http://www.mcknights.com Latest articles from McKnight's Long Term Care News This week, U.S. lawmakers return to the task of crafting legislation that will reform the nation's healthcare system. One study has found that a House reform proposal could eliminate the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" by 2023. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3_zd00zwAr6Rjup5Z-Mj73-spYM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3_zd00zwAr6Rjup5Z-Mj73-spYM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3_zd00zwAr6Rjup5Z-Mj73-spYM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3_zd00zwAr6Rjup5Z-Mj73-spYM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/PDR5Wegzbjo" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/PDR5Wegzbjo/ Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Avalere-House-proposal-could-close-Medicare-Part-D-doughnut-hole-by-2023/article/139501/ The U.S. Senate has confirmed Kathy Greenlee, a strong proponent of home- and community-based services, as the next assistant secretary of aging in the Department of Health and Human Services. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/376lwyUgqqiqEiSg8aux-sy71Vk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/376lwyUgqqiqEiSg8aux-sy71Vk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/376lwyUgqqiqEiSg8aux-sy71Vk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/376lwyUgqqiqEiSg8aux-sy71Vk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/tnCws5QsNik" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/tnCws5QsNik/ Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:20:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Greenlee-confirmed-as-head-of-aging-in-HHS/article/139500/ McKnight's Long-Term Care News received four editorial awards in this year's APEX Awards for Publication Excellence competition. That brings the number of APEX distinctions to 10 in the last three years. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QA2XSmhtqc2-U9Z3KqeaXWaQ1JY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QA2XSmhtqc2-U9Z3KqeaXWaQ1JY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QA2XSmhtqc2-U9Z3KqeaXWaQ1JY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/QA2XSmhtqc2-U9Z3KqeaXWaQ1JY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/mPWeToaJ7f8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/mPWeToaJ7f8/ Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:30:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/McKnights-honored-in-2009-APEX-Awards-contest/article/139499/ You may not know Josh Wiener, but if you're in long-term care you are probably familiar with his work. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/XMNVdVE3a08AefQZ3Vd7xZvWaCA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/XMNVdVE3a08AefQZ3Vd7xZvWaCA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/XMNVdVE3a08AefQZ3Vd7xZvWaCA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/XMNVdVE3a08AefQZ3Vd7xZvWaCA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/LQjT5c5LWbI" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/LQjT5c5LWbI/ Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:43:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Profile-Joshua-M-Wiener-Senior-Fellow-RTI-International/article/139495/ Tuesday at midnight was the deadline for most states to have completed their budget proposals for the coming fiscal year. Many didn't make it, placing state services, including Medicaid programs, at risk of significant cuts. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hw92WQu1CgDo1YGRCa6V0nhII_w/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hw92WQu1CgDo1YGRCa6V0nhII_w/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hw92WQu1CgDo1YGRCa6V0nhII_w/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hw92WQu1CgDo1YGRCa6V0nhII_w/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/46wc7Apa4ls" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/46wc7Apa4ls/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Several-states-miss-budget-deadline-putting-Medicaid-services-at-risk/article/139436/ The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday proposed reducing Medicare payment rates for physicians by 21.5% in calendar year 2010. It also disclosed other physician payment reforms as part of the administration's healthcare reform agenda. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pHyKAaVHMV6Rxlvy31I0AZ_gEsE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pHyKAaVHMV6Rxlvy31I0AZ_gEsE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pHyKAaVHMV6Rxlvy31I0AZ_gEsE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pHyKAaVHMV6Rxlvy31I0AZ_gEsE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/pHaHEZbW38s" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/pHaHEZbW38s/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:10:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/CMS-proposes-physician-Medicare-payment-rate-cut-in-2010/article/139434/ A slew of statin-supporting studies have been released recently. They tout the blood thinner's benefits for the elderly on everything from heart disease to Alzheimer's to stroke. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6HQV-2K3NcXVExAjnAY4h_rPLlk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6HQV-2K3NcXVExAjnAY4h_rPLlk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6HQV-2K3NcXVExAjnAY4h_rPLlk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6HQV-2K3NcXVExAjnAY4h_rPLlk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/c3BYKZlEPsc" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/c3BYKZlEPsc/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:15:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Three-cheers-for-statins-multiple-studies-highlight-benefits-of-its-use-among-elderly/article/139433/ A new report from a mental law advocacy group rekindles the debate over where to house the mentally ill. The time seems ripe to reexamine the issue. