December 21, 2008
NEWSLETTER
A non-profit organization dedicated to the welfare of the “Forgotten Kentuckians”
AT LAST…. PROGRESS!
We don’t know this guy, Kerry Weems, who is the acting administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), but as far as advocates for nursing home reform are concerned, he is a national hero. It was Mr. Weems who pushed through the new Five-Star rating system for nursing homes, the one that says to nursing homes, “You gotta have sufficient staff or you won’t be rated highly.” Mr. Weems pushed the new system through in spite of heavy protesting by the nursing home industry. We hope the new Obama administration will keep Mr. Weems because he is the first breath of fresh air for nursing home reformers in a long time.
And now about that rating system.
All you have to do is get on your computer and go to http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare then follow directions and you will find star ratings for any nursing home in the U.S.
The new Five-Star rating system is a victory for nursing home reform advocates who have been pushing for quality staffing standards in nursing homes for a long time. Staffing is a part of the new star system, and a key part as far as we are concerned. At long last, the consumer can get a more accurate measure of exactly how nursing homes are treating their patients, because not only is staffing considered in the rankings but also state inspections and other quality factors.
To earn five stars a nursing home must have sufficient staff to protect residents from possible neglect and abuse. If they do, they can get a five-star rating. If they do not, consumers should beware. We were not surprised to learn that only 9.8 percent of the nursing homes in Kentucky have attained a five-star rating which is even worse than the 12.1 percent nationally.
Sadly, the nursing home industry already is coming out in opposition to this new system. That’s not surprising because historically this is an industry that has been against anything that they feel will cost them money and adversely impact their huge profits. Nursing homes that would risk a person’s safety by not hiring sufficient staff have suddenly been exposed to the world.
At the same time, we congratulate the facilities in Kentucky that have achieved good ratings, and we hope they will continue this good service. They demonstrate that nursing home care can be done right.
Because this new system is not yet perfected, it is still incumbent on consumers to monitor nursing homes diligently – even those with five stars. Things change quickly in nursing homes, and a good nursing home can suddenly become a bad one.
Before you choose a nursing home, visit it and look for yourself, and ask questions.
All in all, however, the new system is an historical breakthrough in monitoring nursing home quality, and at last a victory for the thousands of forgotten Kentuckians in nursing homes.
We will have more on the rating system next month.
PEEKIN’ IN ON GRANDMA
Ever heard of a Granny Cam? That’s what they are now calling these hidden cameras that people are putting in nursing homes to see how the facility is treating grandma. A lady in Richmond used one and caught employees in the facility allegedly doing all kinds of bad things to her grandmother. One of the workers in that case is already facing charges, and we are told by a spokesman from the state attorney general’s office that there may soon be more people implicated.
Is a Granny Cam for you? We are checking it out and will let you know as soon as possible. Maybe Kentucky ought to officially legislate approval of them. After all, the most faithful of us cannot be at granny’s bedside 24-7, but a Granny Cam can. Stay tuned.
GETTING ON WITH GETTING OUT…..
Nobody wants to live in a nursing home unless they have to. And the state doesn’t want to spend money to keep people in a nursing home because Medicaid officials say it costs more than keeping them at home. That’s why it was a significant development when in May 2007 Kentucky was awarded a $49 million Money Follows the Person grant by the feds. The state says that by the end of 2011 it hopes to have moved 546 people out of nursing homes and help them live in their own community. The program has been slow to organize. And so far, only two people have been moved out of nursing homes – one in Morehead and the other in Glasgow. The program has yet to hire a full-time director; but has begun putting together a staff of 17 people with the help of the University of Kentucky. There are lots of regulations to qualify for the program, like you must have lived in a nursing home for at least six months and you must be Medicaid eligible. To find out more, call Amy Hadley-Martin at 1-877-564-0330.
ACCOLADES TO THE MEDIA….
Kentucky’s two largest newspapers jumped on that story in Madison County about the nursing home that was caught allegedly mistreating a patient when a video camera was hidden in the patient’s room to record what was going on. The Lexington Herald-Leader broke the story with a front- page article by Valerie Honeycutt Spears, and then The Courier-Journal followed up with a strong editorial calling for reform of nursing home care and observing that “As baby boomers age, they constitute a huge constituency that should demand change – if for no other reason, then in self-defense.” Accolades are due both these newspapers for their ongoing coverage of nursing home reform.
Then, just last week, the Lexington Herald-Leader came through in find style with a front-page lead story on the new Five-Star nursing home rating system. We could find no other newspaper in the U.S. that did such an outstanding job letting the public know about the new rating system.
SHORT STUFF….
