Contemporary Long Term Care articles from July 2002

Contemporary Long Term Care archives from July 2002

New numbers.(EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK)
July 1, 2002... PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: Contemporary Long Term Care has a new home! We are a proud member of the health care division of the Leisure Publications stable of magazines now. And with a new upper-management team comes a new way of doing...

Our image is up to us.(IN BOX)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2002... I have been a social worker in the long term care industry for nearly 15 years and have never been so compelled to respond to a magazine article until I read "Helping families get loved ones to day care" (March 2002, page 34). ...

In support of HIPAA.(IN BOX)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2002... The proposed changes to HIPAA announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) loosen restrictions on providing care before obtaining consent and discussing patient care with other clinicians. Just as the MD credential...

Kudos for doing civic duty.(IN BOX)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2002... Your Editor's Notebook on being a juror ("Juror number 7," March 2002, page 5) brought to mind the issues facing jurors of an abuse or neglect in a long term care facility trial. The plaintiffs' attorneys make sure the jurors have no...

Never thought he'd see this.(IN BOX)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2002... As a pastor of a church in Nashville, Tenn., with a predominantly gay and lesbian congregation, and an assistant director of nursing in a long term care facility, I had never heard of a place like the Noble McArtor Senior Day Care Center in...

Exam scam busted: would-be CNAs paid up to $600 for passing scores.(NEWS FRONTS)
July 1, 2002... CALIFORNIA AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED 80 people in connection with a scheme to sell passing test scores to individuals who otherwise could not qualify as certified nursing assistants. Fraudulently obtained certificates were used to get jobs at...

Order of Excellence has moved!(MAKE A NOTE)
July 1, 2002... As you will seen in Mark Zacharia's Editor's Notebook (see page 6), CLTC has a new home. And we want to be sure your Order of Excellence in Foodservice entry is delivered to our new address. Be sure to note the following change: Send entries...

CMS updates 'Nursing Home Compare.'.(UNDER THE WIRE: Late-breaking facts)
July 1, 2002... Health deficiencies confirmed by complaint investigations will now be posted to Nursing Home Compare at alongside regular survey results already listed for each facility. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services added this information...

Judge tanks case against gas supplier.(UNDER THE WIRE: Late-breaking facts)
July 1, 2002... William MacMillan, a judge in Greene County, Ohio, has dismissed the case against BOC Gases Inc., a Murray Hill, NJ.-based company indicted last year in the deaths of four nursing home residents. (See "Companies charged in resident deaths,"...

Nevada SNFs reject 'problem' residents.(STATE NEWS)
July 1, 2002... Nevada legislators have learned that none of the state's skilled nursing facilities accept residents who suffer from a combination of dementia and behavioral problems. These residents are being placed in out-of-state facilities. A state...

View from the hill.(NEWS FRONTS)(Table)
July 1, 2002... VIEW FROM THE HILL Bill Title Description H.R. 4817 Elderly Housing Authorizes capital repair grants Housing Quality for elderly housing, grants for ...

HHS awards $30 million in nursing grants.
July 1, 2002... A series of grants totaling more than $30 million will be awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help ease the nationwide shortage of qualified nurses. (See "The shrinking nurse force," at right.) ...

Wisconsin takes over two facilities.(STATE NEWS)
July 1, 2002... Following allegations of abuse and neglect in two Wisconsin nursing homes, the state began operating the facilities May 23 through a receivership action in Dane County Circuit Court. State officials said the action was warranted after...

IHCA sues governor.(STATE NEWS)
July 1, 2002... The Indiana Health Care Association (IHCA) is suing Gov. Frank O'Bannon following his veto of a bill that would have prevented reductions of Medicaid payments for nursing home care. O'Bannon vetoed the bill, HB 1866, in May 2001 after the...

Manor Care enjoys strong first quarter.(Filings)(Financial report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2002... Manor Care Inc. reports that net revenues for the first quarter of 2002 were $716 million, a 12 percent increase over the $638 million reported in the first quarter of 2001. Net income rose from $25 million in first-quarter 2001 to $34 million...

