September 2018 39 9 Issue of McKnight's Long Term Care News
September 2018 issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
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News
Star ratings losing meaning, study finds
Nursing homes' publicly reported star ratings have increased substantially since the adoption of the Five-Star Quality Rating System.
Overhauled payment model hikes rates by $820 million
Almost lost in the dust-up over some aspects of the newly released Patient-Driven Payment Model is the fact that skilled nursing providers will receive a ...
Superbugs are more resistant
Multi-drug resistant superbugs, which can cause dangerous infections, are becoming increasingly resistant to alcohol-based hand sanitizers and disinfectants, according to an Australian study.
An early sign of Parkinson's
A thinning retina was correlated to progression of Parkinson's disease in new data published in an August issue of Neurology.
Senator demands staffing info
The ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance is demanding answers on how the federal government plans to better hold nursing homes accountable ...
Bundled pay scheme steers clear of SNFs
Hospitals participating in bundled payment efforts are actively reducing their use of skilled nursing care, according to a study in the August issue of Health ...
1,400 homes lose one star
Nearly 1,400 nursing homes recently lost star ratings on the Nursing Home Compare website because of allegedly inadequate numbers of registered nurses on staff or ...
Expo will offer MDS answers
Many providers are still trying to master new Minimum Data Set requirements, which are less than a month away.
Therapy pay switch provokes providers
Skilled nursing providers happily received word of a 2.4% Medicare pay increase in the government's final 2019 payment that was announced in late July.
State News
Features
Tech-policy junction
Providers respond to federal guidelines and share strategic thoughts on how long-term and post-acute care operators can rise and thrive in the digital world
DEL-ivering the goods
The long-term care profession's latest 'Big Data' initiative is making a noticeable splash in the early going, but wary stakeholders wonder: Will it be sustainable?
60 Seconds with...
Ask the care expert
Ask the care expert about ... bed recommendations and entrapment
We are updating our beds and are possibly adding an assessment to be sure our residents are not at risk for entrapment. Do you have ...
Resident care
Throat exercises favored for dysphagia
Exercise programs should be targeted at throat muscles, just like they might be for other parts of the body, in order to help older adults ...
Listening wins again: Music therapy for dementia care
Listening to music appears to be more effective in reducing agitation, behavioral symptoms and anxiety for older adults with dementia than does singing or playing ...
Ask the treatment expert
Ask the treatment expert about ... routine interventions
Is it necessary to document on the care plan the routine interventions we provide, such as a pressure-redistribution mattress or daily skin inspection?
Wound care
Dressing, tool bring skin tear advances
A simplified wound dressing plan, along with a decision-tree tool for wound management, can help nurses treating patients over the age 85, a new study ...
New plans are needed for germs causing wound pain
Gram-negative germs are associated with more severe wound pain, and alternative measures for treatment are needed, a new analysis shows.
Ask the nursing expert
Ask the nursing expert about ... interviewing potential employees
When interviewing potential nursing employees, is there a way to detect the ones I should not hire?
Nursing
House approves Nursing Workforce Bill
The House of Representatives reauthorized the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Act of 2017 (H.R. 959) in July.
Pay raises, reduced turnover rates paint brighter picture
Hourly pay for nursing home registered nurses and licensed practical nurses ticked up in 2018, according to the latest version of the industry's largest salary ...
Ask the payment expert
Ask the payment expert about ... the Drug Regimen Review quality measure
What do I need to know about the Drug Regimen Review quality measure that goes into effect Oct. 1?
Payment & policy
IRS denies provider appeal
The nation's largest skilled nursing trade group expressed "disappointment" and vowed to appeal an IRS decision that for-profit skilled nursing facilities may not benefit from ...
CMS proposes Medicare ACO overhaul, prods risk-taking
Impatient with the conservative participation in its Medicare Shared Savings Program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed an overhaul of its most ...
Ask the legal expert
Ask the legal expert about ... apologies
Is it smart to apologize to a resident or the resident's family, or will the apology increase the chances for a lawsuit against the organization?
Legal Matters
Retro pay not good enough, NLRB says
The National Labor Relations Board is hitting a nursing home operator for "unlawfully" suspending a merit-based raise program.
SNFs could lose children as payers if lawmakers step in
North Dakota is looking at a possible change to a state law that allows nursing homes to obtain unpaid debts from residents' adult children.
Design
Efficiency experts
Allendale Nursing and Rehabilitation Community's new model is designed to give staff more one-on-one time with residents
How to do it…
How to do it... Documenting bathing info
Although it technically is considered custodial care and not directly paid by Medicare, bathing is a critical part of the overall care long-term care residents ...
A day in the life
A Day in the Life:Resident gets her diploma at 92
It took 75 years longer than most, but Dorothy Leiss now has her high school diploma.
Technology
Voice assistants finding niche with elders
As voice recognition technologies such as Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple Homepod become more inexpensive and accessible, the long-term care profession has begun taking ...
New legislation attempts to boost telemedicine in SNFs
A bipartisan group of representatives introduced new legislation in July that would allow physicians to consult nursing homes via video, in the hopes of reducing ...
Opinion
Molalla on her mind
You wouldn't have seen any flashing lights or scurrying EMTs, but it was still a major crisis. The nursing home resident was completely out of ...
Reader poll: "How do you make your staff smile?"
Reader poll: "How do you make your staff smile?"
Company news
Extendicare CEO departing
Tim Lukenda is stepping down as president and CEO of Extendicare after a decade on the job, the Markham, Ontario, company announced in late July.
ProMedica hospital system closes HCR ManorCare deal
The ProMedica hospital system finalized its purchase of fellow Toledo, OH-based HCR ManorCare, the country's second largest post-acute and long-term care operator, in late July.
Vendor news
Ageless Innovation has 'purrfect' solution
What is black and white and loved all over? The answer: a tuxedo cat.
BlueStrata EHR acquired as part of Mediware's strategy
Mediware has acquired BlueStrata EHR, a cloud-based software system focused on the skilled nursing and assisted living markets.
Editor’s desk
HCR ManorCare staffers are rarin' for a rebound
A lot has been made about ProMedica's acquisition of the once-proud nursing home giant HCR ManorCare. And rightfully so.