- Joining the ever-growing state and federal choruses of budget cutting, something called the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission says it may recommend that skilled nursing facilities do not receive a raise in their Medicare reimbursements in fiscal year 2010. They also are talking about a zero increase for inpatient rehab and a 5 percent cut for home health centers. Final decision will come in January, but look for the moaning and groaning to start coming soon from the nursing home industry.
- One of our board members, Don Feltner, says he is all for raising the tax on cigarettes in Kentucky. He says that not only will it provide badly needed funds for education, but it also will discourage young people from smoking. Mr. Feltner, a retired administrator at Eastern Kentucky University, is a long-time volunteer in the Richmond chapter of the American Cancer Society.. As part of what he calls his “personal crusade,” he urges you to call your legislators to get this tax increase passed.
- There are a number of Medicaid waiver programs popping up in Kentucky, and Karen Martin, a social worker who is also getting her Ph.D. from UK, has been hired to coordinate them as the new director of the state Division of Community Alternatives.
- State officials and others keep telling us that people on Medicaid can be taken care of for less money if they are moved out of institutions like nursing homes and back into a community setting. Medicaid waiver programs have popped up to do this. And politicians behind the programs take credit for saving money at a time when states need every penny. The Fletcher Administration crowed about this all the time. But the Wall Street Journal, in a recent article, says that these so-called “community alternatives” programs can backfire because when eligibility is expanded, people who would never enter nursing homes come out of the woodwork to get government funding which instead of saving money only adds to the overall cost.
- Betsy Johnson may have one of the hardest government jobs in the state. She is head of the huge state Medicaid program. Among Medicaid recipients are the 70 percent of the people living in nursing homes in Kentucky. She says that by July 2009 the program in Kentucky will run a $183 million shortfall. Ms. Johnson says she is budgeted to take care of 1,000 new people on Medicaid each month, but in the current recession she has had about 3,000 people apply each month. “And it’s worsening every day,” she said recently. Ms. Johnson is a petite, friendly person with a smile that hides her concerns. She is a graduate of UK with a law degree from Temple and a number of years of experience in state government including a stint with the Legislative Research Commission.
- A tireless advocate for the elderly and a real star in fighting elder abuse in Kentucky, Nikki Henderson, has been given this year’s “Kentucky Women’s Law Enforcement Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award.” Ms. Henderson is now a Medicaid fraud and abuse investigator in the office of Attorney General. But previously, as a Jefferson County policewoman, she created a Crimes Against Seniors Unit and has served on many elder abuse committees.
- Look for Lexington to copy Louisville in establishing neighborhood centers where people can get information about all the different social service programs. Sort of “one-stop shopping,” says the talented and able Marlene Helm, commissioner of the social services program in Lexington, who is spearheading the effort.
HELP OTHERS. TELL YOUR STORY
We constantly run across people who do not know what’s going on in nursing homes, and sadly a lot of them are state legislators. Find us a state legislator who has experienced a loved one in a nursing home, and we will show you someone eager to support the cause of nursing home reform. That is why it is important for you to take a few minutes and share your experience with a loved one in a nursing home with us. There is a place on our Web site at http://www.kynursinghomereform.org/submitstory.html where you can e-mail your story, or just send it to us at KyNursingHomeReform@yahoo.com. You don’t have to give your name or the name of the nursing home. But the location would be good to have. We promise that we will send your story to lawmakers both in Frankfort and in Washington who need to know what’s going on.
YOUR DOLLARS CAN HELP
This Newsletter is published by Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, a non-profit organization comprised of volunteers working to improve the lives of the 23,000 "Forgotten Kentuckians" destined to live out their lives at the mercy of nursing homes. If you would like to assist in our charitable work by helping underwrite expenses of conducting educational seminars, lobbying for residents' rights in the State Legislature, or publishing informative materials, you may send your contribution to Kentuckians For Nursing Home Reform, 1530 Nicholasville Rd., Lexington KY 40503. Contributions are tax deductible as allowed by law. To volunteer, write to the same address or e-mail KyNursingHomeReform@yahoo.com. Thank you.
P.S.
The Flower Show
Two little old ladies were sitting on a park bench outside the local town hall where a flower show was in progress.
The thin one leaned over and said ,”Life is so boring. We never have any fun any more. For $10 I'd take my clothes off and streak through that stupid flower show!”
“You're on!” said the other old lady, holding up a $10 bill.
The first little old lady slowly fumbled her way out of her clothes and, completely naked, streaked (as fast as an old lady can) through the front door of the flower show.
Waiting outside, her friend soon heard a huge commotion inside the hall, followed by loud applause and shrill whistling. Finally, the smiling and naked old lady came through the exit door surrounded by a cheering crowd.
“What happened?” asked her waiting friend.
“I won 1st prize as Best Dried Arrangement.”
— From the Joe Isaac collection.