March 2010 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
March 2010
News
4th Online Expo brings major topics to you
McKnight's annual virtual meeting and trade show again will offer five free CEUs
Obama budget offers providers mixed bag
President Obama's $3.8 trillion budget plan for 2011 promises carrots and sticks.
Providers rip report on Five-Star ratings
An analysis of the government's Five-Star Quality Rating System for nursing homes by USA Today drew a sharp rebuke from providers.
Budget plans for Democrats might be gone with the win
Of all the questionable forecasts in President Obama's $3.8 trillion budget for 2011, perhaps the most dubious is this: It assumes Congress will enact healthcare ...
State News
Oklahoma: State to cut nursing home Medicaid pay by 3.25%
Starting April 1, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority is reducing Medicaid reimbursements to nursing homes by 3.25%.
Features
Care from a distance: wound care in rural communities
Nursing facilities in rural areas have the challenge of staying on top of wound therapies as well as reaching patients who may live too far ...
Clean up the waste: cost savings through cleaner facilities
Inefficient laundry and housekeeping operations can generate unnecessary expenses. Improving cleaning practices is just one way to find extra savings
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds with...
Carol Benner, ScM, National Director, Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes Campaign
Ask the care expert
Ask the care expert: describing a resident's cognitive symptoms to a physician
Sherrie Dornberger, RNC, CDONA, FACDONA, President, NADONA
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the treatment expert: Chux pads vs. disposable incontinent briefs with patients on a low-air-loss mattress
Donna Sardina, RN, MHA, WCC, President, Wound Care Education Institute
Ask the nursing expert
Ask the nursing expert: maintaining staff levels during a blizzard
Anne Marie Barnett, RN Former President, Maryland NADONA/LTC
Ask the payment expert
Ask the payment expert: payment trends related to medical review
Patricia Boyer, MSM, NHA, RN, President, Boyer & Associates, LLC
Ask the legal expert
Ask the legal expert: the fine line between vendor gifts and kickbacks
John Durso, Esq. Ungaretti & Harris LLP
Pursuing excellence
Smart Money: effective methods for cutting long-term care expenses
The top concern these days for senior living CFOs is getting the budget in order.
Having my say
Measuring your worth
Outcomes measurement is the key to being accountable to patients, payers and physicians for rehabilitation therapy services.
Relationships are key
We always have the opportunity to share a "Hello" or "Good morning" or even to sit and enjoy a visit. Relationship building ... The opportunity ...
Design
Elegance in elder care: taking the drab out of rehab
An interior designer with a background in high-end home design brings his attention to detail and love of beauty to skilled nursing
How to do it…
How to do it... Information technology
One of the biggest stories of the year in long-term care will be the conversion to the new minimum data set assessment tool.
The big picture
The BIG Picture: five-star survey system to the rescue?
Want to raise a colleague's blood pressure? Just casually mention the government's five-star rating system.
Editor’s desk
Editor's Desk: Tough times? It's just a matter of perspective
I'm a big believer in the saying "Attitude determines altitude."
Profile
Profile: Mark McClellan - Washington wunderkind
Mark McClellan, Director and Fellow, Brookings Institution
