UPDATE Weekly

NC Health Care Facilities Association is delighted to welcome Teepa Snow to North Carolina for a full day of training on caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This seminar will help attendees use effective strategies for helping people with dementia during personal care, medical procedures, and tests. The goal is to reduce resistance to care by having caregivers develop better observational skills to recognize and intervene effectively when behavioral challenges occur.

This seminar will emphasize the value of matching helping behaviors to the person’s needs and retained abilities to promote a sense of control and self-direction. Matching the caregiver’s helping behaviors, task set-up, the environment, and routines, based on the person’s abilities and needs, improves interactions and outcomes for everyone concerned. In addition, improved interactions may reduce the use of medications and enhance care providers’ skills and knowledge.

The seminar date is September 10, 2014 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, NC. Register today on-line by visiting our Web site http://www.NursingHomesNC.com and clicking on Demystifying Resistance in Dementia Care or click here to download the brochure to fax!

IMPORTANT! Please note that this seminar location has been moved to Concord, NC!

IMPORTANT! This seminar is during the Great Wolf Lodge’s “shut-down” period. The water park and restaurants/amenities will be closed during this time. Breaks and lunch will be provided to our attendees in the conference center, but the entertainment/food outlets will be CLOSED.

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It is time once again for the NCHCFA “Fabulous 50” awards! This time-honored event provides the opportunity to acknowledge front line, unlicensed personnel who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in the long term care profession. The Fabulous 50 awards program honors individuals who are the backbone in our facilities because of the support they provide to our residents. A panel of judges from the Education and Programs Committee will select ten nominees from each district. Each of the award recipients will be honored at a dinner and awards presentation in their district. The NEW deadline to receive completed nominations is Friday, September 5th. Please encourage your facility to participate in this special award program.

The dates for the 15th Annual Fabulous 50 Celebrations are

District I – October 16, 2014, Grand Bohemian Hotel, Asheville
District II – October 21, 2014, Hilton Charlotte University Place, Charlotte
District III – October 23, 2014, Grandover Resort, Greensboro
District IV – October 28, 2014, Mad Boar Restaurant, Wallace
District V – October 30, 2014, Renaissance North Hills Hotel, Raleigh

To fill out nomination forms on-line, visit the Member Center of the Association Website at http://www.NursingHomesNC.com. Click on “News & Updates”, select “2015 Fabulous 50 Nomination Packet” and choose “Survey Monkey”. If you have any questions about the Fabulous 50 awards, call the Association office at (919) 782-3827. Pictures for nominations submitted online may be e-mailed to karenl@nchcfa.org or mailed to the Association office.

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In early May, many nursing homes were notified that their Fair Rental Value (FRV) rates would be increased retroactively to April 1st. NCHCFA has received several calls asking about the status of this adjustment and resulting settlement. The Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) has written a memo to CSC instructing them to make the needed adjustments to the rate tables. DMA will issue a second memo instructing CSC to reprocess the claims so that nursing homes “…do not need to submit replacement claims.” As we receive more information on this process, we will publish it in UPDATE.

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Please plan to join your friends and colleagues in beautiful Pinehurst, North Carolina, on September 17th and 18th for the Third Annual Autumn Classic Golf Tournament. The event will begin on Wednesday evening with a reception, dinner and program held at the world famous Pine Needles Resort and Golf Club. The Pinehurst Autumn Classic is sponsored by the NC Health Care Facilities Association to benefit our political action committee (PAC). You do not have to play golf to participate! Visit the Association Web site at http://www.NursingHomesNC.com for registration details.

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In preparation for the upcoming Payment Adjustment scheduled to begin with the September 9, 2014 check write, The Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) would like to ensure that all requests submitted for additional hours per N.C. Session Law 2013 have been processed. In efforts to ensure beneficiaries are awarded hours and providers have the ability to appropriately bill for services provided; DMA would like to inform providers of scenarios that may have impacted the processing of requests for additional hours mandated by the session law.

Requests for Additional hours per N.C. Session Law 2013-306

Scenarios that have caused hours over 80 not to process or notifications for award to denote an incorrect effective date:

1. Change of Provider (COP) requests that processed after beneficiary submitted Change of Status (COS) for additional hours. Resolved – Previous Providers of beneficiaries who received additional hours were notified of authorization (Notifications mailed Monday 8/18/14).
2. Change of Status (COS) submitted for beneficiary when there was an active work flow on file (appeal, change of provider, billing provider number change). This scenario may cause additional hours not to process or an incorrect effective date.
3. Release of Change of Status (COS) Notifications that processed as annuals (April 28, 2014) -Assessments released at this time may not have recalculated for additional hours during the release.
4. Additional hours authorization effective date overrode beneficiaries Maintenance of Service (MOS).

Beneficiaries and providers who have experienced these scenarios and have not received notification of award or received an award with an incorrect effective date are advised to contact the PCS Program immediately at:

• DMA Clinical Policy & Programs
• Facility, Home and Community Care-Personal Care Services
• Phone: (919) 855-4340
• E-Mail: PCS_Program_Questions@dhhs.nc.gov

In addition, the recording of the Personal Care Services Revised Payment Adjustment Plan Webinar Presentation from August 20th, 2014 is now available from the Liberty Healthcare PCS Training Center website at http://nc-pcs.com/training. Updated information on the PCS program will be posted at http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dma/pcs/pas.html.

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The 65th Annual AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo registration is still OPEN! This year’s convention will offer you the opportunity to deepen your professional knowledge, network with colleagues from across the country, spend time in the Expo Hall discovering new business solutions, and even rock out a little. This is the must-attend event for long term and post-acute care professionals.

For information or to register, visit http://www.AHCAconvention.org.

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We are pleased to present the digital edition of the 2014-2015 NCHCFA Annual Membership Directory and Resource Guide. This year’s directory includes the listing of our facility members and trade associate members.

Please consider NCHCFA members first when looking for long-term care placement and professional services. For quick referencing, click on the Table of Contents on Page 5 and be directed to the page you would like to view. You may also view and download the directory through our Web site at http://www.NursingHomesNC.com.

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This book offers CNAs the support of trained and experienced mentors to guide their way as they develop into quality health care professionals. Implementing this program can help you reduce your facility’s CNA turnover rate, save money and build a more competent staff. You’ll have happier residents and a higher quality facility as a result!

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

Product #6706
AHCA MEMBERS $59.95

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Important information for residents and families This brochure outlines what physical restraints are, when they should be used, rules and regulations concerning restraints, and making decisions about using them. Contact Jan Williams at janw@nchcfa.org to order brochures for your facility.

• NCHCFA Member: $30.00 per 100 brochures plus tax and shipping
• Non-Members: $60.00 per 100 brochures plus tax and shipping

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‘A Marriage to Remember’ – In this short documentary, the filmmaker Banker White explores how Alzheimer’s disease has revealed the strength of his parents’ marriage.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/opinion/a-marriage-to-remember.html?_r=0

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George Washington never lived in the White House. He died a year before it was completed.

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