Contemporary Long Term Care articles from September 2003

Contemporary Long Term Care archives from September 2003

A picture of health.(Perspectives)
September 1, 2003... Are you charging what you should for space in your nursing home? Are you charging too little or too much? That's what a recent MetLife survey attempts to show, and its findings are clear: nursing home costs are rising. At press time, the...

New technology may up care quality.(Community Spotlight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Researchers at The University of Missouri-Columbia Sinclair School of Nursing hope to use a new bedside technology system to cut down on paperwork and administrative roadblocks, and increase patient care quality. Created by OneTouch...

Powerful tools for caregivers.(In The Classroom)
September 1, 2003... Powerful Tools for Caregivers, an educational program that arms caregivers with the skills they need to improve their own self-care, is being offered in October by Mather Lifeways. The not-for-profit organization will host its...

Two preconferences discussing state-of-the art strategies in case management will be held in Chicago from Nov 2-5.(In The Classroom)
September 1, 2003... Two preconferences discussing state-of-the art strategies in case management will be held in Chicago from Nov. 2-5. One seminar will be geared for case managers and the other for case manager administrators. Both will be taught by a...

ASA, Pfizer recognize six for quality of life efforts.(Awards)(American Society on Aging, Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative )
September 1, 2003... For the fifth year, American Society on Aging and the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative are recognizing organizations that demonstrate programming that enhance functioning and health-related quality of life or prevent functional decline in...

Assisted living tabbed as fastest-growing long term care industry.(Front Page)
September 1, 2003... Assisted living facilities nationwide received a major public relations boost courtesy of the American Journal of Nursing, which reported in a recent issue that assisted living centers are the fastest-growing form of long term care for seniors....

NIC exec director Kramer named president.(Front Page)(National Investment Center)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Robert G. Kramer, former executive director of the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industries, has been appointed as the organization's president, NIC officials announced. As president, Kramer, a founding member...

AARP: No parolees in nursing homes.(Front Page)(American Association of Retired Persons)
September 1, 2003... In a case of "Not Welcome Here," the American Association of Retired Persons in Illinois is up in arms over the fact that recent parolees are sometimes placed in nursing homes, side by side with vulnerable elderly residents. Illinois...

Governors back Medicare plan for 'dual eligibles'.(Front Page)
September 1, 2003... Skyrocketing prescription drug costs have pushed the nation's 50 governors together to try to shift some of the burden back to the federal government. The federal government once paid most of the cost of prescription drugs for seniors...

View from the hill.(The Nation)(pending legislation on health care)
September 1, 2003... Editor's Note. The following bills pertaining to issues affecting the long term care industry were making their way through Congress as of Aug. 13, 2003. Bills listed in last month's issue that do not appear here have seen no new action taken....

Omnicare makes $90 million offer to buy pharmaceutical unit from Sun Healthcare.(Market Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Covington, Ky.-based Omnicare Inc., one of the nation's leading providers of pharmaceutical care for the elderly, announced it is buying the pharmaceutical services business from Irvine, Calif.-based long term care provider Sun Healthcare for...

Market leaders.(stock performance of long-term care facilities)(Illustration)
September 1, 2003... Market Leaders The top-performing stocks among the long term care industry's publicly traded companies during the past month: New York Stock Exchange Symbol Closing Closing Net Price ...

Ramsey-Schilling, Senior Realty merge.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Senior Realty Advisor Inc. and Ramsey-Shilling Associates, two Los Angeles-based senior housing and real estate brokerage firms, have merged. David W. Lacy, formerly of Marcus and Millichap Senior Housing Group, and more recently...

Pockets of wealth: although revenue is tight for long term care facilities, other sources exist--you just need to know where to look.(Hidden Riches)(Panel Discussion)
September 1, 2003... Caught between a rock and a hard place, nursing homes and assisted living communities are struggling with rising costs and diminishing revenues: government funding for health care has tightened in the wake of hard economic times, state budget...

Moving 'ahead': new report confirms there are many bright sides to senior housing.(Hidden Riches)
September 1, 2003... Long term care facilities and retirement centers in need of additional marketing firepower have a new weapon: an analysis of two recent studies indicates that seniors who live in age-qualified housing are happier than those who live in all-ages...

