Contemporary Long Term Care articles from November 1999

Contemporary Long Term Care archives from November 1999

The waning workforce.
November 1, 1999... FINDING GOOD FRONTLINE WORKERS just keeps getting harder--and it's not just long term care providers who struggle to attract $7- or $8-an-hour workers. A mid-September story in The New York Times said stores in the city were already looking for...

Correction.(to Senior Living Design, an August 1999 supplement to Contemporary Long Term Care)(Correction Notice)
November 1, 1999... In Senior Living Design, an August 1999 supplement to Contemporary Long Term Care, a photograph of Signature Pointe (Dallas), a continuing care retirement community designed by Dallas's ThreeArchitecture, is mistakenly identified as Edgemere,...

Coming around.
November 1, 1999... President Clinton and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bill Roth (R-Del.) agreed October 5 to ease Medicare curs affecting hospitals and nursing homes. Both legislation and regulatory changes could be used to help adjust the cuts, they agreed....

Shoo flu.
November 1, 1999... An oral drug may help treat and prevent influenza, according to a study in the October 6, 1999, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The drug, oseltamivir, was expected to be approved by the FDA by the end of October.

State of the states.
November 1, 1999... A report released by the Alzheimer's Association suggests that states are moving ahead quickly on measures to improve long term care. "States aren't waiting for Congress to act," says association spokesman Stephen McConnell. More funding for...

Deadline pressure: Lawmakers zero in on Medicare bills.
November 1, 1999... Lawmakers zero in on Medicare bills UNDER INTENSE PRESSURE FROM BENeficiaries and provider representatives, lawmakers at press time in early October appeared to be getting closer to agreement on a Medicare package that would provide...

Changing minds: Dementia alters advance directive equation.
November 1, 1999... Dementia alters advance directive equation A NEW UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA STUDY of 84 cognitively intact seniors makes a case to include dementia in advance directives planning. Most of the respondents said during in-person interviews...

Candid cameras: Groups question coalition's report, tactics.(The Coalition to Protect America's Elders recommends surveillance cameras in nursing homes)
November 1, 1999... Groups question coalition's report, tactics WHERB A CALL TO PLACE SURVEILLANCE cameras in the rooms of nursing home residents will lead is uncertain, but the advocacy group behind the plan created quite a buzz with its September press...

Breathing easier.
November 1, 1999... SNF patients with lung disorders fare better when care is provided by respiratory therapists, to others who are not RTs. A recent study, based on HCFA data points to these and other benefits: Death rate during initial SNF stay 47% lower ...

A military man: Air Force surgeon general takes helm at AHCA.(American Health Care Association)
November 1, 1999... Air Force surgeon general takes belm at AHCA THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION'S six-month search for a new president ended in mid-September. Charles H. Roadman II, MD, who has served as Surgeon General of the United States Air Force...

The Nursing Assistant's Survival Guide.
November 1, 1999... The Nursing Assistant's Survival Guide by Karl Pillemer, PhD (Frontline Publishing Corporation). This handbook helps prepare nursing assistants for the emotional and interpersonal aspects of their work. Chapters focus on stress management,...

Infection Control: Chain Reaction.
November 1, 1999... Infection Control: Chain Reaction (Coastal Health Train) This 19-minute video teaches caregivers how to protect themselves and their patients from infection. How infection is spread, immunization procedures, precautions, and placement...

The Complete Guide to Medicare Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities.
November 1, 1999... The Complete Guide to Medicare Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities (The American Health Care Association). This prospective payment system manual is a one-stop guide to the new rules and regulations in Medicare billing. Topics include...

Nursing Research Digest.
November 1, 1999... Nursing Research Digest edited by Joyce J. Fitzpatrick (Springer Publishing Company). This book provides an overview of key concepts, terms, and methods important to understanding and conducting nursing research. Topics include types of...

High time: Appeals court supports medical use of marijuana.
November 1, 1999... Appeals court supports medical use of marijuana PROPONENTS OF USING MARIJUANA FOR the treatment of pain won another battle September 13. That's when the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth District decided that patients and cannabis...

Going home again: Chances are slim for return-to-home legislation.
November 1, 1999... Chances are slim for return-to-home legislation WITH CONGRESS BUSY PASSING APPROpriations bills, "maybe next year" may become the refrain from those interested in passing legislation to protect long term care residents in Medicare managed...

A wider net: Bill would extend fraud control to assisted living.
November 1, 1999... Bill would extend fraud control to assisted living A BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW MEDICAID FRAUD control units to investigate complaints in non-Medicaid-funded assisted living and residential care facilities is pending in the Senate Finance...

A call for change in California.
November 1, 1999... A bill that would bring major changes to California's nursing homes passed the state legislature in September. At press time in early October, the measure still needed the signature of Governor Gray Davis to become law. The bill, AB 1160,...

The battle on B Wing: When staff members fight, everyone loses.
November 1, 1999... When staff members fight, everyone loses CYNTHIA ELPEAN, FIRST CHARGE NURSE, SECOND FLOOR, STANDS staunchly at her post at the B-wing work station, glaring daggers down the hall. In her sights is Gloria Praiseworthy, who is moving away down...