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p93MTW6Qoo9tiCAFwFzEQJyjreo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p93MTW6Qoo9tiCAFwFzEQJyjreo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p93MTW6Qoo9tiCAFwFzEQJyjreo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p93MTW6Qoo9tiCAFwFzEQJyjreo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/pS3GbRCvEB4" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/pS3GbRCvEB4/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:30:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Editors-Blog-Who-should-care-for-the-mentally-ill/article/139432/ McKnight's will not publish its Daily Update on Friday in observance of the Fourth of July holiday. Publication will resume on Monday. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RkSkkwipcHZghYl3PwrPz6dBiuo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RkSkkwipcHZghYl3PwrPz6dBiuo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RkSkkwipcHZghYl3PwrPz6dBiuo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RkSkkwipcHZghYl3PwrPz6dBiuo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/ecqVuTFOhOQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/ecqVuTFOhOQ/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:25:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/McKnights-Daily-Update-to-pause-for-Independence-Day/article/139396/ A 10-year-old Supreme Court ruling is being dusted off to make the case for taking the mentally ill out of nursing homes and supporting them in the community and at home. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/N04Q4FQm4cy5smRw8scjKfg5XTI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/N04Q4FQm4cy5smRw8scjKfg5XTI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/N04Q4FQm4cy5smRw8scjKfg5XTI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/N04Q4FQm4cy5smRw8scjKfg5XTI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/7W5c6HIWWU8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/7W5c6HIWWU8/ Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Supreme-Court-ruling-cited-in-argument-for-removing-mentally-ill-from-nursing-homes/article/139382/ More than 47,000 elderly Americans experience a walker- or cane-related fall each year. That is an average of 129 falls per day, according to a recent release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tccTZvrny0j6GZH0BXZUr_efqmQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tccTZvrny0j6GZH0BXZUr_efqmQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tccTZvrny0j6GZH0BXZUr_efqmQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tccTZvrny0j6GZH0BXZUr_efqmQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/u7Y939n3GSA" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/u7Y939n3GSA/ Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:10:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Walker-cane-related-falls-injure-47000-elderly-each-year-CDC-reports/article/139381/ The percentage of long-stay nursing home residents with restraints fell from 10.7% 1999 to 6% in 2006. That is from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's 2008 National Healthcare Quality Report. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0UjEUAuSLwfbpnH94Xbw2KzT9cA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0UjEUAuSLwfbpnH94Xbw2KzT9cA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0UjEUAuSLwfbpnH94Xbw2KzT9cA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0UjEUAuSLwfbpnH94Xbw2KzT9cA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/SBjqBVM3e1g" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/SBjqBVM3e1g/ Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:20:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Use-of-restraints-decreases-from-1999-to-2006-in-nursing-homes-report-finds/article/139380/ Positive things happen when assisted-living facilities develop relationships with care managers of at-home service providers. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/z0zau1p1mndf5RvGU6mVET-tkYs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/z0zau1p1mndf5RvGU6mVET-tkYs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/z0zau1p1mndf5RvGU6mVET-tkYs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/z0zau1p1mndf5RvGU6mVET-tkYs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/B66w59rlAPM" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/B66w59rlAPM/ Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:30:00 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Guest-Columns-The-benefits-of-partnering-at-home-service-providers-with-assisted-living-communities/article/139372/ Donna Sardina, RN, MHA, WCC President, Wound Care Education Institute <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0jden9QLVVLPrFkLrJp4QmwOnBs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0jden9QLVVLPrFkLrJp4QmwOnBs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0jden9QLVVLPrFkLrJp4QmwOnBs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0jden9QLVVLPrFkLrJp4QmwOnBs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/Cn45CCMk3yc" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/Cn45CCMk3yc/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:53:08 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Ask-the-treatment-expert-support-for-open-system-treatment-of-incontinent-patients/article/139498/ Nursing homes have a difficult enough time contending with the survey and certification system. Now that the Five-Star Quality Rating System has begun, they have to work even harder to protect themselves against the faulty survey process. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pkvoxUWI-NS3RdCfyF30Ea8OZBY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pkvoxUWI-NS3RdCfyF30Ea8OZBY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pkvoxUWI-NS3RdCfyF30Ea8OZBY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pkvoxUWI-NS3RdCfyF30Ea8OZBY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/McKnights/~4/WHPxZ0jSr1Y" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/McKnights/~3/WHPxZ0jSr1Y/ Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:16:02 GMT http://www.mcknights.com/Five-Star-makes-complaints-against-nursing-homes-even-more-serious/article/139569/