UPDATE Weekly

The December 2012 issue of the Medicaid Bulletin is now available. This issue has numerous articles of value to the nursing home provider. Some of the topics covered include:

• Consolidated Personal Care Services (PCS) implementation update
• Recredentialing
• Mandatory screening for individual and entity exclusion

To read the December 2012 Medicaid Bulletin click here.

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AHCA has teamed with a nationally accredited provider of continuing nursing education so that you can provide advanced gerontological training to your key RN staff. This learning program:

• solves an urgent training shortage today and prepares you for soaring geriatric care demand over the next two decades as huge waves of baby boomers retire each year.
• has already proven itself in multiple dividends for nurses, residents and facility owners/administrators.
• expertly equips RNs to pass the national Gerontological Certification exam.

To learn more, click here.

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On November 30, 2012, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) approved North Carolina Medicaid State Plan Amendment (SPA) NC 12-013 with an effective date of January 1, 2013. On December 3, 2012, the Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) and The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME) began issuing decision notices to beneficiaries currently receiving PCS in licensed facilities. DMA anticipates that all current PCS beneficiaries will be notified of their eligibility to transition to the new PCS program within approximately three weeks.

The approved State Plan Amendment (SPA) NC 12-013 is available for viewing here.

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Every nursing center will receive free training materials from CMS on Abuse Prevention and Person-Centered Care for Residents with Dementia. However, the sender will not be listed as CMS. Rather, the outside of the package will indicate the sender is Terry Gayden, ICP Systems, LLC, 240 Nat Turner Blvd., Newport News, VA 23606.

The training material, entitled Hand in Hand: A Training Series for Nursing Homes includes an orientation guide and six one-hour video-based modules, each of which has a DVD and an accompanying instructor guide. According to CMS, although the training materials are targeted to nurse aides, it may be valuable to all nursing home caregivers, administrative staff and surveyors. In September, CMS issued an S&C memo describing Hand in Hand and stated that all nursing facilities will receive the materials this year. These materials can be used to meet the additional training requirements for nurse aides outlined in the Affordable Care Act – that is, regular training on prevention of abuse and care for residents with dementia.

Reportedly, CMS shipped the series to the West Coast first and North Carolina should expect the kits within the next couple of weeks.

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In light of new changes in the long term care landscape and needing to be on top of your data, this is an excellent time to participate in AHCA’s informative, free Webinar on LTC Trend Tracker (LTCTT).

LTCTT users can TRACK, ORGANIZE, IDENTIFY, BENCHMARK, EXAMINE and COMPARE facility data on multiple CASPER reports in minutes without the “data mania” or “data drama” that often ensues in facilities not using LTCTT. LTCTT is a free member service provided by AHCA. Please click on the link to register for the webinar that best suits your needs:

• December 7th at 2:00 PM: Learn more about how to use the recent upgrades: off-label antipsychotic, Rehospitalization, QM Modeling Report. Click here to register.
• December 6th at 11:00 AM: Designed for the registered user, we will review secrets of the system. Click here to register.

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Palmetto GBA is introducing to J11 Part A providers quarterly Webinars which are intended to offer additional educational opportunities for providers to stay up to date on Medicare policy and procedures.

The first quarterly Webinar session will be held on Thursday, December 13, 2012, from 10:00 AM TO 11:00 AM ET.

These Webinars are designed to provide pertinent updates, changes, and reminders to assist the provider community in staying compliant with Medicare rules and regulations and will include:

• Top Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) errors
• New and updated Change Requests (CRs) and Medical Learning Network Matters (MLN) articles
• Changes to current billing requirements
• Hot topics that impact provider billing
• Top denials and rejections

For more information, including how to register, click here.

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Numerous unique considerations associated with long term care make managing long term care different from managing any other health care operation. The culture, clients, families, financing – virtually every aspect of long term care differs from those in any other health care organizations. The management concepts presented by Connie Evashwick and James Riedel can be applied to a wide range of long term care settings. Rather than supplying all the answers, this book provokes the thinking necessary for decision making and presents a framework for working with various issues. It offers a practical look at daily management challenges found in long term care environments.

To order visit http://www.AHCApublications.org, or call (800) 321-0343.

Product #6859
AHCA Members $50.00

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NCHCFA has available this popular educational tool, Mobility and Safe Movement of the Elderly, Improving Your Skills to Prevent Injuries and Reduce Falls, by Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L., FOTA, Dementia Care & Training Specialist. Teepa is highly regarded in her field and is one of the most requested and popular speakers/educators. This DVD was developed in conjunction with Wake Allied Health Education Center, Durham Technical Community College and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Office of Information Systems. The content is formatted in separate segments in order to customize the delivery of content to your learning objective. Handouts, developed by Teepa, accompany each video and may be reproduced. To order, contact Jan Williams at janw@nchcfa.org.

Price: $35.00 tax and shipping included

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Johanna Quaas, 86, isn’t taking old age lying down. Instead, she’s taking it spinning, jumping and twirling — on the parallel bars, no less.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/02/johanna-quaas-86-year-old-gymnast-cottbus-world-cup_n_1397152.html

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The name December comes from the Latin decem for “ten”, as it was the 10th month in the Roman Calendar.

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