National HealthCare earnings up 29 percent.(Filings)(Financial report)
July 1, 2002... National HealthCare Corp. (NHC) reports that earnings for the quarter ended March 31, 2002, were $3,087,000--a 29.2 percent increase over the $2,389,000 reported for the year-earlier period. Revenues for the quarter were $111,226,000, a 12...

Harborside revenues increase in first quarter.(Filings)(Financial report)
July 1, 2002... Harborside Healthcare Corp. reports that net revenues for the first quarter of 2002 totaled $94,511,000--a 15.1 percent increase over the $82,086,000 recorded in the year-earlier period. Total net revenues less facility operating expenses were...

Virtual Care Provider partners with LINTECH.(Strategic alliances)(Brief article)
July 1, 2002... Virtual Care Provider Inc., a provider of information technology and telecommunication solutions to the long term care profession, has signed an agreement with LINTECH, a Fort Lee, N.J.-based company supplying information-management systems for...

Sun screens with Kroll Background America.(Supplier news)
July 1, 2002... Kroll Background America Inc., Nashville, Tenn., has been engaged by Sun Healthcare Group to provide nationwide pre-employment screening services. Kroll's program is a centralized Internet-based system that allows hiring managers to request,...

Tendercare South by Tendercare (Michigan) Inc.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Michael J. Kegley II, LNHA, has been appointed administrator of Tendercare South by Tendercare (Michigan) Inc., based in Sault St. Marie, Mich.

Brittany Pointe Estates.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Carl McMoose has been named executive director of Brittany Pointe Estates, an ACTS Retirement-Life Community in Lansdale, Pa. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Kindred Healthcare.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Paul J. Diaz has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Kindred Healthcare, Louisville, Ky.

John K. Hunter, Joseph S. Duffey, and James P. O'Brien have been selected to serve on the board.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... John K. Hunter, Joseph S. Duffey, and James P. O'Brien have been selected to serve on the board of the Philadelphia-based Presbyterian Foundation for Philadelphia and NewCourtland Elder Services.

George R. Gunn Jr.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... George R. Gunn Jr., vice chairman and chief executive officer of West Point, Pa.-headquartered ACTS Retirement-Life Communities, has been nominated by Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker and confirmed by the state senate for a second term on the...

Apple Health Care Inc.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Patricia E. King, RN, BSN, MS, LNHA, has been appointed corporate director of professional services by Apple Health Care Inc., headquartered in Avon, Conn.

Presbyterian Health Center.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Randy Crowder has been appointed executive director of Presbyterian Health Center in West Chester, Pa.

Waltemade Health Care Center and Pavilion.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Joan M. Prechtl has been appointed director of admissions at Waltemade Health Care Center and Pavilion, a skilled nursing facility at The Wartburg in Mount Vernon, N.Y. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

HealthFlash and McKesson market HIPAA help.(Supplier news)
July 1, 2002... HealthFlash Inc. and McKesson Information Solutions Inc. have formed a partnership designed to help health care organizations manage their HIPAA government compliance and accreditation projects. Under the two-year agreement, McKesson will...

Gentiva expands delivery service areas.(Supplier news)
July 1, 2002... Gentiva Health Services has opened a location in Seattle and expanded its service area in the state of Georgia to include five additional counties. The Melville, N.Y.-based company is a leading provider of home health and specialty...

Invacare phases out lift-chair business.(Supplier news)
July 1, 2002... Invacare Corp., an Elyria, Ohio-based distributor of home medical products, will phase out its line of lift chaffs over the coming months. The company has entered into an agreement with Golden Technologies to assume sales, servicing, and parts...

Classic Residence opens Salt Lake City office.(Expansions)
July 1, 2002... Classic Residence by Hyatt, the senior living affiliate of Hyatt Corp., has opened an office in Salt Lake City, Utah, to focus on business development in the western region of the U.S. Heading the new office is Vice President of Development...

Shadows Bend to acquire Sonshine Village.(Acquisitions)(Brief article)
July 1, 2002... Shadows Bend Development Inc. has signed a letter of intent to purchase Sonshine Village, a 47-bed Alzheimer residential care facility in Rock Hill, S.C. The facility specializes in caring for residents who manifest aggressive and combative...