A distinctive outlook: industry financial benchmarks support 'asset quality' in assisted living.(Hidden Riches)
September 1, 2003... How did the senior living industry perform during the first part of 2003? Did the assisted living and skilled nursing sectors improve or were they negatively affected by the economic and international situations present at the time? And, are we...

One-stop shopping: cultivating a good relationship with your distributor pays big dividends.(Operations)
September 1, 2003... Good things can happen to the facility that has a friendly, exclusive relationship with its medical supplies distributor. You need supplies. Enter the distributor: You order, they ship, you pay. So the distributor with the best price on any...

'Home-grown' caregivers: an in-house CNA program can help you train and retain quality staff.(Human Resources)(certified nursing assistant)
September 1, 2003... Westminster Canterbury Richmond used to be like many long term care facilities: saddled with an employee retention problem. But then it followed an old adage: "If you want something done right, do it yourself." Ever since the Richmond,...

Changing psychographics: residents are demanding more as their perception of value changes.(Sales & Marketing)
September 1, 2003... Editor's Note: This is part one of a two-part series. I try to experience as many senior living communities as possible. So far I've had short stays in more than 55 of them. As I was having dinner one evening with a distinguished gentleman...

Get the money! Excuses you can expect when your debtors don't pay their invoices on time--and what you can do about them.(Finance)
September 1, 2003... Let's face it--residents and responsible parties are adept at making excuses about why they can't pay you. Have you ever heard, "The check is in the mail," or "I never got a bill." The better the excuse, the longer they can delay sending a...

Toilet back support.(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * Designed to protect residents from traumatic contact with flush valves, nuts, bolts and walls. * Provides a stable and secure surface to lean on. * Protects residents from injury, protects you from rising insurance fees and costly...

Bed-Bar[R].(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * A sturdy support bar that helps people get in and out of bed * Used in nursing and rehabilitation centers throughout North America as a very effective tool in fall prevention and restraint reduction programs * Promotes independent,...

Anodyne[R] therapy system.(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * Restores sensation in peripheral neuropathy, thus improving balance and reducing falls. * Pain management--for neuropathic, ischemic, acute and chronic pain * Increases circulation in chronic wounds in 20 to 30 minutes Anodyne...

VersaPage.(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * Integrates with existing alarm and call systems to enable instant transmission of customized messages to pocket pagers * Up to three different priority messages may be sent for each alarm input. * Keeps messages discreet. ...

Fall reduction control unit.(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * Model Vr has seven settable sounds, nine volume levels, delay and hold settings, AC power, no on-off switch. * Nurse call system compatible. Meets UL and FDA requirements. * Printable alarm history for the last 24 alarms. ...

Wireless resident wander monitoring/nurse call systems.(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * Continuous, real time monitoring of residents. * Wireless solutions on a single integrated platform. * Watch removal alerts. HomeFree Inc. Brian Verban, regional account manager 6629 West Mill Road Milwaukee, Wis....

Silent Knight Tablet Crusher[TM].(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * Silent--will not disturb patients * Fine particle size prevents clogging of feeding tubes * Clean--prevents cross-contamination, no cleanup * Makes for easy medication administering to all patients Links Medical Products Inc....

Pill-Verizer or EZ swallow combination.(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * Pill-Verizer designed to use with unit-dose packaged pills and tablets. Can also crush medication in paper medicine cups. * Made of lightweight aluminum. Model 150. * EZ Swallow is splitter and crusher; it's small and easy to use....

Alert-Mate[R] II fall monitoring alarm.(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * Always on for maximum resident safety. * Includes a low-battery indicator, three volume levels, two pin positions and two different alarms for roommate situations. * Priced at $19.99--compare to other alarms at $40 or more. ...

Versus Information Systems[TM].(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * Utilizes infrared and radio frequency technology to identify the precise real-time location of wandering patients and equipment, virtually eliminating "lost" items * Badges with a tactile call button integrate with nearly all major nurse...

Hydroguard bath & shower valve.(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * E700 series anti-scald valve protects bathers from pressure and temperature changes that occur within a plumbing system. * Allows hot water to be distributed at higher temperatures, minimizing risk of bacteria growth within a plumbing...

Vigil[R] integrated care management system.(Shopper)
September 1, 2003... * Provides emergency call and resident monitoring solutions for every budget and care continuum. * Provides unprecedented dementia care, facilitates risk management, improves staffing efficiencies and generates state-of-the-art reporting....