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

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

Panel: LTC market on the rebound.
October 3, 2003... The senior care investment market has hit bottom after four years of financial stress and is poised for a strong rebound, according to a panel of experts. The sector's public equity prices have surged by more than 50%, the large chains are...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.(Late Breaking News)
October 3, 2003... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services declared its concern that cash flow could be obstructed after Oct. 16. That's the deadline for compliance with the federal transaction and code set rules of the Health Insurance Portability and...

Texas voters narrowly.(Late Breaking News)
October 3, 2003... Texas voters narrowly squeaked through a constitutional amendment Sept. 13, capping noneconomic medical malpractice awards at $750,000 per plaintiff. The limit, which cannot be appealed, represents a maximum of $250,000 from a doctor and an...

Providers seeking.(Late Breaking News)
October 3, 2003... Providers seeking clarification on limits to charge-based Medicare payments may not have to wait much longer. The Office of Inspector General wrote in the Sept. 15 Federal Register that it plans to propose a formula that defines "usual charges"...

A nine-year study of 10,000 Medicare beneficiaries.(Late Breaking News)
October 3, 2003... A nine-year study of 10,000 Medicare beneficiaries 65 or older revealed nearly halt of them developed at least one of three chronic eye diseases (diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma. macular degeneration) during the study period.

The Food and Drug.(Late Breaking News)
October 3, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration approved the first antibiotic in a new class since 2000, and it treats complicated skin wounds. Daptomycin, sold under the brand name Cubicin, is an injectable designed for severe wounds such as skin ulcers.

Databank...... risky business.
October 3, 2003... After a leveling off in the average size of professional liability claims in 2001, liability cost indicators for long-term care operators continued to soar in 2002. Annual ...

Commission to focus on nurse issues.
October 3, 2003... Leaders of provider, consumer and academic groups have joined together to announce the formation of the National Commission on Nursing Workforce for Long-Term Care. The 30-member commission, led by Ed Howard, the executive vice president...

Hard data.(News)
October 3, 2003... 6 As many as this percent of nursing home falls result In fractures, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 10% to 20% of nursing home falls result in serious injuries, the agency also estimated. 14...

Life with therapy caps: OK so far, but still worrisome.(Patient Care)
October 3, 2003... The ground didn't shudder and the Earth did not lurch out of orbit. But when many long-term care providers rolled out of bed Sept. 1, they were clearly living in a different regulatory world. The long-feared, often postponed Medicare B...

Alzheimer's research, predictions booming.(Patient Care)
October 3, 2003... Research into causes of and potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease have continued at a brisk pace. Considering the latest forecasts by scientists about the future prevalence of people affected by Alzheimer's, relief will be badly needed....

The Senate voted narrowly on Sept. 10.(Legislative update)
October 3, 2003... The Senate voted narrowly on Sept. 10 to block the Bush administration from issuing new overtime pay rules. Democrats and organized labor feared the new rules would wipe out overtime protection for millions, while supporters of the measure said...

Prescription drug discount cards.(Regulatory update)
October 3, 2003... Prescription drug discount cards provide an average savings of less than $5 per prescription, and even less for popular or expensive drugs, according to a study released Sept. 8 by the General Accounting Office. The GAO found that while there's...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid issued an update to the December 2002 LTC Resident Assessment Instrument Users' Manual.(Regulatory update)
October 3, 2003... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued an update to the December 2002 LTC Resident Assessment Instrument Users' Manual. The update includes a summary table describing each change, as well as revised pages to place directly in a...

Slow Medicare negotiations have some looking to 2004.(News)
October 3, 2003... With political leaders from both the left and right expressing doubts, the likelihood of a comprehensive Medicare drug bill passing Congress this year seemed to be lessening at press time. Talks apparently were bogging down on the complex...

Continuum model in favor: in the economic crunch, investors lean toward communities that retain consumers longer.
October 3, 2003... While long-term care experts agree there is room for both continuum and freestanding models in the next five to 10 years, investors are gravitating toward continuum models because each component can set companies apart in the marketplace. ...

Pay win, inspector charged, insurance push.(State News)
October 3, 2003... MIDWEST/INDIANA An Indiana Court of Appeals decision that would undo at least $330 million in payment cuts through the middle of next year will be appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court, officials said. The Court of Appeals ruling allows a bill...

Iowa: grand jury indicts nursing home fire inspector.(State News)
October 3, 2003... A former supervisor in the Iowa fire marshal's office was indicted the last week of August by a federal grand jury for allegedly falsifying inspection reports at 16 healthcare facilities, including at least nine nursing homes. Each of the 16...

