April 2016 37 4 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
April 2016 edition of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
News
A site-neutral PAC plan nears
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has said it's close to completing a plan for unified, site-neutral post-acute payments.
Social media posts spur Senate interest
A surge of cases involving long-term care workers inappropriately posting video or photos of naked residents has led some U.S. senators to push for greater ...
New measures of quality here
Six new quality measures for skilled nursing facilities will be rolled out by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services beginning in April.
Dementia tied to gum disease
Gum disease has been linked to a greater rate in cognitive decline, a study following people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease has found.
Flu shots spike when required
Mandatory flu vaccinations for healthcare workers increase the overall vaccination rate, per new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
High therapy billings trigger audits: CMS
Federal regulators say startling data about the amount of therapy given at the highest levels compelled them to call in recovery audit contractors.
CMS beats value-based pay goal
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reached its goal of having 30% of all Medicare payments tied to alternative payment models nearly a year ...
Facility hit with lawsuit after nude resident photos appear
The other shoe dropped when a lawsuit against a South Dakota nursing home was filed after an employee posted nude photos of a resident on ...
Study: 27% of readmissions preventable
Improved discharge directions and communication between patients and providers could prevent more than a fourth of hospital readmissions, according to a new study published in ...
State News
State News for April 2016
NEW YORK — The New York State Department of Health has come under fire for its perceived soft enforcement of fines against nursing homes.
Features
Mobile at bedside
Integrating point-of-care technologies into long-term care is becoming more routine, but providers still have a long way to go to capitalize on available tools
Lifting the veil
Rehab offers promise to many deemed 'lost' in the fog, and providers are making strides in better delivering the therapy dementia patients need
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds with ... Niles Godes, J.D.
Coming out of the LeadingAge PEAK Leadership Summit 2016, what's the No. 1 priority for nonprofit providers this year?
Ask the care expert
Ask the Care Expert about ... antibiotic stewardship
As an assistant director of nursing in a skilled care facility, all I am hearing is antibiotic stewardship. I am lost. How do I begin, ...
Resident care
Antibiotics may fuel delirium that causes SNF placement
The delirium that often lands seniors in nursing homes can be triggered by commonly prescribed antibiotics — a culprit doctors might overlook.
Tailored brain fitness promotes memory
Patients who receive personalized brain fitness training can make cognitive gains, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the University of Maryland School of ...
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the Treatment Expert about ... blisters
Are all blisters pressure ulcers and if they are, how should they be staged?
Wound care
Phototherapy works well with traditional ulcer treatments
Phototherapy, a type of non-invasive light therapy, may help speed up the healing rate of diabetic ulcers when combined with conventional podiatric interventions, according to ...
Providers benefit from 'simplified' NPWT
Simplified negative pressure wound therapy systems can provide healing results comparable to more complex systems, a new study shows.
Ask the nursing expert
Ask the Nursing Expert about ... Electronic medical records
I'm the assistant director of nursing and my corporate office told me that we were going to electronic medical records soon and I was going ...
Nursing
Supportive management can make/break nursing careers
Working toward a common goal in a supportive environment improves patient care and employee retention, according to a study of early-career nurses in Quebec.
Physical job, high BP bad mix for women
A Danish study of 12,000 female nurses found that those with physically demanding jobs and high blood pressure tripled their risk of developing heart disease.
Ask the payment expert
Ask the Payment Expert about ... bundled payment initiatives
How do bundled payment initiatives affect my facility?
Payment & policy
Groups tout payment plans; Pallone promises legislation
Several organizations have weighed in on how to finance long-term care services and supports for more than 12 million Americans, leading a Congressional committee to ...
Right-to-try gains support
Congress is considering easing federal laws prohibiting terminally ill patients from trying unapproved experimental drugs as a last-ditch effort to extend or save their lives.
Ask the legal expert
Ask the Legal Expert about ... marketing/sales ideas
A nearby competitor is ripping off our marketing slogans and copying some of our other sales ideas. What can we do?
Legal Matters
'Improvement standard' still being used: Jimmo winners
A landmark legal settlement that, in part, compels the federal government to pay for more therapy and treatment of Medicare beneficiaries is not being adhered ...
Residents and ManorCare sue hospital
One major nursing home provider has figured out a good way to avert harm from a group of residents suing it: The provider convinced the ...
Design
Design Decisions: Beyond bricks and mortar
EdenHill's complete overhaul includes a new memory care building, a new wellness center and pool — and more scenic views
How to do it…
How to do it... Summer safety and security
Now that we're in the midst of spring and warmer summer months beckon, it is time to check readiness to provide resident safety and security, ...
A day in the life
Super spirited centenarian
Augusta Baines used to harbor some fear about nursing homes. Then she answered a call for volunteers at Sentara Nursing Center in Portsmouth, VA.
I couldn't live without...
I couldn't live without ... Best Bath Systems
Before recently joining Homestead Village as its project manager, Rodney Fenstermacher spent a decade remodeling and renovating showers and tubs at roughly 15 Presbyterian Senior ...
Technology
CMS supports collection of sex orientation, gender data
Researchers believe collecting sexual orientation and gender identity data will improve care for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.
Opinion
Reader Poll: What's something you wish people outside of the industry knew about long-term care?
"I think the thing I would like folks to know is there's always a battle to get rid of the stereotypes. The people I work ...
Reaction management
So, how should I react to what that back-stabbing little blankety-blank (fake name redacted for HIPAA compliance) said or did to me?
Company news
Pilot program at Brookdale lowers hospital admissions
A pilot program designed to curb hospital admissions in Brookdale Senior Living's communities has shown positive returns, the company announced in late February.
TeamHealth aims for PAC
Physician staffing firm TeamHealth is aiming to acquire post-acute physician groups in 2016 following its purchase of IPC Healthcare Inc.
Vendor news
Administrators gain control with new technology suite
A new product to track information technology infrastructure and see what assets are connected to a company network could help long-term care administrators increase patient ...
Readmissions may drop with adjustment
A technology assessment tool may help non-medical workers identify who is at risk for readmissions, according to a new study.
The big picture
Editor’s desk
LTC's smart choice for president: Minnix in 1-6
By the time you're reading this, the nation could have a much better idea who will be slinging mud at one another this fall for ...
Profile
Profile: Cecilia Sepp
There's a running joke in the association management community that no kid dreams of a career in association management.
