Contemporary Long Term Care articles from June 1999

Contemporary Long Term Care archives from June 1999

A blip on the screen.
June 1, 1999... THE RESEARCHERS, FOUNDATION and think tank employees, and policymakers at the Financing Long-Term Care conference at the end of April were cautiously optimistic that some of the proposals they've mulled over for years will appear on the...

Mandatory minimums.
June 1, 1999... Many states weigh measures to impose facility staffing levels MANDATING MINIMUM STAFFING LEVELS for long term care facilities is a hot topic in state legislatures across the country: At least 17 states are considering or have already...

Care manager to the rescue.
June 1, 1999... The key to successful 'gatekeeper' relationships THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CARE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM HAS become essential as postacute providers grapple with the increased financial risk brought on by PPS and managed care. Care management has...

Minimizing the risk of suits for improper care.
June 1, 1999... THE GROWING NUMBER OF NEGLIGENCE LAWSUITS AGAINST nursing homes, combined with an increase in the size of awards, are making facilities pay special attention to risk management. Not only can such suits have an economic impact on your...

Arjo and Beverly team on back injury prevention.
June 1, 1999... Roselle, Illinois-based Arjo Inc., a manufacturer of hygiene, lift, transport, and therapy systems, is partnering with Fort Smith, Arkansas-based Beverly Healthcare to promote a "no manual lifting environment" to reduce staff and resident...

Pennsylvania not-for-profit providers form network.
June 1, 1999... Eleven long term care organizations in southwestern Pennsylvania have formed the Faith-Based Long Term Care Network Inc. Designed to support their faith-based traditions and missions, the network was formed in response to pressures imposed by...

Internext Group merger completed.
June 1, 1999... The merger of California Lutheran Homes and Community Services, FACT Retirement Services, and Pacific Homes Corporation to form The Internext Group has been completed. The consolidation makes The Internext Group the largest not-for-profit...

Bed.
June 1, 1999... The Lumendorm light bed features four bedposts with fluorescent light tubes inside to increase energy and alertness.

Mariner Post-Acute Network trims its sails.
June 1, 1999... Atlanta-based Mariner Post-Acute Network is spinning off the assets of its American Rehability Services division to HealthSouth Corporation and National Rehab Partners Inc. American Rehability operates more than 200 outpatient clinics and...

Hand wipes.
June 1, 1999... These disposable towelettes are presaturated with an antimicrobial surgical scrub.

Med system.
June 1, 1999... Onmicell's system provides one location for supplies and meds and keeps drugs secure.

Chair.
June 1, 1999... Adden's arm chair comes with an upholstered back. It can also be made as a side chair.

Med cases.
June 1, 1999... Pyxis' Cubies allow access to only one med at a time for safety and are refilled quickly.

Expanding the market.
June 1, 1999... Spend-down for assisted living seems to be a growing trend IN THE NOT-SO-DISTANT FUTURE, THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO WILL be played out hundreds of times weekly across the U.S. In fact, it's already started to happen: "Bob, this is Sue. Sorry...

Med center.
June 1, 1999... This stationary center features keyless access and automatic relocking. It has narcotic drawers and supply shelves.

Medication cups.
June 1, 1999... These prepoured cups from Medicine-On-Time include the resident's name and dosage time.

Cabinet.
June 1, 1999... Lionville's cabinet includes a fold-down desk for use as a work area. Interior and exterior doors can be locked.

Pads and grips.
June 1, 1999... These arm pads and hand grips from Southwest Technologies maintain a consistent shape and thickness while in use. The pads will not disintegrate or dry out.

Take it from the top.
June 1, 1999... Supreme Court to hear survey dispute THE U.S. SUPREME COURT HAS AGREED TO HEAR a case this fall that could allow nursing homes to challenge the survey and enforcement system in federal court. The high court will decide whether providers...

Cart.
June 1, 1999... Waterloo's medication cart holds 450 cards and can service up to 60 residents. Its drawers will contain spills.

Therapy system.
June 1, 1999... Theraffin is a paraffin mixed with oils and scents to reduce arthritis and muscle pain.

Toilet stand.
June 1, 1999... The Toilevator eliminates safety concerns by raising the entire toilet off the ground.

