January 2016 37 1 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
January 2016 edition of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
News
ACHCA names newest leader
Cecilia Sepp is the new president and CEO of the American College of Health Care Administrators. She was slated to start Jan. 4.
GAO calls for better SNF data, oversight
The agency that oversees data collection and regulation of U.S. nursing homes needs to do much better, General Accountability Office investigators say.
MedPAC wants payment freeze
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission provoked the ire of skilled nursing providers after recommending once again that Congress freeze operator market-basket updates, this time for ...
Dementia test accuracy hailed
A new computerized test is more than 82% accurate in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, researchers have found.
Tylenol might not ease flu
Using acetaminophen to treat the flu might not help improve symptoms, a new study shows.
Bundled pay model gets all wrapped up
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released its final bundled payment model for hip and knee replacement surgeries, which includes plans to waive ...
Bill to speed Medicare appeals
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and ranking member Ron Wyden (D-OR) formally introduced to the full Senate a bill that would provide more ...
Report shows improvement, but agency has some doubts
Nursing home operators received good marks in a recent General Accountability Office report, if they're to be believed. The numbers, that is.
Forecast: Liability costs to top $215,000
Long-term care facilities can expect their annual loss rate to increase by 5% over the course of 2016, according to a new report from the ...
Active video games aid diabetes patients
Older adults with type 2 diabetes might be able to meet activity guidelines using the Wii Fit Plus system, according to a Swiss study published ...
State News
State News for January 2016
MINNESOTA — Nearly 600 nursing assistants will be required to retake a certification test due to "suspicious" patterns in the results.
Features
Cutting into costs
A look inside the mind of lenders in the wake of a skilled nursing cost comparison report reveals reasons for optimism — and concern
A measure of success
Technology and analysis prepare skilled nursing facilities and their staffs for Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement programs — and vice versa
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds with... Joy Solomon
When you heard a nursing home employee was shot by her ex-husband in the facility parking lot in December, what was your first thought?
Ask the care expert
Ask the Care Expert about... Legionnaire's risk from water features
We are building a new patient care area and as a nurse leader I am working with the team on developing the area. I would ...
Resident care
Panel offers new framework for resident care approach
A panel of eldercare experts convened by the American Geriatrics Society has developed a definition for person-centered care that aims to standardize the approach across ...
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the Treatment Expert about... support surface linens
Do you have any guidance about the type of linen to use on support surfaces with a resident who is high-risk for pressure ulcer development?
Wound care
Foot ulcers adversely affect brain function, study finds
Patients with diabetic foot complications have an increased risk of developing cognitive issues further down the line, new research shows.
Electricity may be antibiotic alternative
A new treatment option for bacterial wound infections that uses electrical stimulation may offer an alternative to antibiotics.
Ask the nursing expert
Ask the nursing expert about... wound programs
I am a new RN 3-11 shift supervisor, and new to skilled nursing. Can you please highlight what I should do to initiate a wound ...
Nursing
Nurses like paychecks, but would gladly change jobs
Despite reporting relative satisfaction with their salaries, many nurses would still pursue a different line of work if they could, a new survey shows.
RN retirement wave is on its way: analysis
Close to two-thirds of registered nurses over age 54 are currently considering retirement, a November report by AMN Healthcare found.
Ask the payment expert
Ask the Payment Expert about... new quality measures
What is the new Quality Measure that will be included in the new SNF Value Based Purchasing program?
Payment & policy
GAO: Managed care growth putting Medicaid funds at risk
End-of-year comments from the comptroller general indicated ways the Medicaid and Medicare programs can continue to improve, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ...
Rise in improper payments
Improper payment levels continue dogging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which announced they rose significantly last year for both health programs. Additionally, the ...
Ask the legal expert
Ask the Legal Expert about... theft from resident accounts
How can we best ensure that nobody in our office steals from resident accounts? We don't know if it's mostly smaller places, but it seems ...
Legal Matters
Provider to pay $3 million in ambulance-swapping case
Federal authorities believe they have broken new ground by leveraging a $3.2 million settlement with a provider for its part in an alleged fraudulent ambulance ...
SCOTUS to review False Claims definition
Providers could be getting help soon over anxieties about potential False Claims Act charges.
Design
Design Decisions: A modernized makeover
Lourdes Senior Community updates a 50-year-old facility to better accommodate long- and short-term residents
How to do it…
How to do it... Flexible furnishing
When it comes to furnishings in senior living, the Three Bears of nursery book fame would likely share identical chairs and beds today. More than ...
A day in the life
No wish is too big
You could call Kara Ball the fairy godmother of Cambridge Place Skilled Nursing Facility in Lexington, KY.
I couldn't live without...
I couldn't live without... The Right Place
The Right Place's SaaS admissions offering for skilled nursing facilities has made director Christine Cooke's life much easier.
Technology
States to get $3 billion for Medicaid system upgrades
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized a rule in December to permanently retain funding that helps states upgrade the technology they need to ...
Opinion
Reader poll: What do you wear to work, and why?
"Exactly what I'm wearing now [a tie, dress shirt, black pants]. I wear this every day except Friday, which is casual."
The Robot Alternative
Have you ever had some well-meaning someone give you a gift that turns out to be more like a job?
Company news
Signature now dominates KY following Elmcroft purchase
Louisville-based Signature HealthCare LLC is now the largest post-acute network in Kentucky, thanks to the acquisition of a fellow Louisville company's skilled nursing division.
SCC still in growth mode
Senior Care Centers acquired two Texas skilled nursing facilities in a $23 million deal, the Dallas-based company announced in December.
Vendor news
MatrixCare acquiring AOD Software to fill continuum
MatrixCare is increasing its footprint in the long-term care electronic health records venue through a definitive agreement to buy AOD Software.
IN2L chooses new CEO; founder to remain
Thomas Bang has joined It's Never 2 Late as chief executive officer. He will oversee market expansion and customer and operational excellence.
The big picture
An ACO success story
If there's one question sure to put a provider on edge these days, it's this: How do I transition my facility into the world of ...
Editor’s desk
National standardized surveys in the works
The General Accountability Office typically features excellent researchers and writers. But it seems they might have "buried the lead," as we say in the journalism ...
Profile
Profile: Kathryn Roberts, Ph.D.
At first blush, unflappable LeadingAge Board Chairwoman Kathryn Roberts, Ph.D., is not the type of person whom one asks to hold her boots.
