October 2012 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
The top stories from McKnight's Long-Term Care News, October 2012
News
J&J settles Risperdal suit for $181 million
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, will pay $181 million to settle charges that it marketed antipsychotic medications for medically unapproved purposes.
Healthcare reform, Medicare just pawns on campaign trail
When it comes to healthcare reform and Medicare, long-term care operators tend to focus on the so-called small pieces. These include things such as therapy ...
Hospital-stay clause irks skilled facilities
Long-term care lobbyists have intensified the bright light shining into hospitals' practice of classifying more patients as under "observation" status.
Medicare reforms not enough?
Medicare payment reforms in the Affordable Care Act might lead to more efficient treatment cycles, but they might not wind up lowering overall payouts to ...
Dishing dirt on understaffing
A spike in the number of hand hygiene deficiencies cited in nursing homes is linked to inadequate staffing, new research reveals.
Dental habits, dementia tied
Poor dental hygiene is linked to a higher risk for developing dementia in older age, a study found.
Ancillary costs pound seniors
Up to a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries are spending more than what their total assets are worth in the last years of their lives due ...
Feds may void invalid forms
Overcoding or undercoding incontinence in the MDS 3.0 remains a problem in many facilities, an expert cautions.
State News
Payments, not punitive measures, at heart of plan
OHIO - A plan to incentivize providers for better care with financial rewards instead of penalties is gaining traction among the state's 970 nursing homes. ...
Features
HUD leads in lending
With rock-bottom interest rates and lines out the door, public finance agencies are still underwriting scores of transactions in the skilled nursing sector.
Antipsyched-out?
Amid the hubbub about alleged abuse and questionable deployment, experts remind that a multi-step approach can curb antipsychotic drug use
Record salaries for top-level positions
Incremental raises earned by many long-term care workers are being eroded by increases in their own healthcare costs and shrinking bonuses, according to the nation's ...
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds With...Larry Minnix
It's no secret that in this economy many of our members have faced financial stress. Some have faced conditions beyond their control, like opening a ...
Ask the care expert
What are some tips for keeping a new ostomy in place?
First of all, congratulations for getting her back to her pre-hospital activities! Now that the activities have increased, chances are the appliance that was fit ...
Resident care
Unusual fall prevention tool: glass of wine
Although nursing home medical directors might want to do a little research before prescribing a glass of wine at every meal, there is some evidence ...
Delirium is linked to cognitive decline and mortality: study
Seniors who have experienced episodes of delirium have a significant risk of developing dementia, research suggests.
Ask the treatment expert
Do you recommend Negative Pressure Wound Therapies?
If you do not currently use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) you may want to investigate and consider this excellent option.
Wound care
For many residents, the shoe doesn't fit
Many people with diabetes wear shoes that may contribute to pressure ulcer formation, according to Dutch investigators. Their simple solution: better-designed footwear that actually offloads ...
Molecular interaction finding could lead to new treatments
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have uncovered a molecular interaction between two cell types that may play a key role in wound healing. Their ...
Ask the nursing expert
How should I handle a young, salary-obsessed nurse?
Start by reviewing her resume, if you haven't already, to get a better idea of her career background. This will probably take more than one ...
Nursing
C. diff transmissions more prevalent than thought
Clostridium difficile transmission and mortality rates are far higher in nursing homes and other healthcare settings than the most recent government statistics suggest, an investigation ...
Experienced nurses unlikely to embrace protocols: study
Long-time nurse managers or directors are the biggest barriers to implementing new evidence-based care practices, a survey finds.
Ask the payment expert
Ask the payment expert: How well are the new MDS rules working?
Now that we are a few months after the April MDS assessment changes, how are rules working for facilities?
Payment & policy
Claims facing more scrutiny from auditors, survey shows
If providers feels like they're under more intense scrutiny than ever before from Medicare recovery audit contractors, there is a good reason: They are.
GAO: Medicaid flaws found
People seeking Medicaid coverage for long-term care are subjected to differing asset-verification checks among the states, a new report finds.
Ask the legal expert
Ask the legal expert: How do facilities respond to HCBS push?
Every now and then a resident clamors to be "let out" to go live independently because of all the home- and community-based services push they're ...
Legal Matters
Higher authority may hear religious suit
A former nursing home activities aide allegedly fired over refusing to pray the rosary with a Catholic resident can proceed with a religious discrimination claim, ...
The cost of retaliation against operator? $25 million in NY
A former long-term care provider has achieved a $25 million victory over state authorities. Brook Chambery, the owner of the long-closed Beechwood Restorative Care Center ...
Pursuing excellence
Be measurably fabulous
On the heels of American Health Care Association announcing the adoption of PointRight's OnPoint-30 rehospitalization metric, you may be wondering what it means exactly and ...
Design
It's a whole new ballgame
Built on the same footprint as a Baltimore sports landmark, a new Green House home draws cheers from staff and residents alike
How to do it…
How to do it...Rehabilitation
Long-term care provides a myriad of vital care options, but with revenue pressures at an all-time high, few are being looked at with such an ...
A day in the life
A jazz band for the ages
Nursing home residents — especially long-term residents — deserve to have the best entertainment that money can buy. Unfortunately, most nursing home activity directors don't ...
I couldn't live without...
I couldn't live without...MDI Achieve's Matrix eMar
The prospect of changing from a completely paper-based facility to a "wired" one might seem daunting, but for employees of Parkview Haven in Francesville, IN, ...
Technology
'Magic carpet' may curb falls among senior living residents
University of Manchester Researchers recently demonstrated a technology-enhanced "magic carpet" that may detect or prevent falls among nursing home residents.
Opinion
Stress mismanagement
I should have known right then that too much job-related stress was finally getting to me.
Company news
Top not-for-profits listed
The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society led the list of largest non-for-profit senior living operators in 2011, according to the annual Leading Age/Ziegler 100 report.
Healthcare REIT buying spree grabs Sunrise Senior Living
Health Care REIT Inc. will acquire Sunrise Senior Living for $844.6 million in cash, creating a mammoth senior living company that will send ripples through ...
Vendor news
AHCA picks PointRight metric for group's quality initiative
The American Health Care Association will incorporate PointRight's OnPoint-30 methodology of calculating case-mix adjusted hospitalization metric into its national quality initiative, both organizations announced.
Drug pipelines far from full, report finds
With new and novel medicines launched the last couple of years for diseases such as cancer, hepatitis C virus and multiple sclerosis, one would think ...
Business & Marketing
1982 all over again?
Now might be the time to be bullish while others are not. Morningstar, a leading provider of independent investment research, hosts an annual conference for ...
The big picture
Silly season in full bloom
The Democrats and Republicans have wrapped up their conventions. Labor Day has passed. Cable TV is on a 24/7 news cycle. And unprecedented funding is ...
Editor’s desk
Odd how the dust settles, as moving day reminds us
When you move workspaces, there are endless unexpected discoveries. Some depress, some thrill, some just boggle the mind.
Profile
Say 'Guten Tag' to Gehm
Frankenmuth, MI, is a quaint Bavarian village about 90 miles north of Detroit that draws tourists from around the United States and Canada.