Compass Group and Cara form agreement.(Acquisitions)
July 1, 2002... The Canadian business of Compass Group North America, a contract provider of foodservice and hospitality, has agreed to acquire the health services business of Cara Operations Ltd., allowing Compass Group to leverage growth in the health care...

Precyse Solutions.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Sue Wilson has been appointed director of operations for the Coding Services division of Precyse Solutions, headquartered in King of Prussia, Pa.

American Medical Directors Association.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... The American Medical Directors Association has announced the election of new officers: Daniel Swagerty, MD, CMD, as vice president; Margaret A. Noel, MD, CMD, as secretary; Michael J. Bither, MD, CMD, as state presidents council representative;...

Golden Slipper Uptown Home.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Irene L. Rifkin, RN, has been appointed director of nursing of the Golden Slipper Uptown Home in Northeast Philadelphia, Pa. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Mark Beliczky.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Mark Beliczky has joined McLean, Va.-based Sunrise Assisted Living as senior vice president of operations, Management Services.

Lori Bain.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Lori Bain has joined St. Barnabas Health System, headquartered in Gibsonia, Pa., as assistant director of personnel.

Merrill Gardens.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Steve Delmore has been promoted to vice president of operations for Merrill Gardens and Doug Spear has been promoted to senior vice president and chief financial officer for Merrill Gardens and RD Merrill Company, a Seattle-based owner and...

Assisted Living Concepts.(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Matthew G. Patrick has been elected chief financial officer, senior vice president, and treasurer of Assisted Living Concepts, headquartered in Portland, Ore.

Community Eldercare Services (CES).(CORPORATE LADDER)
July 1, 2002... Greg Barber has been named human resources director at Community Eldercare Services (CES), Tupelo, Miss.

A mouthful of care: a primer on making your residents' smiles brighter.(CAREGIVING)
July 1, 2002... ORAL HEALTH CARE GOES FAR BEYOND THE COSMETIC, according to Linda Niessen, DMD, MPH, MPP, vice-president for clinical education at Dentsply International and part-time dental staff member at the North Texas VA Health System in Dallas. It can...

More than memory: the ancient art of storytelling can liberate the voices and imaginations of those with Alzheimer's disease.(Cover story)
July 1, 2002... Holding On, a Parisian can-can dancer, has the long, lovely legs of an ostrich. Two Texas nuns ride the range in search of adventure in a Volkswagen Beetle. And Ethel, a free-spirited pilot, soars to Seattle with Dizzy Gillespie playing...

Beyond Olmstead: what the New Freedom Initiative means for long term care.(HOME CARE)
July 1, 2002... MORE THAN A YEAR HAS PASSED SINCE PRESIDENT GEORGE W. Bush launched his New Freedom Initiative Feb. 1, 2001. A continuation of his father's legacy in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the initiative rededicated the...

The home-team advantage: an interdisciplinary approach can boost quality assurance.(STAFFING)
July 1, 2002... WE'VE ALL HEARD THE ONE-LINERS ABOUT COMMITTEES: "The best way to kill a good idea is to get a committee to work on it.... A committee takes several hours to do a job that one person can do as efficiently in one hour." As managers we've...

Words for the wary.
July 1, 2002... "Nursing home abuse." These three words arouse panic and suspicion in residents (or potential residents) and their family members, while long term care providers fear that despite their best efforts at prevention, abuse could happen in their...

Abuse push prevention 101: strategies for hiring, training, and supervision.(SAFETY)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The July 2001 congressional report, Abuse of Residents Is a Major Problem in US. Nursing Homes, prepared for Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D.-Calif.), offers long term care providers both an opportunity and a challenge. The...

Before comes to shove: managing resident aggression requires a proactive approach.(SAFETY)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You have trained your staff in abuse prevention, an the educational sessions included all staff--not just the direct-care personnel. They know about the facility's policy, what constitutes abuse, the zero tolerance...

When the unthinkable happens.(Spotlight on)(Interview)
July 1, 2002... Tell us about the morning of Sept. 11. When did you first become aware that a plane had hit the World Trade Center? Wall: I was sitting in my office preparing for our weekly management-team meeting, which we hold on Tuesday mornings at 9...

