Contemporary Long Term Care articles from June 2005

Contemporary Long Term Care archives from June 2005

Seeds for the future starting to bloom.(PERSPECTIVE)
June 1, 2005... Recent studies have shown that regular exercise is a way to ward off dementia. It's certainly not necessary for your residents to look like Jack LaLane or to run marathons. The efforts could be as simple as gardening or board games--activities...

Five things to do right now to improve internal training: five things to do right now!(JUMP START)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... It's one thing to have vendors training staff on the latest technology or on how to use the next best thing since foam gel. When staff are getting internal training from colleagues or superiors, maintaining a learning environment isn't always...

Letters to the editor.(JUMP START)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... Gentlemen, I want to comment on Jim Moore's article in the April/May issue. To begin with, aging in place is not a phenomenon. Those of us involved in the field have dealt with this normal process for 30 or 40 years. We know people...

Looking and lacking.(JUMP START)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... LOOKING AND LACKING States expected to have the worst nursing shortages by 2020, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration: Rank State Shortage from need 1. ...

Designing a pest-free facility.(QUICK TIPS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... While pests are not welcome anywhere, they're especially not wanted in long term care facilities because they pose a potentially serious health hazard for residents who may not be healthy enough to fight off diseases the creatures can carry. A...

What mystery shoppers look for.(JUMP START)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Using a mystery shopper can be an effective way to gauge customer service and sales effectiveness at your facility. But there are other benefits, according to Barbara Gerber, president of Devon Hill Associates, a marketing and mystery shopping...

Exclusive CLTC research: LTC not strong in relocation decision.(Contemporary Long Term Care)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2005... Grandma has hit that magic age--over 65--when the house is too big and lonely. It's time to move to something smaller. Saving money might not be a bad idea, either. So she starts looking into retirement communities in lower-priced regions, such...

'Light' meals improve nutrition by the footcandle.(DESIGN)
June 1, 2005... You've likely heard the saying: "We ate with our eyes." In the long term care dining room, that adage is especially true. Aside from the subjective issue of visual appeal, objectively speaking, aging eyes simply can't see as well as their...

Ventas to acquire Provident $1.2B deal for 68 AL & IL Properties.(MARKET WATCH)
June 1, 2005... A deal is in the works to have Ventas Inc., one of the nation's largest senior housing owners, acquire Provident Senior Living Trust for $1.2 billion, both companies announced. Under the deal, still subject to final approval by Provident...

Scully shares industry insights changes on the horizon.(MARKET WATCH)
June 1, 2005... While the Medicare reform debate is ringing loud in the industry, at least one former Bush administration official doesn't expect it to be resolved in the near future. Participants of the Executive Circle of the National Investment Center...

All is well(ness); it's more than fitness centers.(CAREGIVING)
June 1, 2005... Imagine receiving this resident letter: "Within eight months of moving (here), my husband of 57 years died. I was devastated. A friend got me to come to the 8:15 a.m. water exercise class... I've never stopped for 4 1/2 years since. It...

Study: stay active, stay healthy keeping residents independent longer.(CAREGIVING)
June 1, 2005... Persons who remain physically and mentally active after "retirement" are likely to spend more time in an independent living or assisted living-based facility and less in a nursing home, according to results of an ongoing study. The study,...

Medicaid reimbursement rate gap grows again.(INDUSTRY FOCUS)
June 1, 2005... Medicaid reimbursement rates continue to lag behind costs, with some states posting shortfalls nearly 20 percent of what they need to make ends meet, according to a new survey by BDO Seidman. The 2005 report, which used the most recent data...

Visa rules on the border: facilities awaiting impact of immigration law.(INDUSTRY FOCUS)
June 1, 2005... Health care facilities along the Canadian and Mexican borders could lose up to 5,000 skilled nurses in one day as the final provisions of a nine-year-old immigration law take effect in July. The nurses, some of whom work in facilities in...