Providers praise new survey process.
November 1, 1999... WHEN SURVEYORS ARRIVED AT LIEBERMAN GERIATRIC Health Centre on July 20, "the whole building cheered," says Director of Nursing Shirley A. Aizenstein, MSN. The staff of the 240-bed Skokie, Illinois, skilled nursing facility had awaited the...

Rulings provide clarity to 'new provider' exemption.
November 1, 1999... EVERY MEDICARE-CERTIFIED SKILLED NURSING FACILITY should be looking for opportunities to cover its direct care costs. One such opportunity may be the "new provider" exemption under 42 C.F.R. Sec. 413.30(e). Prior to implementation of the...

Positive thinking: A not-for-profit charts a way out of a financial morass.
November 1, 1999... A not-for-profit charts a way out of a financial morass THE PRESIDENT OPENED THE GARDENS AT WESTRIDGE'S MONTHLY board meeting by saying, "As you recall, last month Bob summarized 10 critical items about our community which, frankly, shocked...

More room for change: To get the best of PPS, fine-tune your finances.(prospective payment system)
November 1, 1999... To get the best of PPS, fine-tune your finances WASHINGTON MAY BE WAKING UP TO THE FACT THAT THE Medicare cuts called for in the Balanced Budget Act were too steep, but skilled nursing providers are still faced with the greatest financial...

STRATEGIES AND TRENDS.
November 1, 1999... FROM QUALITY OF CARE TO STOCK PRICES, THERE'S NO SHORTAGE of matters on the minds of long term care managers. In the last year alone, skilled nursing providers have had to face new survey protocols and uncertainty about how Washington would...

Wheels of fortune: Long term care facilities help fill senior transportation gap.
November 1, 1999... Long term care facilities help fill senior transportation gap Anyone who has been stuck for a ride knows the frustration of not being able to get where you need to go. Many older and disabled people feel that way much of the time. ...

Knock, knock: Responding to subpoenas and search warrants.
November 1, 1999... Responding to subpoenas and search warrants EVERY FACILITY SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN GUIDANCE AND training programs for employees in case they are served with legal process. Responding Correctly to a subpoena or search warrant served in...

Pointing finger at PPS, Vencor files for bankruptcy protection.(prospective payment system)
November 1, 1999... Swamped by debt and declining reimbursement, Vencor filed a petition for protection under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy laws. In announcing the September 11 filing, the Louisville, Kentucky-based nursing home chain--the first large long...

CORPORATE LADDER.
November 1, 1999... Cleveland, Tennessee-based Life Care Centers of America, a management company, has named Sally Wolf vice president of treasury, Stan Burton vice president of facility financial services, Rich Faulkner vice president of strategic growth, Jim...

Leaders and Laggards.
November 1, 1999... How industry stocks fared from 9/1/99 through 9/30/99 September was the worst month of 1999 for long term care investors. The Raymond James LTC Index declined 8.3%, while Russell 2000 dropped only 1% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 2%. ...

Sunrise buys Constellation's senior living assets.(Sunrise Assisted Living Inc.; Constellation Health Services Inc.)
November 1, 1999... Sunrise Assisted Living Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire most of the senior living assets of Constellation Health Services Inc. a Columbia, Maryland-based assisted and independent living provider. Fairfax, Virginia-based...

Mariner Post-Acute Network names new CEO.(Francis W. Cash)
November 1, 1999... Atlanta-based Mariner Post-Acute Network Inc. has named Francis W. "Butch" Cash chairman of the board, president, and CEO. Since 1995, Cash has served as chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer of Red Roof Inns, an...

ALC resumes trading but Regent is delisted.(Assisted Living Concepts Inc.; Regent Assisted Living Inc.)
November 1, 1999... Assisted Living Concepts Inc. has filed to restate its results for 1996, 1997, and the first three quarters of 1998, and expects its stock to resume trading on October 4. The Portland, Oregon-based company's stock was halted on April 15...

Beverly spars with Dept. of Labor, sues Shalala.(Beverly Enterprises Inc. sues Donna Shalala)
November 1, 1999... Beverly Enterprises Inc. has been ordered by a federal administrative law judge to open its corporate headquarters for review by the U.S. Labor Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance. If the company refuses, it could be barred from...

IHS faces probe by U.S. Justice Department.(Integrated Health Services)
November 1, 1999... The U.S. Justice Department is investigating a Florida subsidiary of Integrated Health Services. The Owings Mills, Maryland-based company, which operates more than 1,600 medical and rehabilitation centers, told the Orlando Business Journal...

American Retirement gets $75M in financing.(from Guaranty Federal and Bank One)
November 1, 1999... American Retirement Corporation has arranged $75 million to fund its growth plans. Dallas-based Guaranty Federal committed a $50 million credit facility to the Nashville-based senior living and health-care services provider. And Chicago-based...

Achieve, PharMerica partner on software.(Achieve Healthcare Information Systems acquires PharMerica's Life Cycles software group)
November 1, 1999... Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based Achieve Healthcare Information Systems, a provider of information solutions to the long term care industry, has acquired Tampa, Florida-based PharMerica's Life Cycles software group. In addition, Achieve and...

Congress's watchful eye.(nursing home quality-of-care evaluation)
November 1, 1999... How widespread are the quality-of-care problems in nursing homes today, in your opinion? Do you think HCFA's survey data reflect reality? Grassley: I rely on the General Accounting Office for reliable, objective assessments of the quality...