February 2017 38 2 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
February 2017 edition of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
Where are they now?
Where Are They Now: Brittany Manor
With the introduction of a new rehabilitation unit in 2016, Brittany Manor in Midland, MI, has continued to focus on using technology to track data ...
News
Survey advice at Online Expo
Providers can make good use of some new strategies and tips to be prepared for surveyors around the clock, says Paula Sanders, principal and co-chairwoman ...
Groups urge Trump to save some of ACA
LeadingAge, along with 71 other nonprofit aging organizations, sent a letter in mid-January urging then-President-elect Donald Trump to preserve some nursing-home related provisions of the ...
CMS fights for arbitration ban
Federal officials struck back at providers in January, filing notice that they were challenging efforts to stop a ban of pre-dispute nursing home arbitration agreements.
Delirium often undiagnosed
Delirium among skilled nursing residents needs to be treated more seriously than it currently is by providers, according to authors of a recent research review.
Directives not in good order
Many nursing home providers are missing chances to cut costs and reduce unnecessary care by not having residents' advance directives on file, or orderly, a ...
CMS reveals cardio, ortho bundle models
New bundled payment models focused on cardiac care and orthopedics were finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at the end of December.
Occupancy rates at epic lows
The occupancy picture did not improve for skilled nursing or assisted living facilities in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Value-based purchasing will likely continue, expert says
Value-based purchasing initiatives and a focus on post-acute partnerships are likely to persist in 2017, despite the possibility of "repeal and replace" of the Affordable ...
HHS issues rule that speeds up appeals
A Department of Health and Human Services final rule may allow providers to move more quickly through the backlog of 700,000-plus Medicare-related appeals.
State News
State News for February 2017
MARYLAND — Attorney General Brian E. Frosh is suing a nursing home operator for allegedly expelling residents to free up higher-reimbursed Medicare beds. Frosh filed ...
Features
Winning the drug war
Often forgotten or glossed over, there is still one sure answer to questions about how to improve medication mismanagement: have better documentation
Progress denied
'Prior level of function' rule can complicate rehabilitation efforts, as providers wrestle with cost, quality of care and what a resident's goals are in maintaining ...
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds with ... Steven Shill, CPA
Q: What should providers know about the new revenue recognition standard, ASC Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts and Customers?
Ask the care expert
Ask the Care Expert about ... wound care programs
We are refurbishing our entire resident wound care program since we haven't achieved great results. Can you suggest any places to find some of the ...
Resident care
Pigment in veggies linked to brain health
There's good news for fans of spinach omelets: Foods such as leafy greens and eggs may help stave off age-related cognitive declines, thanks to a ...
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the Treatment Expert about ... nutrition assessments
How do nutrition assessment and interventions support pressure injury prevention?
Wound care
Hydrogel showed 'staggering' results in diabetic cell study
A new hydrogel created by engineering researchers at the University of Toronto prompts skin cells to crawl toward one another, healing chronic wounds.
Ultrasound, e-stim healing effects 'equal'
High-frequency ultrasound and high-voltage monophasic pulsed current are comparable approaches when treating pressure ulcers in older people, according to a study by Polish researchers.
Ask the nursing expert
Ask the Nursing Expert about ... conducting round
I struggle with staying in touch with what is happening at the bedside. Any suggestions?
Nursing
Web program helps relieve nurse stress, researchers say
An online support program helped nurses manage workplace challenges and reduce stress in a randomized study.
Sleep deprivation doesn't discriminate
Investigators at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and their Canadian partners reported that cognitive impairment is the same among men and ...
Ask the payment expert
Ask the Payment Expert about ... keeping finances in order for 2017
With the first month of 2017 already behind us, what are some recommendations to keep your "financial house in order" the rest of the year?
Payment & policy
A bundle of good pay news on joint replacement model
Strong reviews for one of the most scrutinized bundled payment programs in the country indicate additional similar programs could be in providers' future.
OIG: Policy cut SNF care
Investigators with the Office of Inspector General are recommending a closer look at federal regulators' controversial "two-midnight" rule for Medicare beneficiaries.
Ask the legal expert
Ask the Legal Expert about ... participating in an ACO
What are your top tips for participating in an accountable care organization or other multi-provider arrangement?
Legal Matters
Provider claims purchaser's flip scheme expedited deaths
A New York nursing home provider claims a fellow operator's plans to purchase nursing homes and flip them into condominiums led to some residents' premature ...
Provider to pay $300k in vaccine dispute
A Pennsylvania-based healthcare provider has agreed to hand over $300,000 to settle allegations that it fired employees who requested religious exemptions from the organization's vaccination ...
Design
Design Decisions: Compassionate housing
LTC operators and architects build memory care units as stand-alone structures within a campus so residents aren't segregated
How to do it…
How to do it ... Handwashing compliance
Simple handwashing is indisputably the easiest, most effective way of preventing the spread of germs and infections anywhere, including healthcare settings. Yet it is far ...
A day in the life
Positive signs from teenager
The weekly American Sign Language classes at Sunny Hill Nursing Home in Joliet, IL, started as an idea from a high school volunteer.
Technology
FDA publishes cybersecurity advice for medical devices
Thanks to significant technological advances in patient care over the past decade, many medical devices are now being designed to connect to a hospital or ...
Opinion
Reader Poll: What's your favorite item on your desk or in your office?
"Pictures of my grandchildren, just because I can look at them when the rest of the world is in chaos. They're my port in the ...
Not getting your due — and liking it
It's just not fair. You're the one who sat at that traffic light forever, and then when it finally changed, some idiot in the lane ...
Resident care
Common drugs may increase ER, hospital visits for seniors
Medications often used by seniors may increase their chances of visiting the emergency department or hospital, according to recently published research.
Company news
CareTrust spends $96 million to purchase four Texas SNFs
CareTrust REIT Inc. acquired a portfolio of four Texas skilled nursing properties for $96 million, the company announced in early December.
Genesis CEO plots 2017
Genesis HealthCare CEO George Hager Jr. said in a recent interview that he hopes nursing homes will see "federal funding that is additive to the ...
Vendor news
MatrixCare and Microsoft launch cloud-based system
MatrixCare has launched a cloud-based EMR aggregation and care coordination system spanning the healthcare continuum in partnership with Microsoft.
Agility Holdings buys VCPI, plans growth
Agility Holdings LLC has purchased VCPI from Extendicare Inc., the companies announced in January.
The big picture
An overtime quandary
Mick Jones allegedly wrote "Should I stay or should I go" in 1981 while contemplating whether to leave The Clash. The context may be different ...
Editor’s desk
Socialized medicine — the way to save lives
Chalk up another one for that famously disruptive New Yorker who crisscrossed the nation the last two years, speaking to big crowds, imploring change. His ...
Profile
Profile: Alise Ionashku
If there's one aspect of Alise Ionashku's childhood that stands out, it's the desire of her and her three older brothers to make their immigrant ...
