McKnight's Long-Term Care News articles from September 2006

McKnight's Long-Term Care News archives from September 2006

Commission names head.(National Commission for Quality Long-Term Care appoints Doug Pace)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The National Commission for Quality Long-Term Care has named Doug Pace its first executive director. Most recently a top manager for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, Pace began his new assignment announcing...

Admin, DON salaries rise at a slower clip.
September 1, 2006... Nursing home administrators hit a record high national median salary this year, and so did directors of nursing. But each group saw a slowdown in momentum that built last year. Numerous other nursing and therapy titles also were the...

Medicare to up payments.
September 1, 2006... Medicare payment rates will rise by 3.1% in fiscal year 2007, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That equates to a $560 million boost overall for the provider community, which cheered the announcement. Earlier this...

Flu vaccine for diabetics.(NEWS)
September 1, 2006... Diabetic adults, no matter how old they are, should get a flu shot, Dutch researchers say. First and repeat flu vaccinations cut the risk of all-cause mortality and hospitalizations for complications related to respiratory infections,...

Diuretics cut disease risk.(NEWS)
September 1, 2006... Antihypertensive medications, including a specific type of diuretic, were effective in lowering the likelihood of Alzheimer's disease, a new study found. Potassium-sparing diuretics reduced the risk of the disease by more than 70% in...

Unprecedented quality campaign set to start.(NEWS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Hoping to earn more trust in the public eye, providers and other long-term care stakeholders were gearing up at press time for perhaps their biggest quality-improvement campaign yet. Officials said the program, Advancing Excellence in...

PPS no barrier to access: report.(NEWS)
September 1, 2006... Medicare beneficiaries are experiencing better access to nursing facilities under the prospective payment system, a new federal report finds. In fact, 84% of hospital discharge planners report they can place all beneficiaries in skilled...

More than 330 members of the House, including 103 Republicans, joined Senate counterparts and governors in officially objecting to the administration's plan to reduce the allowable ceiling for provider bed taxes.(At deadline)
September 1, 2006... More than 330 members of the House, including 103 Republicans, joined Senate counterparts and governors in officially objecting to the administration's plan to reduce the allowable ceiling for provider bed taxes. At deadline, providers were...

Medicare beneficiaries.(At deadline)
September 1, 2006... Medicare beneficiaries and the government will pay less for Medicare Part D coverage next year because plans participating in the new drug benefit made lower bids for 2007. The average monthly Part D premium will remain $24 nationwide.

The purchaser of the former Beverly nursing home chain announced new names for its various companies.(At deadline)
September 1, 2006... The purchaser of the former Beverly nursing home chain announced new names for its various companies, including Golden Living for the skilled nursing unit and Golden innovations for the ancillary business unit. Golden Horizons is the parent...

60 seconds with ... John Cobb.(NEWS)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... Q: When did GE decide it would make the big leap into ownership with that 186-facility purchase from Formation Capital? A: We have long provided debt products to the long-term care industry. About 18 months ago, our customers began...

Former HHS chief releases Medicaid 'makeover' plan.(NEWS)
September 1, 2006... The federal government would take more responsibility for long-term care, while individual states would focus more on the disabled, children and pregnant women under a "Medicaid Makeover" plan recently issued by former Health and Human Services...

Industry again receives lukewarm reviews.(NEWS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Not-for-profit nursing homes offer better care than for-profit ones. But substandard care characterizes the industry overall, according to a widely disseminated investigation by Consumer Reports magazine. The Nursing Home Quality Monitor...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is implementing an action plan to facilitate better care for dual eligibles through Medicare Special Needs Plans.(Regulatory Update)
September 1, 2006... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is implementing an action plan to facilitate better care for dual eligibles through Medicare Special Needs Plans. Dual eligibles receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

CMS is offering a demonstration project that will award $1.75 billion in grants to state Medicaid agencies.(Regulatory Update)
September 1, 2006... CMS is offering a demonstration project that will award $1.75 billion in grants to state Medicaid agencies for programs to keep the elderly in their home or community.

