February 2015 36 2 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News

Top stories from the February 2015 issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News.

Analysis

LTC expert panel: Cautious optimism for SNFs

As 2014 drew to a close, long-term care providers had reason to pat themselves on the back. Successes over the past year included a significant ...

News

MedPAC will support site-neutral payment

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission voted to recommend "site-neutral" reimbursement for selected Medicare services at press time. If approved by Congress, the reimbursement shift could ...

Housing rates holding steady

The occupancy rate for nursing facilities and assisted living facilities remained solid in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to data released in January by ...

Expo preview: pain and gains

Pressure ulcer prevention practices are evolving, but providers aren't always keeping up, according to Janice Beitz, Ph.D., a Rutgers University nursing professor and renowned wound-care ...

Skilled sector fears massive doctor bill

Long-term care provider advocates kicked off a comprehensive lobbying campaign in January to encourage favorable reform to Medicare's Sustainable Growth Rate formula for physicians.

Death notifications irk CNAs

Many certified nursing assistants report they learn about residents' deaths in negative ways, a new U.S.-German investigation has found.

Antibiotic could be MRSA killer

A newly discovered type of antibiotic could be an antidote for fatal infections that plague long-term care facilities, according to findings in Nature.

Poor reporting of sex abuse

Nursing homes often inadequately handle instances of resident sexual abuse, according to a literature review.

Several rehab organizations blast site-neutral approach

While skilled care organizations are welcoming the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's vote for limited site-neutral payments, rehab providers remain strongly opposed.

SNF pay has gotten worse, MedPAC says

Efforts to reform Medicare have actually damaged the way nursing home operators are being reimbursed, according to a new report from the Medicare Payment Advisory ...

State News

State News for February 2015

MASSACHUSETTS — Thanks in part to the Affordable Care Act, the concept of palliative care has become more prominent in the national conversation about the ...

Features

Serious side effects

New pain medication rules went into effect in October, forcing long-term care providers to grapple with how to ensure residents receive what they need

Bottom line on therapy

After a rash of large settlements and various other punishments related to how therapy is billed, providers can no longer take a hands-off approach, experts ...

60 Seconds with...

60 seconds with ... Kathleen Unroe, M.D.

Q: How do you describe your CMS-funded project to reduce avoidable hospitalizations, which just recorded a successful first year?

Ask the care expert

Ask the care expert ... about tube feeding practices

No matter how often we train our nurses on tube feedings, we still are seeing increases of aspiration pneumonia. Is there something we may be ...

Resident care

Social media prep improves residents' well-being: study

Social media training improves the well-being of nursing home residents while also helping them connect with family and friends, according to a two-year British study.

LTC urged to prepare for lousy weather

New federal guidelines that outline climate threats to the healthcare system find nursing homes are more vulnerable during extreme weather and are less resilient afterward.

Ask the treatment expert

Ask the treatment expert ... about basic wound care principles

As a foundation to heading into the rest of 2015, here is a review of the basic wound care principles.

Wound care

Research compares Braden Scale, MDS for effectiveness

A newly developed alternative pressure ulcer risk assessment tool may reduce nurse workload duplication compared to the more widely used Braden Scale, Canadian researchers have ...

Compression therapy coverage endorsed

Compression therapy is considered the gold standard for the treatment of lymphedema and the treatment and prevention of venous leg ulcers, but Medicare has yet ...

Ask the nursing expert

Ask the nursing expert ... about challenges with families

Having just dealt with more holidays, how do we LTC nurses deal with residents' families that are feeling guilty and taking it out on us?

Nursing

Nurses' English skills may be impeding care, study shows

About 15% of U.S. long-term care nurses say their English language proficiency or accent creates communication problems with residents, family members and other medical providers, ...

Nurses are most respected, new poll finds

An annual Gallup poll finds nurses are among the most respected American workers, based on their honesty and ethical standards.

Ask the payment expert

Ask the payment expert ... about long-term compliance

Sometimes we feel like we're spinning our wheels in correcting problem areas in our facility. What can we do to ensure ongoing compliance in problem ...

Payment & policy

Politicians pressure auditors to back down, paper claims

The prospects of politician intervention with Medicare audits has sparked some debate over whether elected officials are exerting undue influence, or simply defending providers' rights ...

Managed care taking hold

Medicaid fee-for-service is in a steep decline, and signs suggest trends will continue in their current direction, a new report reveals.

Legal Matters

Ruling might give operators a new bankruptcy incentive

A Florida nursing facility targeted for termination of its Medicare and Medicaid provider agreements was allowed to stay open due to a "milestone" bankruptcy court ...

Call for unity earns a labor-board rebuke

A National Labor Relations Board panel recently determined that a New Jersey nursing home broke federal law by posting a memorandum pleading for staff unity ...

As the legal expert ... about union organizing

I have heard that an employee is starting to organize unionization efforts on her Facebook page. What can I do?

Having my say

A palliative care focus

Palliative care, specialized medical care focused on treating the symptoms and stress of serious illness, should be the standard of practice for all elderly people ...

Design

Design Decisions: Getting the stars aligned

With a 125-year history of serving seniors in a quaint New England village, a new Berkshire Place ensures care for generations to come

How to do it…

How to do it ... infection control

Gloves are close to the cheapest and most effective defense against infections in healthcare settings. But even the best gloves are useless without proper infection ...

A day in the life

Day in the Life: Taekwondo teens impress

Visitors to the Good Samaritan Society Sioux Falls Village might be curious about objects in some resident rooms: pieces of wood with Korean writing on ...

I couldn't live without...

I couldn't live without ... Xenex germ-zapping robot

Like many skilled nursing facilities, Morningside Ministries in San Antonio wanted to reduce its infection rate, specifically for patients with C. diff or MRSA, according ...

Technology

Weak IT system brings first HIPAA provider settlement

A first-of-its-kind HIPAA settlement demonstrates that long-term care needs to be vigilant about updating software and other basic security tasks, officials say.

ITUpdate for February 2015

» An updated federal health information technology plan announced in December aims to expand health information technology adoption and use efforts across the care continuum, ...

Opinion

Panna cotta services

With all the issues you face in long-term care, it doesn't surprise me you've never given a moment's thought to one of the great travesties ...

Company news

Many boomers not ready to make seniors housing move

Seniors housing companies prepping for baby boomers may encounter prospects who are largely unwilling and unable to relocate.

Ventas buy adds payoff

Ventas has declared a prorated common stock dividend, pending the completion of its American Realty Capital Healthcare Trust purchase.

BusinessBriefs for February 2015

» Senior Housing Properties Trust will buy 38 senior-living communities for $790 million from CNL Lifestyle Properties Inc., including assumption of debt. The deal is ...

Vendor news

Remote monitoring reduced ER visits and cut costs: study

Remote monitoring systems continue to gain traction in senior care, with a recent study suggesting they could reduce emergency room visits.

NQF endorses rehospitalization system

The National Quality Forum has endorsed the PointRight® Pro 30™ rehospitalization measure, the company and the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living announced ...

CompanyBriefs for February 2015

» Gentell Inc. announced its Fastcare wound documentation and ordering system now includes Quality Assurance Performance Improvement reporting capabilities. The system helps nursing homes with ...