January 2010 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
January 2010
News
Providers: Five-Star system disappoints
The Five-Star Quality Rating System is a good idea—in theory. In practice, it has fallen short of acceptable standards.
Health reform: Reid's lasting Senate fight
These have been trying times for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).
Problems still hanging over feds' Five-Star rating system
It's hard for members of the long-term care community to pinpoint anything positive about the Five-Star Quality Rating System.
State News
Kansas: Latest round of budget cuts strikes Medicaid
Gov. Mark Parkinson (D) sliced $259 million more from the state budget in late November. Medicaid reimbursements were cut by 10%.
Features
A roadmap for EMRs: strategies and starting places for long-term care
It's important to choose the right path when implementing electronic medical records. Starting small and identifying a strategy are good places to begin
The hospitality suite: Nursing homes adopt luxurious looks for short-stay patients
Luxury has become a defining characteristic of short-term stay units. Patients are looking for everything from flat screen TVs to recliners and sleepers
60 Seconds with...
Ask the care expert
Ask the care expert: activities for Alzheimer's patients
Sherrie Dornberger, RNC, CDONA, FACDONA, President, NADONA
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the treatment expert: Could a patient's recurring wound be osteomyelitis?
Donna Sardina, RN, MHA, WCC, President, Wound Care Education Institute
Ask the nursing expert
Ask the nursing expert: ideas for finishing more projects and motivating your team to perform "undignified" tasks
Anne Marie Barnett, RN Former President, Maryland NADONA/LTC
Ask the payment expert
Ask the payment expert: training for MDS 3.0 and preparing for a RAC review
Patricia Boyer, MSM, NHA, RN, President, Boyer & Associates, LLC
Ask the legal expert
Ask the legal expert: monitoring employees' computer use at work
John Durso, Esq., Ungaretti & Harris LLP
Pursuing excellence
Smart Money: Senior living CFOs take a fresh look at the "new norms" of investing
Senior living CFOs understand that the "investing as usual" mentality simply is not acceptable to boards and CEOs, and is giving way to the "new ...
Having my say
New site has care data: LTCfocUS.org is a care resource for nursing homes
The current healthcare reform debate has largely ignored nursing home care. This is due, in part, to a lack of data about how and why ...
How to do it…
How to do it... Resident security
When it comes to monitoring residents and enabling calls for assistance, wireless systems have taken hold in the market.
The big picture
The BIG Picture: Once invincible business models aren't so bulletproof after all
As 2010 dawns, many providers and publishers find themselves limping along. Both have just endured one of the more challenging years on record.
Editor’s desk
Editor's Desk: A New Year's resolution you really should keep
McKnight's fourth annual Online Expo is an offer you can't refuse.