Virginia: lawmakers pushing long-term care insurance relief.(Southeast)
October 3, 2003... Republican state legislators are pushing long-term care insurance to consumers as a means to combat rising costs of taxpayer-funded healthcare. One proposal would allow Virginians to claim an income tax credit equal to their yearly long-term...

Louisiana: worker who saw abuse not criminally liable.(Southeast)
October 3, 2003... A Louisiana appeals court has ruled that a nursing home employee who witnessed abuse by another employee cannot be charged under a state law against cruelty to the infirm. The state failed to allege that the witness, who had transported a...

Oregon: state codifies reimbursement formula.(West)
October 3, 2003... Lawmakers adopted a final 2003-2005 budget that restored over $200 million in additional funds for Medicaid long-term care services above the level recommended by the governor in his initial budget. About half of the additional funds...

California: workers strike on Labor Day over lost benefits.(West)
October 3, 2003... Nursing home workers at three facilities went on strike for 24 hours to protest their new employer's cancellation of health benefits. More than 100 workers from the Park Central Rehabilitation Center in Fremont, Gateway Care and Rehabilitation...

Nursing funding, ethics consulting, book award.(Nursing News)
October 3, 2003... The Senate overwhelmingly passed the Labor-Health and Human Services spending bill Sept. 10 with an amendment fueling $50 million into programs to beef up the nation's nursing workforce. The amendment, brought by Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)...

Study: ethics consulting cuts unwanted services.(Nursing News)
October 3, 2003... A three-year "ethics consulting" study involving seven hospitals found most physicians, nurses and patients who participated in ethics consulting in intensive care units (ICU) said they were helpful in addressing treatment conflicts. The study...

AONE hosts foreign recruitment workshop.(Nursing News)
October 3, 2003... The American Organization of Nurse Executives is hosting the workshop "Foreign Nurse Recruitment: Getting it Right" Nov.6-7 in Philadelphia. Speakers include AONE Board members Rita Turley and Linda Daum. For more information on the seminar,...

'New Nursing Homes' authors win book award.(Nursing News)
October 3, 2003... University of Missouri Professor Marilyn Rantz and nursing faculty member Lori Popejoy won the 2003 international Research Dissemination to the Public award from Sigma Theta Tau for "The New Nursing Homes: A 20-Minute Way to Find Great...

Researchers: anti-flu treatments cost-effective.(Pharmacy News)
October 3, 2003... Giving seniors or others at high risk for flu an anti-flu drug such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) even before testing for signs of the sickness cost effective, according to a report released Sept. 1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Treating...

Vitamin E and donepezil might slow Alzheimer's.(Pharmacy News)
October 3, 2003... Combining vitamin E with the drug donepezil might slow the progression of Alzheimer's. Ohio State University researchers led by David Beversdorf found that Alzheimer's patients performed better on cognitive tests after a year of treatment with...

ElderTrust, the healthcare real estate investment trust.(Transactions)
October 3, 2003... ElderTrust, the healthcare real estate investment trust, announced Sept. 11 that it would spin off assets leased to Genesis Health Ventures, which previously announced plans to spin off its elder care division. A week earlier, ElderTrust...

CNL Retirement Properties Inc.(Transactions)
October 3, 2003... CNL Retirement Properties Inc. completed its purchase of the remaining 14 assisted living communities in Marriott International Inc.'s portfolio in early September. CNL bought the 14 Brighton Gardens communities for $184 million. Sunrise Senior...

The Food and Drug Administration.(Investigation)
October 3, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating allegations that the nation's largest drug wholesaler illegally diverted drugs into a secondary market to boost profits, according to published reports....

Scientists predict that 13.2 million Americans will have Alzheimer's disease by 2050.(Worth Watching)
October 3, 2003... Scientists predict that 13.2 million Americans will have Alzheimer's disease by 2050, and 8 million of them will be 85 and older, according to updated figures in a study in the Archives of Neurology. The results underscore the urgency to seek...

Service with a (wary) smile.(Ancillaries)
October 3, 2003... Jolene Roberts' goal is to get people of all ages to enter her care facility in Belleview, NE. Until seven years ago, she ran a 100-bed nursing home. Then she decided to diversify her center and spread her risk. She applied for a $10.5...

Senior housing market heating up, for some.(Executive Decisions)
October 3, 2003... Q The National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industries (NIC) will soon hold its annual meeting In Washington. What's the message you'll want to get across to attendees? A There really are two messages. One is that the...