The Senate Finance Committee last month approved the Elder Justice Act (S. 2010).(Bill Watch)
September 1, 2006... The Senate Finance Committee last month approved the Elder Justice Act (S. 2010). The bill requires nursing homes to report abuse to law enforcement and calls for a study of a nationwide nurse aide registry.

A bill to raise the minimum wage failed to reach the Senate floor, making it unlikely that a wage hike will take place this year.(Bill Watch)
September 1, 2006... A bill to raise the minimum wage failed to reach the Senate floor, making it unlikely that a wage hike will take place this year. The House passed the measure before adjourning for its summer recess.

Ask the care expert.(NEWS: Resident Care)
September 1, 2006... As a charge nurse on a skilled care unit, I am having difficulty with my CNAs learning the care plans of the residents they have in their permanent assignment. Any suggestions? I would start by impressing upon the staff the importance of...

Study blames hospital stays for high LTC infection rates.(NEWS: Resident Care)
September 1, 2006... It is well known that going to the hospital can be risky business for the long-term care resident with increased likelihood of illness and infection. Now, a new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society affirms that the...

Go ahead and wet your whistle.(Caregiving Update)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Go ahead and wet your whistle. Moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of heart failure among older adults, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Those who had up to six drinks a week cut their odds...

There may not be enough personal assistance workers to meet the needs of the elderly in the future.(Caregiving Update)
September 1, 2006... There may not be enough personal assistance workers to meet the needs of the elderly in the future. Cuts in Medicaid spending, low wages and high job turnover could contribute to a decline in workers, said a study in the July/August issue of...

Type 2 diabetes, the kind usually related to obesity, increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association.(Caregiving Update)
September 1, 2006... Type 2 diabetes, the kind usually related to obesity, increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. One study found that even people who had borderline diabetes were 70% more likely than those with normal...

People in their 80s don't necessarily need to do high intensity aerobics classes to live longer, a new study finds.(Caregiving Update)
September 1, 2006... People in their 80s don't necessarily need to do high intensity aerobics classes to live longer, a new study finds. Expending energy through daily activities--whether it's walking stairs or puttering in the garden--lowers the risk of death in...

Ask the treatment expert.(NEWS: Wound Care)
September 1, 2006... What is a "healing ridge?" "Healing ridge" is a term used to describe the area of swelling and hardness beneath the incision line after surgery. This ridge is a normal occurring event and should cause concern if not present. The ridge...

Jury ruling favors BlueSky in VAC patent lawsuit case.(NEWS: Wound Care)
September 1, 2006... BlueSky Medical Group Inc. did not infringe on patents held by Kinetic Concepts Inc., according to jurors in a federal case. Unless overturned on appeal, the ruling is expected to bring more companies into the negative-pressure wound...

Ultrasound imaging pilot to aid detection.(NEWS: Wound Care)
September 1, 2006... A pilot project will use ultrasound imaging as a way to reveal pressure ulcers at a 356-bed facility in Saratoga Springs, NY. "Early detection enables us to have far better outcomes in the care of our residents," said Cindy Labish, director...

PuriCore plc announced that it has received FDA clearance to market its Vashe wound cleansing system as a medical device.(Treatment Update)
September 1, 2006... PuriCore plc announced that it has received FDA clearance to market its Vashe wound cleansing system as a medical device. The product produces a solution which is indicated for use in wound cleansing, irrigating, moistening and debriding of...

Collagen Matrix Inc. announced that it has received FDA's 510(k) clearance of its Collagen Nerve Wrap.(Treatment Update)
September 1, 2006... Collagen Matrix Inc. announced that it has received FDA's 510(k) clearance of its Collagen Nerve Wrap. The product is indicated for the management of peripheral nerve injuries in which there has been a substantial loss of nerve tissue and where...

