February 2016 37 2 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
February 2016 edition of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
News
Expo returns bigger, better
Reducing unnecessary hospital readmissions will become increasingly important for long-term care providers in the year ahead, warns Elaine Healy, M.D., medical director and vice president ...
Year's top concerns: quality, arbitration
Seven months after being surprised by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' release of a "mega rule," the nation's largest nursing home association said ...
Slight drop for SNF occupancy
The occupancy rate for skilled nursing facilities fell 0.1% during the fourth quarter of 2015, according to data released in January by the National Investment ...
Fall risk tied to vitamin overuse
Despite previous studies highlighting the benefits of Vitamin D, too much could increase the risk of falls in seniors, per new research in JAMA Internal ...
Speech mostly omits health-related issues
Providers looking for President Barack Obama to tackle long-term care and other health-related issues in his final State of the Union address were left disappointed.
False claims to fuel lawsuits?
Providers could be in store for a new, bigger wave of False Claims Act lawsuits, warn authors of a new report.
Efforts to restrict arbitration a growing industry concern
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' proposal to limit the use of pre-dispute arbitration agreements in skilled nursing facilities created the most angst for ...
CMS discharge proposal draws criticism
Despite showing general support, providers believe a recent discharge planning proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services needs additional clarification to it to ...
State News
State News for February 2016
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey provider organizations are raising concerns over a state bill that would create minimum staffing requirements for certified nursing assistants.
Features
Evaluating good drugs
The long-term care profession wrestles with medication management challenges, including opioid abuse, polypharmacy and overdosing
The red glare
Providers are looking for lessons how to bill therapy right and avoid the hot regulatory spotlight after the occurrence of numerous crackdowns
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds with... Sue Peschin
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is making a push for better infection control in SNFs, but what's the concern?
Ask the care expert
Ask the Care Expert about... Payroll Based Journaling
As a new charge nurse, I hear the administrator and director of nursing talking more often recently about the Payroll Based Journaling and I need ...
Resident care
Music gives second wind to many with breathing issues
Patients with chronic respiratory disorders who received music therapy in conjunction with standard rehabilitation saw a marked improvement in symptoms, psychological wellbeing and quality of ...
Drugs can provoke urinary incontinence
A review of prior studies found that nursing home patients, already prone to overactive bladder or urinary incontinence, are often given medications that exacerbate those ...
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the Treatment Expert about... palliative ulcer care
I am treating a resident who is receiving palliative care with a Stage III pressure ulcer on the right trochanter and a Stage IV pressure ...
Wound care
Age, antibiotics factors for infected diabetic foot ulcers
Older diabetes patients who receive prolonged courses of antibiotics are at the highest risk of having infected diabetic foot ulcers, a new study shows.
Pilot shows promise in healing skin tears
A new program for acute treatment of skin tears may help reduce wound healing times and healthcare costs.
Ask the nursing expert
Ask the Nursing Expert about... resolutions for 2016
What are good 2016 resolutions for nurses even if they're started late?
Nursing
Nursing home nurses seek hospital transfers guidance
A comprehensive review of nursing homes nurses' perceptions about emergency room transfers shows nurses want more resources and more guidance to determine who goes and ...
Shift workers could be accident prone
More than a third of night-shift workers were involved in near-crashes in an after-work test drive, researchers reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy ...
Ask the payment expert
Ask the Payment Expert about... data interoperability
he SNF Final Rule indicates that interoperability of data will be important. What do we need to do about this issue?
Payment & policy
Agencies seek feedback on quality measure reporting
Nursing homes were allowed a 30-day window last month to give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services a piece of their mind about the ...
CMS releases DMEPOS rule
Providers will face new rules in March that change the way they're reimbursed for certain types of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS).
Ask the legal expert
Ask the Legal Expert about... defamation
A former resident's family member is bad-mouthing us on social media and in the press. While it is likely driven by grief, most of the ...
Legal Matters
A lifetime employment ban goes too far, court decides
A Pennsylvania court has ruled that individuals who have committed certain crimes cannot be banned from working in long-term care facilities. The ruling overturns a ...
Scorned nuns brew up a NIMBY lawsuit
Even nuns are not safe from being victims of the "not in my backyard" syndrome.
Design
Design Decisions: Visionary improvements
If the top three points of emphasis for real estate are "location, location and location," The Residence at Cedar Dell certainly meets the criteria. Located ...
How to do it…
How to do it... Choosing hand sanitizers
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers have long been widely accepted by leading healthcare organizations as an effective method for disinfection. Experts here tell how to ensure staff ...
A day in the life
Hopping house guests
Therapy animals and nursing homes seem to go hand in hand — or hand in paw. But a Utah veterans home has been making headlines ...
I couldn't live without...
I couldn't live without... CareConnection
By using Constant Care's CareConnection™ platform, certified nursing assistants at Kentwood Manor in Kentwood, LA, have been able to upload vital signs from residents automatically ...
Technology
Dementia patients helped by art-based tablet application
Previous research has shown that spending time together viewing art at a gallery can lead to cognitive improvements and enhanced quality of life among patients ...
Opinion
Reader poll: What have you stopped doing since starting in long-term care?
"I no longer get old. I work with people 80, 90, 100 years old that are young at heart. It teaches you that you can ...
Happy Now Years
It's suddenly 2016, and I'm uneasy. Perhaps you know that vague apprehension. Like maybe you left your newly stocked phosphorescent med cart unlocked in the ...
Company news
Mid-Atlantic expands skilled care portfolio in Maryland
Mid-Atlantic Health Care LLC has acquired a portfolio of four skilled nursing facilities that will spread its presence in Western Maryland.
Outlook strong for 2016 deals
Mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare sector are set for a robust 2016, according to a new report.
Vendor news
Incontinence pilot program brings PSL facilities success
With pressure on continence care mounting for long-term care providers, Presbyterian Senior Living said it recently was able to cut its continence care product cost ...
naviHealth acquires RightCare Solutions
naviHealth, an awardee convener under Medicare's Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative, has acquired RightCare Solutions Inc., which has developed a hospital discharge planning software ...
The big picture
Time to make a change
Let's face it: None of us really wants to change. We sort of like ourselves the way we are.
Editor’s desk
McKnight's Online Expo: 'Virtual' success is reality
Think back to when you were 10 years old. You still had a big future ahead of you, but you had already seen a lot, ...
Profile
Profile: Fred Benjamin
Whether it's representing the American Health Care Association, Medicalodges, or another of his interests, there's a frequent comment about Fred Benjamin: "That man is everywhere."