Children were the chaperones when residents from Rockport Coastal Care Center viewed exhibits and watched a dolphin show at the Texas State Aquarium.(Enterprise)
October 3, 2003... Children were the chaperones when residents from Rockport Coastal Care Center viewed exhibits and watched a dolphin show at the Texas State Aquarium. The center's junior volunteer program allows children ages four to 13 to help residents. The...

Taking time to smell the roses.(Enterprise)
October 3, 2003... Taking time to smell the roses: McConahey's Flowers in Alton, IL looked like a sea of roses in September when it played host to its 27th Good Neighbor Day. The floral shop and participating local businesses gave away 7,000 freshly cut roses to...

A nationwide program to help stop victimization of the elderly.(Enterprise)
October 3, 2003... A nationwide program to help stop victimization of the elderly, Senior Crimestoppers, has been set up in more than 6,500 nursing homes, assisted living homes, retirement communities and HUD housing venues in 48 states, according to the Senior...

Report: inventory management is improving.(Managing Technology)
October 3, 2003... The way nursing homes order supplies and manage inventory is getting much better, according to a just-released report by Forrester Research. The investigation noted that both facilities and vendors are making progress, particularly when it...

States have made in-roads in expanding long-term services despite budget constraints.(Quality Corner)
October 3, 2003... States have made in-roads in expanding long-term services despite budget constraints, according to a recent study by the National Conference of State Legislatures. The report shows a trend whereby states are providing individuals more home- and...

No easy way out with elopement problems.(Legal Matters)
October 3, 2003... Q What would you call the principle or rule we should be concerned with when it comes to preventing wandering or elopement episodes? A Despite the best efforts of nursing home staffs, residents elope or wander from facilities. What can a...

Good news with guidance on repairs, replacements.(Regulations/Compliance)
October 3, 2003... Q What is your opinion of CMS Transmittal 1815, which revises Section 2100.4 through 2100.6 of the Medicare Carrier's Manual: Repairs, Maintenance, Replacement, and Delivery?. A Long-term care providers should view this transmittal in a...

'Trial by fire' is bad guidance for new hires.(Staffing Concerns)
October 3, 2003... Q What do you specifically advise employers as definite "Do's" and "Don'ts" for an employee's first few days or weeks? A Over half of the employees who quit within the first 90 days of employment leave because they were not properly...

Improve reimbursement with right billing periods.(Payment Answers)
October 3, 2003... Q Can you go into detail about calculating benefit periods and what my staff should be on the lookout for? A Pre-admission, admission and billing processes will flow more smoothly if your employees understand the concept of the benefit...

A prescription for controlling drug costs.(P&L Journal)
October 3, 2003... As investment bankers involved with divestitures, financing, valuation and other financial advisory services, my colleagues and I see many financial statements of skilled nursing and assisted living providers. In our experience, few operating...

Resident continence characteristics by state, 2001.(Market monitor)
October 3, 2003... MARKET MONITOR Resident Continence Characteristics by State, 2001 Percentage of residents With With Catheters With...

PDI's Cellulose Wound Dressing.(Product Focus)
October 3, 2003... PDI Medical Devices & Diagnostics offers XCELL Cellulose Wound Dressing, a new technologically advanced dressing rot wound care that is uniquely able to absorb exudates and hydrate the wound equally. XCell can absorb or hydrate, separately or...

Direct Supply's exclusive panacea[R].(Product Focus)
October 3, 2003... ComfortMax pressure relieving mattress was designed by clinicians and experts in the field to provide residents with exceptional pressure relief--even for those with single-site Stage III wounds. Lura-Flex[TM] foam top layer offers the comfort...

Order entry program.(New Products)
October 3, 2003... * Enhances documentation by distributing the processing of physicians' orders * Confirmation and verification system eliminates opportunities for error * Can be used to fill, dispense, and reorder drugs * Produced by ADL Data...

Thick and Easy[R] pureed bread mix.(New Products)
October 3, 2003... * Helps meet the nutritional needs of dysphagia residents * Tasty, nutrient-dense bread product for those with swallowing difficulties * Easy to prepare and use, offers reliable consistency * Produced by Hormel Health Labs ...

Redi+Wash[R] bathing system.(New Products)
October 3, 2003... * Specially formulated Lo cleanse the body in healthcare settings when patients are immobile * Designed to eliminate expensive, time-consuming basin baths * 8-cloth z-fold system reduces cross-contamination and lessens the potential of...