Advanced Viral Research Corp. announced that a wound healing study topically applying its pharmaceutical drug AVR 118 to pigs has shown accelerated wound healing.(Treatment Update)(Medical condition overview)
September 1, 2006... Advanced Viral Research Corp. announced that a wound healing study topically applying its pharmaceutical drug AVR 118 to pigs has shown accelerated wound healing. Although preliminary, these studies provide the rationale for advancing AVR 118...

Ask the nursing expert.(NEWS: Nursing)
September 1, 2006... As a director of nursing, how can I best manage my time to get everything done in a day? I start my workweek on Sunday with finishing up leftover items in my home office. I know our time at home is limited, but if I don't "front load" my...

Teams and communication help program take flight.(NEWS: Nursing)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... A growing number of nursing homes and other healthcare settings are embracing an option that emphasizes team-building tactics and communication skills borrowed from commercial aviation. The LifeWings program is showing early promise as a way to...

Scientists believe that they have developed a once-a-day pill that could potentially cure Alzheimer's disease.(Medication Update)
September 1, 2006... Scientists believe that they have developed a once-a-day pill that could potentially cure Alzheimer's disease. Research involving laboratory mice shows that the drug, PBT2, prevents build-up of the amyloid protein, which has been linked to the...

Researchers now believe that long-term use of anti-inflammatory medication can cause osteoporosis.(Medication Update)
September 1, 2006... Researchers now believe that long-term use of anti inflammatory medication can cause osteoporosis. Certain steroid hormones called gluco-corticoids that are used at high doses to treat inflammatory and immune disorders have been found to cause...

The FDA has approved a new treatment for age-related macular degeneration that has been found to improve--and in some cases, restore--patients' vision.(Medication Update)
September 1, 2006... The FDA has approved a new treatment for age-related macular degeneration that has been found to improve--and in some cases, restore--patients' vision. Lucentis, which is known in generic form as ranibizumab, is administered by injection...

The first patch designed to deliver a widely used Alzheimer's medication via the skin appears to minimize side effects and is easy to use, say Swedish researchers.(Medication Update)
September 1, 2006... The first patch designed to deliver a widely used Alzheimer's medication via the skin appears to minimize side effects and is easy to use, say Swedish researchers. Study patients who used the rivastigmine patch fared as well as those with a...

Ask the payment expert.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
September 1, 2006... What does the new focus on Medicaid fraud mean for my facility? Make sure that your internal systems are in place to ensure appropriate billing for Medicaid services. Just as CMS developed auditing processes for Medicare, we expect them to...

Report: Medicaid shortfalls to reach $4.5 billion in '06.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
September 1, 2006... The gap between allowable Medicaid costs and actual state payments to nursing home operators will hit $4.5 billion this year, according to projections from an industry-backed study. The average per diem gap in Medicaid reimbursement will be...

CMS eases transfer rules.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
September 1, 2006... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced it is offering new policies that help protect certain nursing home residents from rigid new rules regarding asset transfers. Under one program, people who purchase long-term care...

Go figure.(NEWS: Payment & Policy)
September 1, 2006... 2 On average, the number of beneficiaries out of 1,000 who have lodged official complaints about Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, according to proud administration officials. 6.3 This many millions of people will suffer a hip...

Manor Care Inc.'s earnings rose.(Business Briefs)
September 1, 2006... Manor Cam Inc.'s earnings rose by nearly 20% to $45 million in the second quarter as nursing home and other operations remained strong. A larger number of post-acute therapy residents at facilities resulted in a Medicare rate increase of $27...

Extendicare Inc. lost $2 million.(Business Briefs)
September 1, 2006... Extendicare Inc. lost $2 million in the second quarter, in large part due to costs and taxes related to its reorganization. The company, which is based in Markham, Ontario, expects to complete the spin-off of Assisted Living Concepts and the...

Sunrise Senior Living Inc. is restating its financial statements for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005.(Business Briefs)
September 1, 2006... Sunrise Senior Living Inc. is restating its financial statements for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005. The impact of the restatement is expected to reduce net income by an estimated $60 million to $110 million. But the company expects to recapture...