The oldest of the old.
June 1, 1999... We seem to be hearing a lot more about old old age these days. Why is that? Silver: What we've found is a pretty optimistic picture of why people would want to live to be 100. The body of research that helps us understand health in...

Data collector.
June 1, 1999... Resource Systems' Palm Pilot holds inventory data, ADL notes, electronic orders, and more.

Business as usual.
June 1, 1999... ALFA report sizes up assisted living MORE COMPETTION HASN'T TRANSLATED to significantly lower occupancy rates for assisted living. A new report from the Assisted Living Federation of America indicates that the industry's building boom...

Wake-up call.
June 1, 1999... GAO calls for assisted living self scrutiny NO NEW FEDERAL OVERSIGHT IS ANTICIpated, but the assisted living industry was put on notice at a Senate aging committee hearing that its performance will be under tighter scrutiny following a...

Do it yourself.
June 1, 1999... Consumers can now buy Alzheimer's test A NEW AT-HOME SCREENING TEST FOR Alzheimer's promises a simple tool that can be administered and scored by almost anyone, but its reliability is still in question. The In-Home Alzheimer's...

Better representation.
June 1, 1999... The GAO has appointed the first home health care representative to the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee Carol Raphael, president and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, will serve three years.

Big losses.
June 1, 1999... Medicare paid out $2.6 billion less to SNFs in the first six months of this fiscal year compared with the same period last year, reported the Congressional Budget Office early in May. Trade groups attributed the loss to the severity of...

Matters of the heart.
June 1, 1999... Life-saving drugs for cardiac disease are still underused THE USE OF A FOUR-DRUG REGIMEN COULD IMPROVE AND possibly save the lives of tens of thousands of patients who suffer from a form of congestive heart failure, recent research...

Acquisition anxiety.
June 1, 1999... The 1998 market was strong, but turbulence lies ahead WHEN HISTORY RECORDS THE EVENTS OF LAST YEAR, 1998 will be viewed as the beginning of a period of transition for the health care market, particularly the long term care sector. Changes...

Two steps closer.
June 1, 1999... Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act inched closer to reality in late April. U.S. Representative Matthew G. Martinez (D-Calif.) introduced on April 29 the Clinton Administration's Older Americans Act reauthorization bill (HR 1637),...

OIG probe thwarts Centennial bid to go private.
June 1, 1999... The good news was that Centennial Healthcare Corporation's operating results for the fourth quarter of 1998 and its preliminary results for the first quarter of 1999 were in line with the company's expectations. The bad news was that...

Fighting back in Texas.
June 1, 1999... Lawmakers in Texas are weighing a bill that could strip nursing home owners and operators of their licenses for up to 10 years. The new law would apply when a facility is taken over by a state-appointed trustee and state emergency assistance...

Oklahoma eyes staffing.
June 1, 1999... Proponents of a new law in Oklahoma say that better training is the key to reducing staff turnover among nursing assistants. Currently, frontline caregivers in Oklahoma receive certification after 75 hours of on-the-job training, which is...

WHILE ADMINISTRATORS GARNERED.
June 1, 1999... WHILE ADMINISTRATORS GARNERED useful tips in the educational sessions, it was the motivational speakers who provided attendees, battered by the unrelenting attacks of politicians, media, and suit-happy lawyers, with what they needed most:...

Montessori-Based Activities for Persons with Dementia (Myers Research Institute).
June 1, 1999... Based on his research showing that Montessori tasks reduced wandering and agitation, a cognitive psychologist developed this manual to help caregivers improve the quality of life for people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. To order,...

ALFA.
June 1, 1999... SOME ALFA ATTENDEES ATE UP THE opening keynote by playful Chicken Soup series author Mark Victor Hansen--a session punctuated by such interactive antics as calls to audience members to put their index finger to their temple and say...

Leadership in Assisted Living (ALFA University).
June 1, 1999... This nine-part curriculum for assisted living administrators and executive directors includes a three-volume management library as well as materials on risk management, recruiting and supervising staff, and marketing. To order, call...

LTC CPGs in Action (American Medical Directors Association).
June 1, 1999... AMDA's quarterly newsletter is published to help facilities and practitioners implement clinical practice guidelines. It includes updates on AMDA guidelines, and examples and tips on effective use of the guidelines. To subscribe, call...

