November 2013 34 11 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
Top stories from the November 2013 issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News.
News
McDermott targets the 'three-day rule'
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) has introduced legislation that would eliminate a major hurdle to rehabilitation care and payments: the "three-day rule."
SNF discharges tied to income
The rate at which nursing home residents are hospitalized is linked to how well a state provides healthcare for low-income people, according to a report ...
AHCA leader: Progress made
The leader of the nation's largest nursing home association trumpeted gains made over the last three years but also exhorted members to press for more ...
Dementia care cited as 'main' LTC concern
Dementia care will be increasingly at the forefront for long-term care providers, according to a new report from Alzheimer's Disease International.
LTC staff: worst with flu shots
Nursing home workers were worst among similar employee groups in geting a flu vaccine last season, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials. ...
C. diff sources 'diverse': study
New research challenges assumptions about how Clostridium difficile is transmitted.
Personality is tied to LTC use
Seniors who are neurotic are more likely to receive care in a nursing home, according to research in The Milbank Quarterly.
Court nixes 3-day challenge, says doctors should decide
A federal district court in Connecticut has dismissed a case filed by more than a dozen beneficiaries who challenged Medicare's "three-day rule."
Financing reform rift in LTC commission
The Commission on Long-Term Care has released its full report to Congress, but some commissioners broke ranks, saying the bipartisan panel did not fulfill its ...
McKnight's Roundtable: Changes ahead
Top long-term care officers tackled some of the field's main challenges, exchanged perspectives on new opportunities and shared ideas on what the future might hold.
State News
State News
ARIZONA — U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) has put forward a bill that would allow government funding for veteran nursing homes built on Native American ...
Features
Rules of engagement
Personalized programming is a hallmark of effective, enriching dementia care; providing what's needed becomes easier by knowing habits and preferences.
Wounds unwelcome
As hospitals look for post-acute provider partners, skilled nursing operators must gauge their effectiveness at post-operative care and wound prevention
60 Seconds with...
60 seconds with ... author Deborah Shouse
Q: How did the book, which chronicles your mother's Alzheimer's disease, come to be? A: I started journaling and writing down what happened every time we ...
Ask the care expert
Ask the care expert ... about the high-dose flu vaccine
We are training our staff, residents and family members on the annual flu vaccines. I hear that this year a high-dose vaccine is available. Does ...
Resident care
Exercise program helps keep residents on their feet: study
Mobility limitations are often a warning sign for upcoming functional decline in seniors, and exercise can help, according to new research.
Caution needed with cognitive enhancers
Cognitive enhancers, such as donepezil or rivastigmine, do not improve function in those who have mild cognitive impairment over the long term, new research reveals.
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the treatment expert ... about signs and symptoms of wound infection
Can you supply a good primer for aides and others to determine whether a wound is infected?
Wound care
Rising foot temperature can precede wound development
Does increased skin temperature indicate a foot ulcer may occur? The answer appears to be yes, a new study has found.
Studies take aim at diabetic foot ulcers
Nursing home residents with diabetic foot ulcers face a heightened risk for additional problems, including foot amputations. Researchers at the University of Arizona Medical Center ...
Nursing
Nurse practitioners struggle to be taken seriously: study
Nurse practitioners are among professionals who are often misunderstood, according to a new management study.
'Prosocial' bonuses at work boost mood
Giving employees money to spend on charities or their coworkers is a way to increase job satisfaction and performance, according to Duke University research.
Ask the nursing expert ... about stopping staff turnover
As one of the leaders in my nursing facility, how do I stop turnover and motivate my staff to improve our performance?
Ask the payment expert
Payment & policy
PET scans for Alzheimer's rejected for Medicare pay
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services released an action plan for tackling Alzheimer's diagnostics, treatment and funding.
DME bidding saved 37%
A second group of contracts in a competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment items showed savings of more than one-third, according to the Centers ...
Ask the legal expert
Ask the legal expert ... about loan defaults and negotiations
Our facility is encountering financial difficulties. What do we need to keep in mind about the legal implications of defaults under our loan documents and ...
Legal Matters
Resident's gruesome death warrants steep fines: court
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services was justified in fining a Kentucky skilled nursing facility $4,050 a day for three months following a resident's ...
Judge calls CMS cuts 'arbitrary, capricious'
A group of nursing home operators recently won a moral victory over the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services when a federal appeals court ruled ...
How to do it…
How to do it ... continuing education
Continuing education (CE) choices abound, and while time and money usually shape decisions, trying to get the most for both is a wise tactic. Most ...
A day in the life
Residents' artwork goes viral
Smile. That's the title of Mae Cleveland's colorful painting that won Best Overall Artwork in Signature HealthCARE's recent "Reflect N Us" competition.
Couldn't live without
I couldn't live without ... Fast World Works inventory management
As the chief operating officer for MasterCare Inc., a skilled nursing management company, Bryan Hornsby has to keep track of all the equipment in multiple ...
Technology
Newly unveiled artificial leg uses mind control to function
Nursing home residents with an amputated leg might soon gain new walking independence, thanks to a motorcycle accident victim and researchers at the Rehabilitation Institute ...
ITUpdate
» The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently issued the latest version of the Minimum Data Set 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument User's Manual. The ...
Opinion
Playing it forward
It wasn't expected. He just up and died. One day he was happily walking the Earth with the rest of us, the next he was ...
Company news
Five Star makes changes to rely less on public funding
Five Star Quality Care recently transferred operations of two rehabilitation hospitals in Massachusetts to Reliant Hospital Partners, marking the latest move in the company's dramatic ...
Advisors draft new Blueprint
High-profile long-term care veterans have teamed up to create a new senior housing investment advisory group based in Chicago.
CompanyBriefs
» The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society partnered with AARP to pilot the "Connecting to Community" program to reduce social isolation. Residents at four Good ...
Business & Marketing
The name is bonds
The cycle of rising interest rates might have begun by the time you read this, which means CFOs should act to make the most of ...
The big picture
An expensive doorstop
It's hard to reflect on the Commission on Long-Term Care's recently submitted report without getting hacked off. To call it a fool's errand would be ...
Editor’s desk
Table talk: You have to listen to the right people
When we at McKnight's host a special roundtable discussion, I look forward to getting to know the esteemed participants. Captains of the profession, they typically ...
Profile
Profile: Still answering many calls
When he entered nursing school, Steve Proctor was answering a call to serve others that he first heard years earlier. As a child growing up ...