Corelite class A D/I.(New Products)
October 3, 2003... * Modular linear systems creates ideal ambient light levels throughout an architectural project * Maintains a cohesive aesthetic feel among the varying room parameters * Outfitted with choice of energy efficient T5 or T8 lamps *...

Worth repeating.(People & Opinions)
October 3, 2003... "Medicaid reimbursement can best be described as awful." John Sauer, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of Homes and Services for the Aging in a local media report on that state's reimbursement climate. "We've started...

Best to prepare for the 'storm'.(Q & A)
October 3, 2003... Better regulation and legislation are needed soon for long-term care matters, says researcher Robert Friedland, Ph.D. Because of the coming wave of baby boomers, providers will face "unprecedented" challenges to improve quality while having to...

Handling nurses with care.(Commentary)
October 3, 2003... Macro theory kind of suggested it had to come to this, and thank goodness it has. Nurses, you are in demand, and the establishment is starting to respond. Thanks to extreme shortages of nursing personnel--particularly in long-term care...

What has working in this field taught you?(Reader Poll)
October 3, 2003... DIANNE PERTTOLA MDS Coordinator, Marywood Nursing Care Center, Canton, MI Caring for the elderly has prompted me to take better care of myself. My lifestyle today can affect my functioning in my elder years. IRMA GARDNER-HAMMOND...

Michigan Office of Services to the Aging.(Milestones)
October 3, 2003... SHARON GIRE has been unanimously confirmed by the Michigan Senate to be the Director of the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging (OSA). She was appointed by Gov. Granholm and will serve as the state's chief advocate for older citizens in...

Health Care Property Investors.(Milestones)
October 3, 2003... JAMES FLAHERTY III has been elected as the new president and chief executive officer of Health Care Property Investors, a self-administered equity real estate trust with a portfolio of 453 properties, including 126 retirement and assisted...

Classic Residence by Hyatt.(Milestones)
October 3, 2003... Classic Residence by Hyatt has appointed WILLIAM SCIORTINO as the senior vice president of operations at the company's headquarters in Chicago. He will oversee resident service in 17 communities. Previously, Sciortino served as chief...

National Investment Center.(Milestones)
October 3, 2003... The National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industries (NIC), has named ROBERT G. KRAMER its new president. A founding member of NIC, he previously served as its executive director.

Trans Healthcare Inc.(Milestones)
October 3, 2003... W. BRADLEY BENNETT has been named CFO of Trans Healthcare Inc. Bennett had been CFO for IHS, the nursing home giant in Chapter 11 that Trans Health recently bought. The appointment was made by the restructuring firm of Alvarez and Marsal,...

Survey column missed the mark.(Readers' Letters)
October 3, 2003... John O'Connor's remarks in his column entitled "Employee surveys not bad--just moot" (Aug. 5, 2003, p. 22) offer a limited perspective on what satisfaction surveying is all about. It is not about allowing the "inmates to set the asylum's...

McKnight's ADLs.(People & Opinions)
October 3, 2003... "Of course she's happy... her son's an elder law attorney." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Just say 'cheese': in Wisconsin, a new 'gratitude attitude' program aims to cement satisfaction among employees.(McKnight's LTCN profile)
October 3, 2003... When registered nurse LuAnn Weihert isn't feeling her cheeriest, she'll look up and catch one of the many positive sayings on the walls of her nursing home. Inspirational quotes from Mother Theresa ("We can do no great things, just small...

Good information is often too hard to find: as we drown in trivial numbers, key industry data still remains ungathered.(Parting Shots)
October 3, 2003... "Imagine a school with children that can read or write, but with teachers who cannot, and you have a metaphor of the Information Age in which we live." --Peter Cochrane One of the more bizarre realities about the long-term care sector...

Judge says therapy caps shall remain.
October 24, 2003... U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan squashed providers' faint hopes of halting Medicare outpatient therapy caps in court when he ruled in the government's favor Sept. 28. Three consumer groups had sued to stop the caps, claiming...

General Health System has agreed to pay the largest settlement in the nation for "failure to provide care.".(Late Breaking News)
October 24, 2003... * General Health System has agreed to pay the largest settlement in the nation for "failure to provide care." It will pay $750,000 to settle federal False Claims Act allegations of fraud of Medicare and Medicaid billing because of neglect of...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration.(Late Breaking News)
October 24, 2003... * The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory on reports of blue discoloration and death in patients receiving enteral feedings tinted with the dye FD&C Blue No. 1.