Metro monitor.(NEWS: Companies)
September 1, 2006... MetroMonitor Rankings of the most affordable metropolitan markets for private pay nursing home stays. Leaders MetroMarket Affordability Index * Rank San Antonio 1.3 1 Dallas ...

Kindred, pharmacy giant partner to create new firm.(NEWS: Companies)
September 1, 2006... A major new institutional pharmacy player is planning to enter the market. Last month, nursing home giant Kindred Healthcare Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp., one of the world's largest pharmaceutical services companies, signed a...

Rent battle nearing end.(NEWS: Companies)
September 1, 2006... Kindred Healthcare Inc. and its main landlord, Ventas Inc., are a step closer to resolving their mammoth rent dispute. They have agreed on two final appraisers who will determine the fair market rental schedule of four master leases....

National Commission for Quality Long-Term Care.(Good month)
September 1, 2006... Doug Pace: He has been named executive director of the National Commission for Quality Long-Term Care.

Flu vaccine.(Good month)
September 1, 2006... Flu vaccine: A record amount--about 100 million doses--will be available for the upcoming flu season, according to federal officials.

Resident safety.(Good month)
September 1, 2006... Resident safety: Rhode Island passed a safe patient law, designed to reduce the number of patient and caregiver injuries caused by manual lifting and repositioning. Other states that have implemented or are considering some sort of patient...

Poor performers.(Bad month)
September 1, 2006... Poor performers: There is little evidence that poorly performing nursing homes have improved their quality of care over the last five years, according to Consumer Reports magazine.

Storm readiness.(Bad month)
September 1, 2006... Storm readiness: Despite the wealth of experience gained from last year's hurricanes, state and federal officials have found that fewer than half of the nursing homes in hurricane-prone areas of Louisiana are prepared for potential storms.

Restful sleep.(Bad month)
September 1, 2006... Restful sleep: At least half of all seniors have trouble sleeping, but researchers say they should not accept it as a normal part of aging.

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt told the nation's governors that the Bush administration soon will require all healthcare providers who receive federal funds to adopt quality-measurement tools and uniform information technology standards.(IT Update)
September 1, 2006... HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt told the nation's governors that the Bush administration soon will require all healthcare providers who receive federal funds to adopt quality-measurement tools and uniform information technology standards. Leavitt...

"Nana" technology is a clever new phrase that is gaining widespread use.(IT Update)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... "Nana" technology is a clever new phrase that is gaining widespread use. George Mason University's Andrew Carle, assistant professor for the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) and director of its assisted living program, recently used...

Scientists are using a popular computer card game--FreeCell--to help distinguish between senior citizens with memory problems and those without cognitive problems.(IT Update)
September 1, 2006... Scientists are using a popular computer card game--FreeCell--to help distinguish between senior citizens with memory problems and those without cognitive problems. Researchers with the Oregon Health & Science University's Oregon Center for...

Due to an administrative error, full information for Answers on Demand was not included in the Software Source in our July issue (pp, 48-49).(IT Update)
September 1, 2006... Due to an administrative error, full information for Answers on Demand was not included in the Software Source in our July issue (pp, 48-49). In addition to the characteristics already listed for Answers on Demand, the following should have...

Bill creates 17-member panel to evaluate new technology.(NEWS: Technology)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Two Minnesota lawmakers have introduced legislation that would assess ways new technology can make life better for older people. Their measure creates a 17-member consortium, which would operate under a $1.5 million budget. The panel would...

"I couldn't live without ...".(NEWS: Technology)
September 1, 2006... Documentation is everything in long-term care. So Carson Ritchie, president and CEO of Church of God Home, Carlisle, PA, knew he needed to find the right technology to capture the care his staff was providing. His search ended at AccuNurse, a...

