Contemporary Long Term Care articles from November 2006

Contemporary Long Term Care archives from November 2006

Survey scares.(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... A friend and I were chatting about her nursing home the other week, and she told me one of those cringe-inducing survey stories. Surveyors were in the building, trailing one certified nursing assistant (CNA)--the kind of CNA you hire...

Physicians struggle to obtain meds under Part D.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Physicians caring for nursing home residents still have difficulty obtaining appropriate medications under Medicare Part D because of necessary drug authorization requirements. This is according to a survey conducted by the American Medical...

Charge nurses get the union blues.(National Labor Relations Board)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... In an October 3, 2006, ruling by the National Labor Relations Board, registered nurses with supervisory duties--including those in skilled nursing facilities (SNF)--were determined to be exempt from union membership, reported The New York...

Bill promotes long-term care quality improvements.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... A new bill in the Senate, S. 3815, was introduced in October to advance residents' quality of care in long-term care facilities. Lawmakers created The Long Term Care Quality and Modernization Act of 2006 to promote investments in capital...

CMS sets Medicare Part A rates for 2007.(INDUSTRY UPDATE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Nursing homes will want to be aware that CMS has set the Medicare Part A deductible and premiums for 2007. The Part A deductible will increase to $992, an increase of $40 from the $952 rate in 2006, according to a CMS press release. Residents...

Survey: rehab for stroke survivors lacking.(INDUSTRY UPDATE)
November 1, 2006... A survey of more than 500 stroke survivors and caregivers nationwide suggests that the majority of stroke survivors do not receive rehabilitation sufficient for improving their overall quality of life. According to the National Stroke...

AHCA honors volunteers and heroes for 2006.(INDUSTRY UPDATE)(American Health Care Association, National Center for Assisted Living )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) announced their 2006 Volunteers of the Year award winners, as well as the AHCA DD Hero of the Year. All winners received their awards in October...

The calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2006... Conferences November 30-December 1, 2006 Center for Excellence in Assisted Living 2006 Quality Summit Arlington, VA www.theceal.org December 8-10, 2006 American Health Care Association Winter Marketplace 2006 ...

Never clean a commode pail again.
November 1, 2006... Mobility Transfer Systems solves the problem of cleaning commode palls with the Quick Clean[TM] Commode Liner. A self-contained disposable system, the liner fits any standard-sized commode pail and contains a gelling agent that neutralizes odor...

EPS delivers prescription needs.(WHAT'S NEW)
November 1, 2006... EPS[R], Inc., has expanded its line of pharmacy accessories with its Hispac III Electronic Prescription Counter. A simple gate adjustment on the counter allows only one tablet or capsule to pass by the machine's electric eye at a time. When the...

New durable bed control from Crest.(WHAT'S NEW)
November 1, 2006... Crest Healthcare Supply is proud to present the HD2 bed control, a durable and economical replacement for most types of healthcare beds. The attractive control pendant is ultra lightweight, has an ergonomic fit to the hand, and is backed by a...

Swede-O has your ankle and wrist support.(WHAT'S NEW)
November 1, 2006... Swede-O, Inc., has introduced two new products--Thermoskin Carpal Tunnel Glove and the Swede-O Step-Smart Ankle Brace. With an anatomically conforming fit, the glove helps to reduce wrist and hand pain and protects the wrist from movements that...

Wound care training on DVD.(WHAT'S NEW)(DM Systems)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... DM Systems now offers new treatment and application training videos on three wound care products--the Heelift Suspension Boot, the Heelift Traction Boot, and the Elbowlift Suspension Pad. The programs are available on either CD-ROM or DVD. The...

A scale for all sizes.(WHAT'S NEW)
November 1, 2006... The Scale-Tronix Model 5002 Stand-On Scale accommodates residents weighing up to 880 lbs (440 kgs). The low-profile platform is 1 1/2" high and has a heavy-duty, wrap-around hand-rail. The scale remains motionless while weighing and weighs...