Combining two common antibiotics, doxycycline and rifampin, may help delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.(Late Breaking News)
October 24, 2003... * Combining two common antibiotics, doxycycline and rifampin, may help delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, Canadian researchers reported Oct. 9 at the Infectious Diseases Society of America meeting.

Although vaccination rates for influenza and pneumonia for Americans aged 65 and older have continued to increase.(Late Breaking News)
October 24, 2003... * Although vaccination rates for influenza and pneumonia for Americans aged 65 and older have continued to increase, rates of vaccination for Hispanics and blacks continue lag their white counterparts, according to a Centers for Disease Control...

With government approvals in hand.(Late Breaking News)
October 24, 2003... * With government approvals in hand, Genesis Health Ventures said it might complete the spin off of its eldercare division as soon as early November.

Alterra Healthcare Corp.(Late Breaking News)
October 24, 2003... * Alterra Healthcare Corp. announced Oct. 7 that it will become a private company--jointly owned by New York-based Fortress Investment and Seattle-based Emeritus Corp.--when the company emerges from Chapter 11 reorganization and a bankruptcy...

Databank.... bed check.
October 24, 2003... Big drops in the number of Medicaid certified and uncertified beds occurred during an overall 0.6% lowering of supply from 2001 to 2002. (Beds by certification status) Medicare certified 60,896 Uncertified 64,899...

New feeding rule fuels controversy.
October 24, 2003... Despite outcries from consumer groups and at least two prominent U.S. lawmakers, the federal government has marched to near completion with its plans to create a new class of nursing home worker to help feed residents. The Department of...

Hard data.(News)
October 24, 2003... 4.8 Percent of U.S. nursing home fires caused by arson, according to the Notional Fire Protection Association. 21 Percentage of hospice directors' caseload that lived in a skilled nursing or long-term care facility in 2003, based on replies...

New set of quality measures recommended for 2004.(Quality)
October 24, 2003... As the one-year anniversary hit for the federal government's Nursing Home Quality Improvement project the independent contractor National Quality Forum recommended a revised set of consensus standards for measuring quality. The measures,...

Pressure ulcer project takes off 'like wildfire'.(News)
October 24, 2003... A new national project to study and improve pressure-ulcer care for the long-term care population has exceeded officials' optimistic expectations even before its first official meeting took place. "It's taken off like wildfire. We're just...

The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.(Legislative update)
October 24, 2003... The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee unanimously approved a bill that would extend long-term care services for military veterans. The Veterans' Affairs Committee approved S. 1156 by voice vote Oct. 2. The measure would mandate government...

The House narrowly reversed itself.(Legislative update)
October 24, 2003... The House narrowly reversed itself Oct. 6 when it voted to block the White House from issuing regulations that opponents say could take away overtime rights from 8 million workers. The vote, however, is non-binding. A House-Senate conference...

Medicare quality improvement.(Regulatory update)
October 24, 2003... Medicare quality improvement organizations now have the authority from the CMS to handle complaints about medical quality through a mediation process that brings provider and complainant face-to-face. The option will be introduced in...

LTC nursing gets attention: LTC leaders launch a consortium to improve the nursing shortage and turnover, fix its negative image and distinguish long-term care from acute care.
October 24, 2003... In September 2002, Sandra Fitzler and Torrance Kuzman of the American Health Care Association sat down and looked at the cold facts. There were 100,000 nursing vacancies in the 16,500 nursing homes surveyed in a recent AHCA report. The Bureau...

Back injuries, hand-rub safety, diabetes drugs.(Nursing News)
October 24, 2003... Concerned that a third of nurses develop back injuries, the American Nurses Association has launched a campaign to help prevent musculoskeletal disorders. The association will promote education, seek to change ergonomics policies, and recommend...

Advice on hand-rub dispensers, fire codes.(Nursing News)
October 24, 2003... The American Hospital Association released an advisory addressing how installing alcohol-based hand-rub dispensers can align with national and local fire codes. The ANA suggests hospitals work with local fire marshals to ensure installations...

Governor announces scholarship program.(Nursing News)
October 24, 2003... South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds announced the new scholarship Dakota Corps for aspiring professionals to keep them in the state. The scholarship is for college freshman, sophomores and juniors as well as high school seniors who plan to go...

Career development online tool launched.(Nursing News)
October 24, 2003... The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Zau International is launching CarceRxel, a six-session online career development tool designed by nurses for nurses. The curriculum was developed in collaboration with personal development expert Eric...