Plans for hurricane preparedness.(SOUTHEAST)
September 1, 2006... LOUISIANA -- The state legislature recently passed a law that calls for a Nursing Home Emergency Preparedness Review Committee. It will fall under the Department of Health and Hospitals. The review committee will be composed of...

Law shifts SNF funding.(MASSACHUSETTS)
September 1, 2006... Gov. Mitt Romney has signed a new law that makes it easier for the state to use Medicaid dollars to pay for a wider range of long-term care services--beyond nursing home care. The legislation requires counseling for Medicaid beneficiaries...

New rewards for workforce quality.(SOUTHEAST)
September 1, 2006... NORTH CAROLINA -- Long-term care facilities that meet higher standards for workplace culture will receive special licensure, under a new program recently approved by the General Assembly. Standards fall under four main areas: supportive...

Heat could lead to cool rules.(WEST)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... CALIFORNIA -- At least two residents of Hillside Care Center in Fremont had to be hospitalized after suffering possible heat-related illnesses. The nursing home is still under investigation by the state Department of Health Services, but...

Resident dealing drugs?(SOUTHWEST)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... TEXAS -- Officials have charged a 70-year-old resident of a San Antonio nursing home with dealing heroin out of the facility. Detectives had the man under surveillance. He had a balloon filled with heroin upon his arrest, according to a...

1,000 felons living in facilities.(MIDWEST)
September 1, 2006... ILLINOIS -- Thanks to a new state law, Illinois has uncovered 1,000 convicted felons living in its nursing homes. Earlier this summer, Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) signed a law requiring background checks of nursing home residents, the first of...

New rules on tax-exempt status.(MIDWEST)
September 1, 2006... OHIO -- State's Attorney General Jim Petro has revised his proposal to make Ohio's hospitals, nursing homes and charities of various sizes more accountable to the public. In his second draft of the rules, Petro has dropped controversial...

Program cuts pressure ulcers.(NORTHEAST)
September 1, 2006... NEW JERSEY -- Techniques and processes promoted by the New Jersey Hospital Association's Pressure Ulcer Collaborative have decreased pressure ulcer incidence by nearly one-third, according to officials. The NJHA's Quality Institute first...

Grants boost PACE programs.(NORTHEAST)
September 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Nearly $600,000 in grants will fund projects to further develop alternatives to nursing home care. The Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York has awarded $300,000 each to Weinberg Campus TOTAL Aging in Place...

Facility sues husband picketer.(PLAINS/MOUNTAINS)(Franklin County Transitional Care Center vs Roy Hinrichs)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... IDAHO -- The Franklin County Transitional Care Center in Preston has filed a libel complaint against the husband of a resident who picketed the nursing home. He accused the facility of contributing to his wife's death, according to an...

Ask the legal expert.(NEWS: Legal Matters)
September 1, 2006... With so many other legal and regulatory concerns, I now hear we have to be extra careful with marketing materials. Is that true? Yes, a provider's marketing efforts can create serious legal issues. Marketing materials and statements may...

Testimony sheds light on regulators' role in bus fire.(NEWS: Legal Matters)
September 1, 2006... A Sunrise Senior Living employee and the bus broker she hired placed part of the blame for a fatal fire that killed 23 residents during the Hurricane Rita evacuation on government regulators. The residents, all from Sunrise's Brighton...

Appeals court upholds $77,100 in fines.(NEWS: Legal Matters)
September 1, 2006... A federal appeals court has upheld more than $77,000 in penalties against a Cincinnati nursing home, noting that, among other infractions, the facility allowed a resident to leave the grounds against doctor's orders and return drunk. ...

Admin, DON salary hikes lose pace; administrator national median salary hits $80,000, while DONs close in on $70,000.(NEWS: Analysis)
September 1, 2006... Salary levels continued to rise for top managers at nursing homes, but this year's increases were milder than a year ago. On the other hand, many nursing home clinicians--staff nurses and numerous therapy positions, for example--saw rises that...

