May 2012 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
News
Supreme Court ruling might affect LTC in numerous ways
It remains unclear whether the Supreme Court will invalidate President Obama's healthcare law. But it's becoming increasingly obvious if a repeal were to happen, long-term ...
New LTC business models needed: expert
As if providers don't already have enough on their minds, a leading analyst recently offered his prescription for future success: change dramatically.
CMS changes course on new hiring rules
Federal regulators have reversed course and will not require nursing homes to hire consultant pharmacists to review residents' medication regimens.
Nursing applications balloon
Many qualified nursing school applicants continue to be turned away due to lack of faculty and teaching space, according to a nursing association analysis.
Infections can breed clot risk
Seniors suffering from any type of infection are more likely to be hospitalized for dangerous blood clots in their deep veins or lungs, a new ...
Post-stroke screens needed
Providers who treat stroke sufferers need to do a better job of screening them for depression, a new study suggests.
New tools aid HCBS choices
State Medicaid programs will have greater ability in providing home- and community-based services to elderly and disabled individuals, according to new regulations.
Cuts will force belt tightening
Many skilled nursing operators taking part in a new survey said they planned to lay off employees, slash benefits and delay building plans due to ...
Supreme Court ruling expected by late June
In a much-awaited decision, the Supreme Court is expected to rule in late June on whether the nation's new healthcare law is legal.
State News
Elder abuse bill pushed
Lawmakers in Colorado are trying to change the fact that their state is one of only four that do not have mandatory reporting laws governing ...
Features
LEEDing the way
Operators who chose to pursue certification touting their devotion to environmentally friendly construction practices can reap big rewards.
Drawing a safe bath
One of the most frequent caregiving tasks also can be one of the most dangerous, with providers needing to stay current on what can keep ...
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds with Cynthia Morton
Executive vice president for the National Association for the Support of Long term Care
Resident care
Residents prefer caregivers who will sit down on the job
The subtle difference between standing and sitting next to a patient or resident can make a huge difference in that person's perception of their care, ...
Ask the treatment expert
What's the best way to prevent skin tears?
A skin tear is a traumatic wound resulting from separation of the epidermis (top layer) from the dermis (underlying layer). The aging process causes older ...
Wound care
Documentation is critical in wound care lawsuits: expert
Provider documentation is the key to avoiding costly wound care mishaps in a nursing facility, an expert attorney explained at a McKnight's Online Expo session.
Women's estrogen levels may slow healing
University of California investigators recently documented one reason why wounds tend to heal more slowly in women: estrogen levels.
Ask the nursing expert
How are SNFs handling residents who use e-cigarettes?
In speaking with a dozen or more facilities, the e-cigarette seems to be handled in an individual facility- or corporate-wide policy. Many facilities are not ...
Nursing
Uniform colors seen as way to discern wristbands' intent
Healthcare systems should adopt more uniform color-coding of patient wristbands or implement barcode systems to reduce potential for errors across inpatient settings, nursing experts say.
Study: More RN-LPN coordination needed
Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses often have interchangeable responsibilities in nursing homes, which can lead to more medication errors, according to newly announced results ...
Can you suggest some stress management tips?
Help defining stress, emotional and physical; clarify some of the myths related to stress; review some of the signs and symptoms, again, emotionally and physically.
Ask the payment expert
What's the best way to prevent Immediate Jeopardy citations?
We've been assisting facilities in several states with Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) resolutions. One of the big changes we are seeing is that when an IJ ...
Payment & policy
Overpayment rule is based on bad assumptions, expert says
Regulators have severely underestimated added costs that would result under a proposed rule requiring the prompt return of self-detected reimbursement overpayments, according to at least ...
'Bad debt' funds mourned
Skilled nursing facilities will experience $3 billion less in Medicare funding over the next 10 years due to recently passed legislation. A handful of states ...
Legal Matters
Surveyors not ruled biased for seeking $42,600 in fines
A Jewish nursing home in Pennsylvania has been turned back in its attempt to have a penalty reviewed that it said resulted from a biased ...
Nursing home workers sue over insurance
Two former nursing home employees may be headed to trial over what they say is their previous employer's failure to pay into a group health ...
Pursuing excellence
You must see the future
Nonprofit community "Type A" contracts require the organization to offer extensive life care services. This may include a refundable portion of the entrance fee to ...
Having my say
Embracing higher ed
Baccalaureate and higher degrees are under-represented among LTC nurses. More than half of the directors of nursing, who represent the highest position in the nursing ...
Design
A home by Providence
An intergenerational campus infused with a French flair makes this skilled nursing community in southern Indiana like none other.
How to do it…
How to do it... Finance
Obtaining capital to keep one's long-term care operation running smoothly and improving is always a challenge. But there are times when an operator should consider ...
A day in the life
Operation Hire a Veteran
Hiring veterans to work in long-term care facilities is a no-brainer for nursing home administrator Steve Pazulski — a Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom ...
I couldn't live without...
I couldn't live without...Ergolet Luna overhead lift
Mike Harmer, the director of environmental services at the Ohio Eastern Star Nursing Home in Mt.
Technology
Taking heart: Technology is playing larger role in care
More than six million American adults — including many nursing home residents — suffer from heart failure. But, while the prevalence of this disease has ...
Opinion
Don't be shy: step out
Shy people hate crosswalks. I know, because I'm a shy person — and I hate crosswalks.
Resident care
Hospitalization harms memory, cognition
Seniors who have been hospitalized have a higher risk for experiencing a cognitive decline, a new study finds.
Company news
Improving economy will help senior living field, expert says
Senior living operators should be cautiously optimistic due to the rebounding economy and increased consumer confidence, a lead economist said in March.
Kindred sheds more facilities
Kindred Healthcare announced it will not be renewing another lease agreement with Ventas for six nursing and rehabilitation centers and two long-term care facilities.
Vendor news
The merger of two e-learning firms seen as a good sign
Two online training companies for post-acute healthcare workers have announced a merger.
Dementia drug dosage comes under fire
The Food and Drug Administration "breached its own regulatory standard" when it permitted a new dosage for a best-selling Alzheimer's drug, according to two professors ...
The big picture
Knowing when it's time
I bought my wife an iPad about a week before it was announced a new model would soon be released. I had a similar experience ...
Editor’s desk
When nursing homes throw money around
Even in generosity, it seems, nursing home leaders can't catch a break. The headlines, from the Washington Post to the Huffington Post, implied as much. ...
Letters
Who is Your Biggest Professional Inspiration? May 2012 Reader Poll
Reader Poll Responses for May 2012
Profile
Better policies her policy
From an early age onward, Judy Feder learned how to stick up for herself. The third of four girls raised by an English immigrant salesman ...
