CMS Takes Next Step To Improve Quality In Nation's Nursing Homes, USA

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) built upon historic action it took last November by making public more names of underperforming nursing homes across the country.

On November 29, 2007, the agency began publishing the names of Special Focus Facility (SFF) nursing homes that had failed to improve significantly after being given the opportunity to do so.

Once a facility is selected as an SFF, state survey agencies are responsible for conducting twice the number of standard surveys and will apply progressive enforcement until the nursing home either (a) significantly improves and is no longer identified as an SFF, (b) is granted additional time due to promising developments, or (c) is terminated from Medicare and/or Medicaid.

NAD And DSA Launch Senior Resources Listing, USA

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and its Senior Citizens Section together with the Deaf Seniors of America (DSA) have jointly launched a resources listing of, by, and for older deaf Americans.

With the title of 'Senior Resources', this first-ever and comprehensive listing contains items of interest to older deaf persons and their families or caregivers. The first half provides useful names, addresses, phone numbers, and websites for various types of senior housing facilities (e.g., independent/retirement, assisted living, nursing, and others of a specialized nature). The second half focuses on senior clubs having gatherings of a recurring nature, which is of particular interest to deaf seniors who travel extensively.

Half-Million Dollar Surety Bond Requirement Would Put Many Small Durable Medical Equipment Providers Out Of Business

A Senate bill introduced last week would impose a $500,000 surety bond requirement on providers of durable medical equipment (DME) under Medicare and would put thousands of small homecare companies out of business, says the American Association for Homecare.

A law passed in 1997 requires a $50,000 surety bond for DME providers as a deterrent to fraud and abuse. However, the federal government has never actually implemented the surety bond requirement for the DME sector. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed that the amount increase to $65,000.

The bill introduced last week, S. 2603, called the "Medicare Fraud Prevention Act of 2008," would increase the $50,000 surety bond requirement by a factor of ten. The bill would also increase civil and criminal fines for Medicare fraud and abuse. The bill is sponsored by Senators Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), David Vitter (R-La.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

"The impact of a half-million dollar surety bond requirement would be devastating on law-abiding small providers,"

Older Americans Suffer Serious Access Limitations to Exercise their Right to Vote

The US Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing yesterday in Washington, DC, on older Americans and the significant barriers they face in exercising their right to vote.

Jason Karlawish, MD, associate professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, testified before the Committee, citing results from a series of his studies examining voting rights for the elderly.

Karlawish, a member of Penn's Institute on Aging who specializes in older adult health care and related issues, recommends that to help break down the logistical and geographical voting barriers many older Americans face, the United States must develop a model for mobile polling.

"Elderly voters -- especially elderly voters who live in long-term care settings -- are at the mercy of others when it comes to exercising their right to vote," said Karlawish.

"Mobile polling means election officials or equivalent groups visit long-term facilities in their district prior to registration deadlines to encourage and solicit registrations," said Karlawish.

Time for Companies to Offer Long-Term Care Benefits?

Along with Medicare, Social Security, pensions and health care, here's another disaster coming straight at us: long-term health care. Since we're not having much luck solving the other issues, many people and policymakers just prefer to not even think about long-term care -- and that's reflected by the low numbers of people insuring themselves and their family for the very likely visit they will take to a nursing home in old age. Besides, most of us can't afford the coverage or the care itself and are banking on the government to pay for it -- even if we or our loved ones have to spend down their assets first. But Medicaid is already straining and will be unable to absorb the crush of Baby Boomers coming and headed for nursing homes over the next 30 to 40 years.

In a paper entitled Long-term Care Coverage: The Missing Element in the Employee Safety Net the consulting group Milliman suggests that it's time for employers to consider adding long-term care insurance as a benefit -- with some help paying for it.

New Episode Of The Senior Care Podcast By LivHOME Focuses On Caring For Seniors With Dementia

LivHOME, the nation's largest provider of professionally led at-home care for seniors, has released a new episode of The Senior Care Podcast by LivHOME that discusses caring for seniors with dementia.

In Episode 4, LivHOME Chief Professional Officer Steve Barlam describes common caregiving mistakes in working with dementia sufferers, how to identify the causes and precursors to challenging behavior, and explores ways to reduce anxiety among seniors suffering from dementia. Drawing on more than 20 years of geriatric social work experience, Barlam provides advice for caregivers and offers poignant examples based on actual caregiving experience.

The episode is particularly important for caregivers, since about half of Americans age 85 and over suffer from some form of dementia, which includes Alzheimer's disease.

Episode 4 of The Senior Care Podcast by LivHOME can be found at the podcast's homepage (http://www.livhome.com/podcast). Listeners can subscribe to the show via RSS feed, email or through the iTunes store. Episode 4 has a runtime of 14 minutes, 22 seconds.

CMS Proposes Stronger Protections For Beneficiaries Using Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, And Supplies, USA

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on January 25 issued a proposed rule to enhance the enrollment standards for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers. The proposed rule is intended to increase protections for Medicare and its beneficiaries from potentially dishonest or low quality suppliers.

By creating five new standards and strengthening seven of the 21 existing standards that suppliers must meet, the proposed rule would provide Medicare beneficiaries with additional assurance that they are being served by suppliers who meet the highest standards of quality.

"The proposals represent the next step in Medicare's ongoing efforts to ensure its beneficiaries continue to have access to high quality products and services at appropriate prices, while protecting them and the program from unscrupulous suppliers," said CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems. "In addition to meeting the enrollment standards, all DMEPOS suppliers are required to obtain accreditation from one of ten accrediting organizations announced in November 2006."

Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, Second Edition

The Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias consists of three parts (Parts A, B, and C) and many sections, not all of which will be equally useful for all readers. The following guide is designed to help readers find the sections that will be most useful to them.

Part A, "Treatment Recommendations for Patients With Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias," is published as a supplement to the American Journal of Psychiatry and contains general and specific treatment recommendations. Section I summarizes the key recommendations of the guideline and codes each recommendation according to the degree of clinical confidence with which the recommendation is made. Section II is a guide to the formulation and implementation of a treatment plan for the individual patient. Section III discusses a range of clinical considerations that could alter the general recommendations discussed in Section II.

Part B, "Background Information and Review of Available Evidence," and Part C, "Future Research Directions," are not included in the American Journal of Psychiatry supplement but are provided with Part A in the complete guideline, which is available online through the American Psychiatric Association (http://www.psych.org) and in print format in

H.R.3088 Long-Term Care Act of 2007

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that distributions from an individual retirement plan, a section 401(k) plan, a section 403(b) contract, or a section 457 plan shall not be includible in gross income to the extent used to pay long-term care insurance premiums.