Avoiding conflicts of interest.(LEGAL: INSIDE SCOOP)(Benjamin Cardozo)
November 1, 2006... New York Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo once found that "a trustee is held to something stricter than the morals of the marketplace." Almost 80 years later, the wake of corporate scandals such as Enron has fostered a "paradigm shift" in...

A time for change.(CLTC VIEWPOINT)(nursing homes)(Viewpoint essay)
November 1, 2006... The need for change in nursing homes has been a central topic of discussion since the 1980s, when Congress passed into law the Nursing Home Reform Act which built the regulatory environment governing long-term care facilities today. The...

CMS' bitter pill: facilities must swallow new F-Tag guidance on unnecessary drugs and pharmacy services.(Cover story)
November 1, 2006... Nursing homes will need more than a spoonful of sugar to make CMS' new F-Tags on medication management palatable. Drastic changes will require facilities to closely review residents' medication regimens--and keep impeccable documentation to...

A surveyor's perspective: commentary and guidance on the new guidelines from a former state surveyor.
November 1, 2006... Once again, the standard of care has been raised for nursing homes--this time in the area of medication management. In its revisions to the guidance of F-Tags #329 and #425, CMS provides organized educational information for the management...

The ABCs of EHR: electronic health records are coming--here's how to be ready.(THE ABCS OF EHR)
November 1, 2006... It seems like everywhere you turn, there is talk about electronic health records (EHR), from the President's State of the Union address, to legislation and government panels, to the pages of The Wall Street Journal. Is it just a lot of hype, or...

Bingo! A new day for activities: F-Tag revisions require a focus on resident-centered care.
November 1, 2006... In June, CMS revised F-Tags #248, activities, and #249, activities director, to require nursing homes to use a resident-centered focus for the assessment, development, execution, and periodic reassessment of the types of activities residents...

180 days to lower insurance: an easy process to reducing insurance costs, improving coverage, and decreasing stress.(LOWER INSURANCE)
November 1, 2006... Long-term care industry pros know that nursing facility insurance rates have skyrocketed in the past decade--and are taking a heavy toll on your bottom line. However, there are ways to help keep these costs under control without having to be an...

Cheap thrills: inexpensive methods to motivate and recognize staff.(CHEAP THRILLS)
November 1, 2006... Many nursing homes claim quality employee incentive and recognition programs as well as policies, procedures, and practices that have been well-received by employees. However, with tight budgets it's often difficult to focus on financial...

Rethinking quality: improving resident care requires the MDS.(minimum data set)
November 1, 2006... For almost a decade, the quality of nursing home care has been measured through the survey and certification process and public quality outcome measures in the form of Quality Indicators (QI), Quality Measures (QM), and currently QI/QMs. ...

Great Expectations! Educate family members about risks to reduce legal exposure.
November 1, 2006... In their zeal to sell the benefits of their facility, some long-term care organizations may be unwittingly setting themselves up for lawsuits. It is crucial for your staff to discuss the realities of care a resident will receive and the risks...

A home away from home: it's the dominant trend in long-term care design: making the facility more like home.
November 1, 2006... Some of the field's top design specialists agree that the move from an institutional model to more of a residential and hospitality model is what's on everybody's lips. But to what extent facilities are able to make this switch is dependent on...

But they still don't remember much ...(alzheimer's disease)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Marijuana use could stave off Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in the elderly by reducing inflammation in the brain, according to a research study presented to the Society for Neuroscience in Atlanta in mid-October. What prompted...

Flashback: Contemporary Long-Term Care magazine reaches into its archives for a look back ...(workers compensation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... 15 years ago (November 1991) Ron Rajecki reported on how to control workers' comp costs--a subject still on the tip of everyone's tongue 15 years later. While workers' comp claims in long-term care were then in "crisis mode," Rajecki...

Survey.(BREAKROOM)
November 1, 2006... HCPro, Inc., the parent company of Contemporary Long-Term Care, recently polled long-term care facilities on the question: "How do you currently go about granting privileges to physicians treating residents at your facility?" 51%...