filed false claims. A settlement was...

Hurricane preparedness assessed.(SOUTHWEST)
November 1, 2005... TEXAS -- Another lesson from this hurricane season: Better plans are needed to ensure the safety of elderly nursing home residents during a disaster and evacuation. At least two-thirds of the documented deaths in one Texas coastal county...

New budget quashes rate boost.(MIDWEST)
November 1, 2005... WISCONSIN -- The state Senate recently sustained Gov. Jim Doyle's veto of a budget that would have given $15 million of additional Medicaid funding to the state's nursing homes. In September, the state Assembly voted to override the...

Pressure-ulcer penalty upheld.(MIDWEST)
November 1, 2005... OHIO -- A Dayton nursing facility found to be out of compliance with Medicare quality-of-care regulations will still have to pay a $2,800 fine, according to a federal appeals court. Sanctuary at Whispering Meadows failed to ensure that a...

Nursing homes: thanks a billion.(WEST)
November 1, 2005... CALIFORNIA -- Nursing homes are about to receive a $1 billion windfall. In October, landmark legislation was approved that will increase the amount of money the homes receive for low-income residents, who comprise two-thirds of California's...

$8 million award in neglect case.(WEST)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- An Issaquah nursing home was ordered to pay $8 million to a former resident who was neglected so badly that doctors were forced to extract all her teeth and amputate her left arm and left leg. Sandra Swanson was 55 when she...

'English only' rule draws lawsuit.(WEST)
November 1, 2005... CALIFORNIA -- Royalwood Care Center in Torrance is being sued for allegedly discriminating against its Hispanic workers by prohibiting them from speaking Spanish on the job. According to the complaint, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity...

Plan to shift care to community.(NORTHEAST)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... VERMONT -- Nursing home providers in Vermont are concerned about a new five-year Medicaid demonstration project aimed at shifting as much long-term care as possible into community-based options. The "Choices for Care" project began Oct. 1. ...

Racial discrimination lawsuit filed.(NORTHEAST)
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- A Flushing nursing home accused of acting with "malice or reckless indifference" to the civil rights of its black employees has been sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for racial discrimination. The suit...

Worker sues over bra check.(NORTHEAST)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- A former employee of Horace Nye Nursing Home, Essex County, has filed a $9 million sexual harassment lawsuit stemming from an alleged inquiry as to whether she was wearing a bra at work. Karen Tenney, a dietary aide, claims a...

Sex offender legislation sought.(NORTHEAST)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... MASSACHUSETTS -- Recently proposed legislation would require residents and staff of extended care facilities to be notified when a registered level-three sex offender moves in. State Reps. Denis E. Guyer (D) and John Keenan (D) filed the...

Facility overcharged $1 million.(NORTHEAST)
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is suing the Rosa Coplon Jewish Home and Infirmary in Getzville, claiming it overbilled the Medicaid system by nearly $1 million. The 180 bed nursing home inflated hourly rates, including...

State wants 'rightsizing' plan.(NORTHEAST)
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- The state Department of Health has asked nursing homes to seek certification that would allow them to provide less costly care for healthier residents in an effort to trim waste in Medicaid funding. Nursing homes in the state...

Ask the legal expert.(NEWS / Legal Matters)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... How does one guard the facility against liability issues when a resident abuses an employee? When a resident "abuses" an employee, there are at least two scenarios that can expose a facility to potential liability: (1) the employee acts...

District Court's decision might affect 3-day rule.(NEWS / Legal Matters)
November 1, 2005... In a case with possible repercussions on Medicare's three-day hospital stay requirement, a federal district court has granted a motion for class certification for three residents. The three were denied coverage on the grounds that they had not...

Supreme Court mulls aided-death law.(NEWS / Legal Matters)
November 1, 2005... Oral arguments failed to reveal the Supreme Court's mood toward state-sanctioned assisted suicide. At issue is whether the federal government may stop doctors in Oregon from giving lethal drug doses to the terminally ill. As last month's...

Disasters teach again: prep even more: 'Plan B' may be the most important tool in planning for catastrophes.(NEWS / Analysis)
November 1, 2005... If history serves as any guide, there will be many lessons learned about emergency planning in the wake of hurricane season in the Gulf Coast region. History also promises there will be many more lessons that should have been learned but...

How to do it ... Foreign recruiting.(Business & Marketing)
November 1, 2005... With 96,000 nursing positions vacant in U.S. long-term care facilities, providers are investigating alternative ways of attracting the talent needed to provide quality care. One remedy under consideration is recruiting nurses from international...

Correction.(Business & Marketing)(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2005... A word was inadvertently dropped from a sentence in the September "How to do it" article on hiring a consultant, changing a meaning. Under No. 3, a sentence in the third section should have read: "A consultant who works in a dictatorial fashion...

Building the business.(Business & Marketing)
November 1, 2005... Challenge: Meal variety Response: Buffet service Result: Happier residents CASE STUDY: Residents at the Lincoln Park Renaissance Rehab and Nursing Center in New Jersey usually do not eat in their rooms. Instead, they use a buffet....

Wires in the way? Go wireless.(Design Decisions)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... ERICKSON RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES is installing wireless networks at all 13 of its campuses, which include physician practices, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, home health and rehab services. The networks allow staff to provide...