September 2011 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
September 2011
News
Following freeze, wages are starting to thaw
Admins hit $93,000 while DONs surpass the $81,000 level
Industry-backed report warns that cuts could hit $79 billion
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently unveiled a Medicare plan that trims Medicare payments by 11.1%, beginning Oct. 1. But the real impact ...
CNAs sentenced for 'greasing' residents
Two nursing assistants were sentenced to 20 days in a county jail and two years of probation for covering elderly residents in slippery ointment at ...
Providers worry over debt-reduction panel
Long-term care providers are keeping a wary eye on a Congressional "super committee" that has been given the task of reforming entitlement programs. The panel ...
Memory trick: take vitamins
Adults who took vitamin and mineral supplements for 10 years exhibited better long-term memory skills than those who took placebos, new study results show.
Dementia tied to sleep apnea
Elderly women with sleep apnea had an 85% higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, a study found.
McKnight's earns top honors
McKnight's Long-Term Care News has been honored with three 2011 American Society of Business Publication Editors awards.
Aide subsidies help retention
Government-backed subsidies lowered employee turnover rates by more than 30%, according to a new study of group homes. The result gives hope to skilled nursing ...
Surging rents get due credit
There's cautious optimism in the seniors housing sector. Occupancy rates have held firm and rent growth has shown slight gains, according to second quarter data ...
Plan to cut funding gets strong rebuke
Long-term care officials excoriated a federal proposal to trim Medicare payments by more than 11%.
State News
Nursing home residents risk losing bed holds
Ongoing Medicaid program cuts have now led to a game of musical chairs in the state's nursing homes, which no longer can hold the room ...
Features
Surviving scrutiny
Faster-paced regulatory climate requires facilities to adopt 'culture change' in order to meet new corporate compliance initiatives coming in the next few years
No regret shopping
Time, research spent exploring options will pay off in bathing unit and lift buys
60 Seconds with...
60 Seconds with...Alan Rosenbloom
Alan Rosenbloom, President, Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care
Resident care
Ask the care expert: If we have an RAC audit, can we also get an additional review from it?
Sherrie Dornberger, RNC, CDONA, FACDONA, President, NADONA
Survey shows seniors desire companionship at mealtime
Dining in the company of at least one person is tied to decreased feelings of loneliness and healthier eating overall for seniors, according to a ...
Study: Parkinson's drug warnings ignored
More than half of U.S. Parkinson's disease patients are taking antipsychotic medications, despite U.S. Food and Drug Administration warnings that the practice could pose a ...
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the treatment expert: What is the best way to measure a wound?
Susan Wickard, RN, BSN, CWCN, CWS, CLNC Clinical Advisor, American Association for LTC Nursing
Wound care
Optical fiber showing promise as potential wound care tool
Swiss researchers from the Technology in Textiles (TechinTex) project are working on a new type of wound dressing that could make it easier for providers ...
Nursing
Ask the nursing expert: What orientation advice do you have for a new DON?
Anne Marie Barnett, RN President, Maryland NADONA/LTC
Resident handling programs can minimize worker injuries
The growing disparity between the average American's weight and safe lifting requirements presents a challenge for long-term care workers who perform heavy lifting. As a ...
Ask the payment expert
Ask the payment expert: Coping with RUG payment reductions, Part II
Patricia Boyer, MSM, NHA, RN, President, Boyer & Associates, LLC
Payment & policy
Higher regulatory demands, money for hospice providers
When others were sweating out funding threats or declines, hospice providers were able to enjoy the announcement of a 2.5% rise in Medicare payments for ...
Study: Part D cuts costs
Medicare's young prescription drug coverage program has brought down admissions to nursing homes and hospitals, thereby cutting healthcare costs by $12 billion, researchers say.
Ask the legal expert
Ask the legal expert: How can I legally limit my nurses' penchant for texting?
John Durso, Esq. Ungaretti & Harris LLP
Legal Matters
Court upholds decision that limits payments for therapy
A federal court ruled in favor of a fiscal intermediary's decision to exclude the allocation of nursing administration costs to therapy costs in Medicare reimbursements ...
EEOC: Work rule doesn't have a prayer
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing a Florida nursing and rehabilitation facility for firing a certified nursing assistant who did not want to ...
Having my say
My twinkling star
As the social services and activity director in a 92-bed skilled nursing facility, I am fortunate to share in a precious season of residents' lives. ...
Design
Design decisions: Rehab front and center
Operator places rehab unit near the entrance to motivate workers, provide ease-of-use for residents and to entice prospective clients
A day in the life
A Day in the Life: A life of achievement
Seniors are often given awards for their military service or cinematic accomplishments. Nadine Grosso, vice president and director of communications for the Maine Health Care ...
I couldn't live without...
I couldn't live without...BulkTV
Prior to adopting BulkTV satellite television, Todd Couzins, director of information services at Cross Keys Village — The Brethren Home Community, was getting dozens of ...
Technology
Survey: More nursing homes are considering e-prescribing
Most facility operators responding to a new survey say that their next technology-related purchase will be an e-prescribing system. That's according to findings relayed in ...
Company news
Companies regroup for 2012 following Medicare cut news
Faced with a shaky economy and a slash in Medicare reimbursement for 2012, skilled nursing facility operators spent August reassessing their financial strategies.
Wide Ensign buying spree
The Ensign Group purchased several long-term care facilities over the summer. It bought nine skilled nursing and assisted living facilities from Careage Management, along with ...
Vendor news
Suggested device approval revamp gets shrug from FDA
The Food and Drug Administration is moving cautiously on a call by the Institute of Medicine to scrap the approvals process currently used for many ...
Pfizer mulls possible OTC Lipitor switch
Pfizer is reportedly weighing an attempt at an over-the-counter switch for Lipitor — a move that could help the company recoup some of its losses ...
Business & Marketing
Smart Money: Spooked by the news?
The financial headlines show the ugly economic data pouring in like a fast flowing river. First-quarter GDP numbers exhibited a measly 1.8% increase and second-quarter ...
How to do it: Information technology
Demands and expectations in the health information field are booming. Interoperability is the buzzword when discussing information technology for long-term care. This article offers expert ...
The big picture
Job one: More workers
Much of the recent economic news has been fairly grim. Rating agencies downgraded our nation's credit score — and the value of some of the ...
Editor’s desk
The editor's desk: All of a sudden, holidays aren't looking so festive
If you thought the politicians' recent stomach-turning brinksmanship over the national debt ceiling wasn't fun — and who did? — you have no reason to ...
Profile
What a long, strange trip
Should a visitor ever go into labor at eldercare's St. Leonard Franciscan Living Community in Centreville, OH, never fear: The executive director knows his way ...
