August 2015 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
August issue of McKnight's LTC News
News
CMS proposal will target IT, staff competency protocols
Information technology and staff training are two key topics included in the proposed regulatory overhaul announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as ...
Medicare pilot programs to begin this year
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services officials are finalizing details for three Medicare pilot programs set to begin this year, agency officials announced.
A test plan that may cost some a bundle
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' "monumental" plan to test bundled payments for hip and knee replacements could spell trouble for skilled nursing facilities, ...
Feds will focus on MDS 3.0
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has a new mission providers need to be keenly aware of, a prominent long-term care payment expert cautions.
Seizures also a dementia risk?
Adults with frontotemporal dementia are at increased risk of seizures, per a study from the University of California, San Francisco.
Diabetes drug cuts dementia
A frequently prescribed diabetes drug may reduce the risk of older adults developing dementia, researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases found.
Obama's bombshell: More industry rules
The Obama administration said it is seeking to "modernize" the long-term care profession through hundreds of pages of regulatory revisions it unveiled at the White ...
Plan will push care planning
A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposal to reimburse practitioners for discussing advance care planning drew praise of long-term care medical directors in July.
SNF bed total drops slightly
The skilled care sector saw occupancy rates and bed supply dip slightly between March and June, new data shows.
State News
State News for August 2015
The nation's most populous state is also now home to the largest long-term care workers' union, which formally chartered in late June.
Features
Taking a load off
More facilities are pulling the plug on resource-robbing laundry practices — as they seek to lessen environmental burden and improve the bottom line
Damaging hand-offs
With the stakes raised for more and more admissions — and departures — communication is critical for long-term care providers looking to partner with hospitals
Ask the care expert
Ask the Care Expert ... about handwashing
Believe it or not, we are having a hard time getting our staff to comply with handwashing. Do you have any suggestions to help us ...
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the Treatment Expert ... about foot ulcers
How should we deal with what seems to be a deluge of foot ulcers?
Wound care
Treatment effective in limb preservation, study reveals
A new study shows human acellular dermal wound matrix can be used as an effective limb preservation strategy for patients with chronic, complex wounds and ...
NPWT market grows as tech improves
Industry analysts say negative pressure wound therapy is experiencing the highest market growth of any advanced wound care technology sector.
Ask the nursing expert
Ask the Nursing Expert ... about physcotropic programs
I have been assigned to put together a psychotropic program. Can you please help me?
Nursing
How's moving patients risky? OHSA is counting the ways
A new key hazard list from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration highlights the injury risk healthcare workers face when handling patients.
LTC staff spend only half of time on care
Long-term care nurses spend more than half of their time completing tasks that don't involve resident care, according to new research in the Journal of ...
Ask the payment expert
Ask the Payment Expert ... about MDS-focused surveys
I keep hearing about MDS-focused surveys. What are they?
Payment & policy
State's Medicaid managed care data lacking, OIG says
The Office of the Inspector General recommended that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services withhold federal funds from states that do not accurately report ...
House IPAB repeal advances
The House of Representatives voted in June to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a Medicare cost containment entity created under the Affordable Care Act.
Ask the legal expert
Ask the Legal Expert ... about non-competition agreements
We are tired of having our top nurses poached by other skilled care providers in the area. Can we hire new nurses under a non-compete ...
Legal Matters
Golden claims 'retaliation' is behind understaffing lawsuit
Long-term care giant Golden Living claims that politics and retaliation are the reasons behind a 101-page legal action claiming an array of illegalities at a ...
EEOC sues after disabled aide is dismissed
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is alleging that a South Carolina nursing home fired one of its licensed practical nurses due to a disability that ...
Design
Music to their ears
The renovation and expansion of a cramped facility brings residents more privacy and service options, and the operator a healthy cash flow
How to do it…
How to do it ... Resident safety
Technological innovation is allowing needy seniors to be monitored while allowing greater mobility than ever before. Experts here make recommendations that can help providers strike ...
A day in the life
Connecting kids with seniors
After teaching kids most of her life, 101-year-old Grace Cloninger enjoyed interacting with children at her retirement community in Sacramento, CA.
I couldn't live without...
I couldn't live without ... TotalVue
Working from his REM Laundry office in Versailles, KY, Mark Moore manages his company's contract laundry services for nursing homes all over the country through ...
Technology
Standardized electronic info remains a challenge: experts
An emphasis on data assessment and standardization across care settings was a hot topic at the Long Term and Post Acute Care Health IT Summit, ...
Opinion
Whatcha gonna do?
Adversity, that irrepressible rascal. We're far too familiar with it in long-term care.
Resident care
Minorities: Facilities treat us worse, and life quality suffers
Facility differences in nursing homes impact minority residents' quality of life, research published in the Journal of Aging and Health found.
Seniors delve into online sex communities
Older adults are using online communities to share sexual experiences more frequently, a study published in the Journal of Leisure Research showed.
Company news
Genesis will acquire 24 SNFs in $240 million Revera deal
Genesis Healthcare will acquire 24 skilled nursing facilities from Revera Inc., as part of a $240 million portfolio.
Sabra gains 678 new beds
Sabra Health Care REIT Inc. purchased four Maryland transitional care facilities for $234 million, the company announced in late June.
Vendor news
Welch Allyn acquisition aids Hill-Rom's product footprint
Reflecting the trend of consolidation among long-term care medical device vendors, Hill-Rom Holdings Inc. announced it is buying New York-based Welch Allyn for $2.05 billion.
Kwalu, Clorox team up for a clean finish
Long-term care furniture company Kwalu and Clorox Healthcare have announced a joint marketing venture that will promote disinfectants on non-porous furnishings.
The big picture
Seemed like good idea
One of the more interesting new ways employers are helping employees is through wellness assistance.
Editor’s desk
Conference for the ages develops personal touch
When President Obama took the podium on the morning of July 13, he thrust aging and long-term care into a reinvigorated spotlight.
Profile
Profile: Naushira Pandya, M.D.
After spending her childhood in Uganda and completing her early medical training in England, Naushira Pandya, M.D., was shocked by what she first witnessed as ...