BodyVac solves bathing challenges for LTC facilities.(NEWS: Analysis)
September 1, 2006... The Glendale Heights, Illinois-based Bodyline Products International, Inc. has been providing their BodyVac In-Bed Bathing System to Long Term Care facilities for the past 3 and a half years; solving the most challenging bathing problems time...

How to do it ... financial software.(Business & Marketing)
September 1, 2006... It is said human beings use only about 5% of their brain cells. The ratio may be different, but it's safe to say providers also typically do not maximize capabilities of their long-term care financial software. Some of the problems have to do...

Honing in on hospitality: transforming a facility from a clinical, more sterile environment to one that is more hotel-like can be simpler than it might seem at first.(Business & Marketing: Design)
September 1, 2006... The motivation behind design changes for Beaumont at Bryn Mawr was fairly simple. One of about 70 continuing care retirement communities in the region, the Bryn Mawr, PA-based community needed to raise the level of the playing field, company...

A flat market has its benefits.(THE BIG PICTURE)(Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat)
September 1, 2006... New York Times Columnist Thomas Friedman helps demystify globalization's full impact in his most recent book, The World is Flat. He's not saying that the Flat Earth Society has it right. Rather, he's pointing out that a flattening process...

Healthcare IT is swirling, so it's time to execute.(Editor's DESK)(Editorial)
September 1, 2006... Just before I left high school, personal computers were starting to pop up in classrooms. Actually not classrooms, plural, but rather just the computer room. This was new stuff, and you learned about it in one place. The PCs produced a...

Reader Poll: who's best? It's up to you to decide.(Opinion)
September 1, 2006... When it comes to long-term care products and companies, Anna Foy has her favorites. The administrator at ElderWood Foy Health Care at Edgewood in Amherst, NY, likes Arjo for bathing equipment and Designtex for furnishings, for example. ...

McKnight's buyers guides 'exactly' what's needed.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... I work for an organization that represents 155 not-for-profit LTC providers across the state of Kansas. We have received numerous requests from our membership this year asking us to help them with research on new technology and vendors in the...

Taking a gamble: the task of risk management is becoming more complicated as the number of Alzheimer's and dementia residents rises.(Risk management)
September 1, 2006... Cell phones and nursing home residents with Alzheimers disease once had something in common: Both were exceptions. It was noteworthy when you knew somebody with either. But that was then and this is now. Cell phones have taken an...

Raising the bar: along with expectations, the no-lift movement has raised questions for providers intent on doing the right thing.(Lifts/bathing)
September 1, 2006... Since resident handling accounts for more than half of all work-related injuries in long-term care, it's little wonder that safer resident handling programs have moved higher on the list of providers' priorities. More than half of nurses...

Recent arrivals: these new products provide you with the tools to conduct your business successfully.
September 1, 2006... (1) Gentle wound dressing Medline Industries Inc. has introduced Gentleheal[R] Atraumatic Super Absorbent Foam Dressings, designed to help improve patient outcomes, reduce nursing time and ultimately lower costs. The new dressing has a...

Skin care and incontinence: products to help you provide better personal resident care.(Buyers guide)
September 1, 2006... * Arjo Arjo Skin Care & Hygiene Products offers a family of skin care and hygiene products specially formulated to be compatible with your bathing equipment and provide effective skin care for your residents. FOR MORE INFO: (800)...

Resident security.(Buyer's Guide)(Buyers guide)
September 1, 2006... Alert Care Inc. (800) 826-7444 www.alertcareinc.com Bed-Check Corp. (800) 523-7956 www.bedcheck.com Cord-Mate. Inc. (800) 922-7990 www.cord-mate.com Digital Designs. Inc. (888) 342-5334 ...

A day in the life: Dorcas Hall, Director of Nursing.(Careers)
September 1, 2006... A LOT HAS CHANGED in 30 years. When Dorcas Hail started working in long-term care, restraining resi- dents was common. And during inspections, one per- son would come for a half-day, at the most. "Maybe they'd go out on the floor, maybe not,"...