May 2015 36 5 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
The May 2015 issue of McKnight's.
big picture
What the future holds
Like many people, I often wonder what operators should be doing to prep for the road ahead. So when the final program for last month's ...
News
Ventas SNF spin-off could be a template for other REITs
Ventas, the massive healthcare real estate investment trust may be on the path to becoming a long-term care trendsetter once again.
Final bill for rehab dispute: $1.2 million
A Maine skilled nursing facility has agreed to pay $1.2 million to the federal government to settle allegations it did not prevent RehabCare Group East ...
Suit: SNF liable for overdose
A nursing home owner whose former employee died of an overdose is being sued in San Luis Obispo (CA) Superior Court.
Education for opioids needed
Patients need more information about pain control and opioid misuse, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
PAD treatment is 'palliative'
Most nursing home residents with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) were not more mobile after lower extremity revascularization, according to a new analysis.
Feds to target value, outlays
Providers can kiss fee-for-service payments goodbye, says Kathleen Sebelius.
'Doc fix' legislation facing fewer hurdles
Providers found themselves holding their breath again at press time over a potential "fix" to a Medicare doctor payment formula that officially triggered a 21% ...
'Cost of care' put at $91,250
Providers may be under increased reimbursement restraints, but consumers might have a hard time believing it. The median charge for a private room in a ...
State News
State News for May 2015
ILLINOIS — The state's House of Representatives will soon debate a new bill that would allow nursing home residents and their families to place video ...
Features
Ready for a makeover
It's imperative to roll out an appeal for new long-term care digs in the right way, starting with a master plan, and a strategy to ...
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds With .. Beth Burnham Mace
Q: Do rising prices for properties in this field reflect an improving economy, or is something else going on?
Resident care
Excessive use of catheters is harming residents: AMDA
Urinary catheters shouldn't be used routinely to manage urinary incontinence, according to new guidelines released by The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA).
Ask the care expert ... about often missed areas
We should go over selecting footwear, socks or whatever the resident prefers to wear — and to be sure that the socks or stockings are ...
Wound care
Wound care riddles remain, despite $11 billion price tag
There are a lot of questions still swirling around why certain residents develop pressure ulcers, but it's unquestionable they remain a costly problem for long-term ...
Dressings provide an alternative to NPWT
When it comes to treating chronic lesions such as postsurgical or stage IV pressure ulcers, one of the most effective treatments is negative pressure wound ...
Nursing
Ask the Nursing Expert ... about patient-centered care
The National Quality Forum recently declared, "Person- and family-centered care emphasizes the inclusivity of recipients of healthcare services and their families and caregivers.
Inability to bathe may signal additional problems to come
Bathing disability is a "sentinel" event in the disabling process, one that deserves more attention as nurses and other long-term care staff seek to alleviate ...
Male RNs out-earning female colleagues
Female nurses may outnumber male nurses 10 to 1, but men in the profession still make more per capita, according to a report published in ...
Payment & policy
Interoperability pressured
Congress is getting more involved in healthcare interoperability. Lawmakers have proposed legislation calling for changes to the process in order to speed up and broaden ...
Ask the Payment Expert ... about Change of Therapy assessment
A COT is required when the RUG level increases or decreases. If you do not complete a COT when required, you will be considered to ...
Design
Rehab amid the treetops
Post-surgical patients at a 140-year-old organization can bathe themselves in healing, natural light as they engage in therapy.
How to do it…
How to do it ... Refinancing
There are many sound reasons for long-term care providers to refinance, says Chris Taylor, managing director, Real Estate Finance, GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services.
A day in the life
Staying connected at Windsor Park
When Community Consolidated School District 93 in Bloomingdale, IL, upgraded its computer hardware, it wanted to know if it could donate 25 laptop computers to ...
I couldn't live without...
I Couldn't Live Without ... Eldermark
While preparing to open Avanti Senior Living communities, COO Lori Alford needed the right electronic medical records system.
Technology
New software confirms it: Getting old costs a fortune
New software is helping financial advisors advise clients on their long-term care plans.
I Couldn't Live Without ... Novaerus
Robert Reed clearly recalls the moment in 2012 when he and colleagues became impressed with a Novaerus air sanitizing system.
Dates, accurate data remain problems, MDS expert warns
Accuracy mistakes in MDS 3.0 data may cause additional payment problems, a reimbursement expert warns.
Opinion
When silence is golden
We don't have crickets in long-term care, but we should. They're very soothing insects. Experts on Crickipedia maintain that they actually emit four different sounds ...
Resident care
Alzheimer's diagnoses not being shared
Only 45% of people with Alzheimer's disease or their caregivers say they were told the diagnosis by their doctor, according to the 2015 Alzheimer's Disease ...
Company news
Greystone acquires Autumn amid a troubling indictment
Florida-based Greystone Healthcare Management has forged ahead with its acquisition of Autumn Health Care despite the central Ohio chain's former owner being indicted on charges ...
Hebrew Home needs to sell
Due to economic hardship, Hebrew Hospital Home is seeking a New York court's permission to sell its 160-bed senior residence facility in Westchester County.
Editor’s desk
Not the ideal vision for taking care of business
Never mind the mantras about the long-term care profession being "high touch." The focus has been hijacked and it appears most providers are now consumed ...
Profile
Profile: Kari Olson
The mother of 5-year-old twins and president of the Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing in California, Kari Olson epitomizes work-life balance.
