News In Brief - April 24, 2016

Cost of care in Oregon higher and climbing faster than national average
For the most part, the cost of long-term services and supports in Oregon are higher than the national average and are increasing at a faster rate, according to the 2014 Cost of Care survey from Genworth. Assisted living costs are increasing at the fastest rate, with the median annual cost of a one-bedroom single occupancy apartment in Oregon at $48,000, or 7 percent higher than five years ago. The national median annual rate for assisted living is $42,000, or 4 percent higher than five years ago. Oregon’s median annual nursing home rate (semi-private room) is $93,258, compared to $77,380 nationally. Read the report.

City of Milwaukie opens new door to nonprofit growth and development
Rose Villa CEO Vassar Byrd has passed along the news that the City of Milwaukie last week approved the creation of a Hospital Facility Authority, which will have the ability to issue tax-exempt bonds to 501-c-3 not-for-profit corporations. Rose Villa played a role in encouraging and assisting the city in taking this step. The HFA is an important option for not-for-profit organizations, particularly those in the Clackamas County area, that are without access to bank loans or the Oregon Authority due to lack of borrowing history. Read more.

Special Purpose Appropriation Correction
Last week’s News in Brief linked to the wrong document related to the Special Session Special Purpose Appropriation allocations. The correct document is posted here.

OLRO working to shorten nursing facility survey interval
The Office of Licensing and Regulatory Oversight (OLRO) at DHS is taking several steps to shorten the survey interval for nursing facilities, according to Dave Allm, Nursing Facility Program Manager. The average survey interval for all Oregon nursing homes over the last year is 16.5 months. Allm said the survey team is looking at ways to streamline processes on-site and get reports out quicker, with the goal of working toward a 12-month interval by the end of 2015/early 2016. The state also is hiring nine new surveyors to help with the load, so Allm told listeners on the Nursing Facility News Hour this morning not to “panic” if a large team arrives for their survey, as many of the new faces will be surveyors in training.

State must choose one “special focus” nursing facility by July 31
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is turning its attention once again to its Special Focus Facility Initiative, under which nursing homes with a history of serious quality issues are included in a program to stimulate improvements in their quality of care. According to Nursing Facility Survey Manager Keith Ramey, CMS is mandating that states select a certain number of facilities off of a list provided by CMS. Oregon must choose one facility by July 31. That facility will be subject to more frequent surveys, and will receive resources to improve its systems. Failure to demonstrate progressive improvement could ultimately result in termination from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The state will also notify all nursing facilities determined to be eligible for the program, but not selected.

Top 10 Citations Trend report posted for first quarter 2014
The state has issued its Top 10 Citations Trend Report for the first quarter of 2014. The top citations for nursing facilities continue to be 309 (Provide necessary care for the highest practicable well-being) and 323 (Facility is free of accident hazards), while top assisted living citations are the usual 270 (Change of Condition and Monitoring) and 303 (Med Treatment Orders). Nursing home life safety inspectors are scrutinizing documentation and practices related to fire drills and fire alarm systems. Access the report.

Presentation outlines surveyor expectations related to falls in ALFs and RCFs
The state Community-based Care team has posted a PowerPoint presentation on its website that explains surveyor expectations when falls occur in assisted living/residential care facilities. As noted in our April 9 News in Brief, the high number of citations for 270 (Change of Condition and Monitoring) is often due to falls and facilities' falling short in follow-up, investigations and implementation of interventions.

Looking for NF and CBC staff phone numbers?
We have had a few calls from members looking for state Community-based Care and Nursing Facility staff phone numbers since the Office of Licensing and Regulatory Oversight (OLRO) and Client Care Monitoring Unit (CCMU) moved into new offices late in 2013. If you don’t have the new numbers, you can access them on the LeadingAge Oregon website.

Oregon Pain Management Commission seeks volunteers
The Oregon Pain Management Commission is looking for volunteer licensed health care professionals with backgrounds in pain management to participate in the Commission’s work. To learn about the formal application process, contact [email protected].

Webinar will help you learn how to better partner with hospital systems
Facing increasing changes in payment, quality measurement and regulatory oversight, hospitals must seek post-acute partners to enhance quality, reduce rehospitalizations and avoid costly readmission penalties. Join an April 29 LeadingAge webinar presented by Avalere Health to explore how you can develop a unique value proposition to partner with hospital systems and other at-risk payers. Learn more and register for the webinar.

LeadingAge still wants to hear from you regarding Section 8 Renewal Guidebook changes
HUD has extended the comment period for its revised Section 8 Renewal Guidebook until May 14, so LeadingAge staff hope to use the additional time to gather more input from members. LeadingAge’s Colleen Bloom would particularly like feedback on components with a specific impact on non-profits and preservation efforts. Read more.

Nation’s nursing homes achieve antipsychotic reduction goal
Long-term care facilities across the nation have reduced antipsychotic medication use by 15 percent, meeting the goal established through a large-scale initiative launched by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. According to CMS statistics, every state achieved a decline in antipsychotic use. Oregon’s rate of antipsychotic use for long-stay residents in nursing homes dropped 14.9 percent between the fourth quarter of 2011 and fourth quarter 2013, from 21.5 percent to 18.3 percent, ranking 20th in the nation. Read the report.

Minor issues can cause headaches with care transitions
Minor administrative problems in a long-term care setting – such as a fax machine locked away at night, or no one designated to copy paperwork – can cause major headaches in care transitions, according to a geriatrician who spoke during a webinar last week. Although the webinar was targeted to nursing homes, it offered lessons for assisted living/residential care facilities as well. Read more.

What breakout sessions will you attend? Annual Conference offers 34 choices
If you have not yet registered for the 2014 LeadingAge Oregon Annual Conference, be sure you carefully review the session choices in our conference brochure before you register online. The conference offers 34 different breakout sessions, so you have lots of decisions to make! Don’t forget to register by our Early Bird registration deadline, which is Friday, May 2, to take advantage of discounted conference rates!