June 2016 37 6 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
June 2016 edition of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
News
State slammed in federal report
South Dakota "unnecessarily" uses nursing facilities to provide services to people with disabilities, according to a May report from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Medicare funding to rise by $800 million?
While skilled nursing facilities could receive $800 million more in Medicare payment increases in fiscal year 2017, providers still must prepare for value-based purchasing incentives ...
Frequent sales raise a red flag
A new study has shown that nursing facilities that are bought and sold frequently by corporate owners tend to continue poor care.
PAD diagnoses infections fast
Massachusetts General Hospital investigators have created a point-of-care diagnosis system for healthcare-associated infection
Study supports 'family' dining
Eating meals family-style can boost nutrition, hydration and quality of life for people with dementia, scientists have found.
CMS has cooked up new fire safety rules
The finalized rules relax some operational and construction requirements in order to give providers more flexibility and make the atmosphere more homelike, CMS officials said.
McKnight's earns accolades
The McKnight's Long-Term Care News editorial staff kept up a streak, earning seven national awards in the month of May.
Pay proposal could deliver unintended consequences
Providers are pleased with a federal proposal to increase skilled nursing payments by 2.1% but remain wary about the four new quality measures that are ...
HCP spins off troubled HCR ManorCare
HCP Inc. will spin off HCR ManorCare, its skilled nursing and assisted living portfolio, into an independent real estate investment trust, the company announced in ...
State News
State News for June 2016
NEW YORK — A scathing indictment of the state's system for licensing, monitoring and disciplining nurses has caught the attention of key officials in Albany ...
Features
Targeting a silent killer
Infections may be causing up to 300,000 resident deaths in facilities each year. A new federal program hopes to improve assessments and caregiving practices.
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds with...Christy Tosh Crider
What are some practical ways to make telemedicine work in a facility? With head of Baker Donelson's Long Term Care Group, Christy Tosh Crider.
Ask the care expert
Ask the Care Expert about ... being proactive for the safety of residents and staff members
I hear that many long-term care nurses are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Is there a way to be proactive for the safety of my ...
Resident care
Rosacea patients likely will have higher risk of dementia
A Danish study found an increased risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease, in patients who have rosacea.
Loneliness increases readmission rates
In addition to frailty, living alone and feelings of loneliness made elderly patients in a British study more likely to be readmitted to a hospital.
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the Treatment Expert about ... improve wound documentation
Information sharing is essential to promote quality wound care. Although there are no national, state or local regulations related to wound care documentation, individual skilled ...
Wound care
Attitude affects survival in foot ulcer patients: study
Attitudes and beliefs about diabetic foot ulcers can have a significant impact on the survival of patients, according to new research.
EHRs show promise for palliative ulcers
Electronic health records may help palliative care providers better manage pressure ulcers within their facility, according to a new review in Wounds UK.
Ask the nursing expert
Ask the Nursing Expert about ... DON responsibilities
I'm new to long-term care as a director of nursing. I love the residents that we care for, but it's so hard to manage the ...
Nursing
Shift work exacting a heavy toll on women, study reveals
Shift work could negatively affect women more than men, suggests a British study comparing performance after 28-hour schedules that delayed sleep-wake cycles.
GAO: More workplace protection needed
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration should do more to protect healthcare employees from workplace violence, according to a federal report.
Ask the payment expert
Ask the Payment Expert about ... the new Payroll-Based Journal system
Can you explain the new Payroll-Based Journal system?
Payment & policy
Insurers rattled by Medicaid managed care's big changes
The government's first major overhaul of the Medicaid Managed Care program in 14 years is unlikely to affect provider reimbursements, but insurers continue to take ...
More MDS tweaks coming
Providers must ensure accuracy of their own internal databases before the latest iteration of the minimum data set, or MDS 3.0, becomes effective October 1, ...
Ask the legal expert
Ask the Legal Expert about ... candidates' credit reports
Can I factor a credit report check on a potential director of nursing into our hiring decision?
Legal Matters
PharMerica asks SCOTUS for relief in False Claims case
PharMerica has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider a 2015 decision that the long-term care pharmacy giant says opens the door to "copycat" lawsuits.
High court to rule on damaging lawyer ads
The Georgia Supreme Court is considering whether to uphold a ban on ads that a prominent Southeast nursing home provider says violated the Georgia Deceptive ...
Pursuing excellence
Affordable analytics
Current use, and perhaps misuse, of Five-Star Nursing Home Ratings place significant emphasis on achieving a three-star overall rating, which requires stable performance in survey, ...
How to do it…
How to do it ... better med management
Adverse medication events continue to be numerous and problematic, not only for residents' health but also for financial and legal reasons. Providers continue to thirst ...
A day in the life
Day in the Life: Composing a memorable winner
It all started with a suggestion from a resident in the memory care wing at Mercy Retirement & Care Center in Oakland, CA.
Couldn't live without
I couldn't live without ... WoundRounds
Over the course of a decade using WoundRounds, Burgess Square Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Westmont, IL, has seen enormous value, its chief executive officer ...
Technology
Video chats trim aggression for residents with dementia
Video chatting with relatives over the internet may reduce the risk of nursing home residents with dementia becoming agitated or aggressive, according to research out ...
Opinion
Waiting for a pellet
From now on when I ponder the future of long-term care, I'll think about Uncle Jimmy.
Reader Poll: What other department would you like to try working in for a day?
"Dining services. It's a big component that residents focus on. It would be fun to cook in the kitchen and talk to the seniors in ...
Company news
For-profit shortfalls deserve additional safeguards: report
A study in PLOS Medicine argues that previous research pointing to allegedly inferior care in for-profit skilled nursing facilities should drive the development of ways ...
PA provider OKs $15 wage
A Pennsylvania long-term care provider has agreed to a new contract that will pay most certified nursing assistants $15 an hour within five years.
Vendor news
Vendors help providers prep for staff-reporting regulation
As the Payroll-Based Journal reporting deadline looms, many vendors have spent the spring selling new solutions.
ABILITY Network buys CareWatch maker
ABILITY® Network, which has a presence in the hospital, home health and skilled nursing industry, announced in April it had bought software company eHealth Data ...
The big picture
When failure is a virtue
In "My Losing Season," Pat Conroy's moving memoir notes how championship teams keep the good times going. They jump up and down when the game ...
Editor’s desk
A call for openness as sales of facilities churn
Nursing home chain executives might have been wincing when they saw news of yet another study apparently finding that they're doing a poor job.
Profile
Profile: Betty Frandsen
While many in the long-term care nursing profession know of Betty Frandsen's long career, they may not know she wakes up early each day to ...