Journal of Continuing Care (Institute for Continuing Care).
June 1, 1999... This online journal runs features on issues such as Alzheimer's disease and intergenerational programming. It also has research reports covering topics such as restraint use and adjustment to life in a nursing home. Read it for free at [less...

Build it and they will come?
June 1, 1999... Making sure your Web site is on the Internet's radar POSTING YOUR WEB SITE TO THE INTERNET IS LIKE DROPPING IT into a black hole: No one will be able to find it unless you include it on a map. The road maps of the Internet are the search...

Vencor, HCFA work out deal on overpayments.
June 1, 1999... Vencor Inc. has reached an agreement with HCFA to extend the repayment of about $90 million of Medicare reimbursement overpayments. The full overpayment amount was originally due by April 23, 1999. The Louisville, Kentucky-based provider...

Seen and heard.
June 1, 1999... DeParle meets with new frontline caregivers group DON'T FORGET THE NURSING ASSISTANTS. THAT'S the refrain that a new group for health care paraprofessionals hope will stick with HCFA administrator Nancy-Ann DeParle. Representatives of the...

Leaders and Laggards.
June 1, 1999... How industry stocks fared from 4/1/99 through 4/30/99 April was a schizoid month for the sector with investor sentiment swinging from rumor-driven dismay to speculative optimism. The Raymond James LTC Index advanced a mere 0.3% while the...

Abraham Gosman takes on role of CEO at CareMatrix.
June 1, 1999... CareMatrix Corporation's' stock has been languishing and Abraham Gosman has decided to grab hold of the reins. Gosman, who is chairman of the Needham, Massachusetts-based assisted living company, will take on the role of chief executive...

Stop cap measures.
June 1, 1999... Congress weighs proposals to amend therapy limits WHILE LONG TERM CARE PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN eager to see the annual cap on Medicare outpatient rehab services repealed, a dose of political reality has left them willing to accept a...

Sun's lenders waive enforcement of covenants.
June 1, 1999... Sun Healthcare Group Inc.'s results for the year ended December 31, 1998, were worse than Wall Street had anticipated. But investors were buoyed by an agreement the beleaguered Albuquerque, New Mexico, provider had reached with its lenders....

Asking for it.
June 1, 1999... HCFA holds Town Hall meeting on nursing home concerns MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE DESCENDED ON HCFA's Baltimore headquarters for a skilled nursing facility Town Hall meeting on the prospective payment system and quality of care issues. The...

People who make a difference.
June 1, 1999... In last year's 20th anniversary issue, Contemporary started an annual tradition of honoring people whose innovative business practices, research, advocacy, and other efforts have shaped long term care. This year's four honorees have created...

Volunteer, or else.
June 1, 1999... Court says OSHA's voluntary program pushed limits A U.S. COURT OF APPEALS IN APRIL RULED that an OSHA voluntary safety compliance program amounted to new government regulations and was struck down. OSHA acted improperly when it began...

Security blanket.
June 1, 1999... Long term care insurance is catching on--and could shape the future of long term care EN ROUTE TO A SPRING TRADE SHOW TO TALK ON the topic of long term care insurance as a payor for assisted living, Alterra's vice president of health...

National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA).
June 1, 1999... THE SPRAWLING CONVENTION CENter was bisected by hotel rooms, pools, and parking lots, making some of the meeting rooms hard to find. But attendees adapted well to the casual California atmosphere, maintaining a sense of humor. "Someone just...

Veterans Affairs to issue RFP for SNF contracts.
June 1, 1999... The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun the process of selecting regional and multistate nursing home contracts for its Community Nursing Home Program. The VA initiated the program in 1996 in order to develop larger contracts and...

Brookdale to sell $100M in notes to Capital Z.
June 1, 1999... Chicago-based Brookdale Living Communities Inc., a provider of upscale senior and assisted living services with 19 facilities in 11 states totaling 4,168 units, has executed a definitive agreement for a strategic investment in the company of...

Correction.
June 1, 1999... In the CLTC nursing home chain survey (April 1999), the payor mix for Vetter Health Services should have read 59 percent private pay and 6 percent Medicare.