Half empty or half full? Don't wait to get ahead of the recovery curve.(ASSISTED LIVING)
July 1, 2002... INDUSTRY NEWSLETTERS, TRADE ASSOCIATION SEMINARS, AND THE national press continue to focus on assisted living with a the-glass-is-haft-empty psychology. Many offer sobering central themes that say, "The assisted living industry is in the...

Time's almost up! HIPAA's first deadline is just months away. Are you ready?(TECHNOLOGY)
July 1, 2002... THE HEALTH INFORMATION PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY Act (HIPAA) looms as the next big challenge for the long term care industry and many facilities are running scared. If you've done any research into the subject, you're probably aware that...

Market analysis software.(Technology)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] iXPRESS Healthcare from Claritas can be used to analyze your customers, sites, and markets, access demographics, and more. Call 858-570-5734. Circle No. 150

Easy-to-use Internet.(Technology)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ElderVision's Touchtown Internet software gets residents online regardless of disabilities and offers senior living providers a competitive edge. Call 412-826-0460. Circle No. 151

HIPAA-friendly software.(Technology)
July 1, 2002... Health Care Software's INTERACTANT is an integrated information system for LTC providers and includes census, MDS, billing, care planning, and financial management tools, Call 800-524-1038. Circle No. 152

Computer software.(Technology)
July 1, 2002... The Direct Supply Network lets users research products, review orders/invoices, and check ship dates, Call 800-634-7328. Circle No. 153

Card protects privacy.(Technology)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Digital Card and Reader/ Writer system from Maxell Corporation of America can store temporary and permanent information and is adaptable for operation with most computer setups. Call 201-794-5938. Circle No. 154

Inventory control program.(Technology)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PurchasePoint.MDI, an inventory control program from MDI Technologies and Millpoint Solutions, provides the ability to track supplies and ancillary services using a hand-held bar-code scanner. Call 800-552-9846....

Emergency pullcord/pushbutton stations.(Technology)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jeron's Nurse Call Systems offer a variety of call stations, substations, and peripheral components including shower/bath stations for emergency/ nurse calls. Call 800-770-9278. Circle No. 156

Information software.(Technology)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jeron Electronic Systems' Nurse Call Executive Information System software allows users to generate reports on all Jeron nurse call activity. Call 773-275-0283. Circle No. 157

Multi-unit network platform.(Technology)
July 1, 2002... LaConner Technologies' LCT package includes IT infrastructure, staff and resident training, user support, disease and wellness management, and more. Call 360-466-4600. Circle No. 158

Contoured-handle walker.(Editor's picks)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Graham-Field's 616070A Lumex Walker has many safety and stability features. Call 800-347-5678. Circle No. 159

Multi-use degreaser.(Editor's picks)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3M Industrial Degreaser Concentrate can be used to clean a variety of surfaces Call 800-404-8930, Circle No. 160

Response systems.(Editor's picks)
July 1, 2002... March Networks' Emergency Response System is part of its senior living solution that includes integrated communications, and security solutions. Call 800-563-5564. Circle No. 161

Bathing chair.(Editor's picks)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Apollo's low riding, reclined chair is ergonomically contoured for resident comfort and caregiver ease. The design provides a deeper level of immersion in the bathing system and 60 percent increase in perineal...

Powerchair controls.(Editor's picks)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Penny & Giles Pilot+ controllers, offered on all Permobil powerchairs feature variable front wheel drive control, steer correction, three-stage speed reduction, and more. Call 800-736-0925. Circle No. 163

Adjustable kneepads.(Editor's picks)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Altimate Medical Inc.'s Flip-Up Independent Kneepads allow for easier and safer transfer into an EasyStand 5000 standing system. Call 800-342-8968. Circle No. 164

Icemaker.(Editor's picks)
July 1, 2002... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Follett Corporation's Maestro icemaker features a stainless steel evaporator and can make 400 pounds of chewable, slow melting, ice in a 24-hour period. Call 800-523-9361. Circle No. 165

Marketplace directory.(Directory)
July 1, 2002... ANCILLARY SERVICES NCS HEALTHCARE 800-252-7439, Website: www.ncshealth.com ARCHITECTS/ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 16420 Park Ten Place, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77084-5052. 800.664.9337, fax 281.829.0719, www.designcare.com ...