Weekly News Wrap-Up (June 8-June 12)

Acting Surgeon General Stresses Falls Reduction as Part of ‘Healthy Homes’ Program (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, June 12, 2009)
Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., said this week he will make prevention of senior falls one of the top priorities of his new program, “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes.”

Number of Nursing Home Beds, Residents Decreasing, Report Finds (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, June 11, 2009)
The number of both nursing home beds and nursing home residents in the United States declined between 1999 and 2004, according to the recently released results of the National Nursing Home Survey: 2004 Overview.

Kennedy Unveils Sweeping Healthcare Reform Bill with Long-term Care Provisions (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, June 10, 2009)
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) on Tuesday released a massive healthcare reform bill that includes long-awaited provisions for long-term care services and supports.

Decision Makers Differ on How To Mend Broken Health System (The Washington Post, June 9, 2009)
Nowhere else in the world is so much money spent with such poor results.

Amid Healthcare Reform Frenzy, AAHSA Continues Push for Long-term Care Reform (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, June 9, 2009)
Despite concerns that potential healthcare reform legislation will exclude a long-term care piece, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging is keeping the pressure on lawmakers to consider providers’ needs.

Nortel Clinic Showcases Health Care Technology in Action (The Dallas Morning News, June 8, 2009)
Nortel Networks has set up a prototype medical clinic in Richardson, Texas, to showcase how hospitals and health care providers can use technology to treat patients more effectively and operate more efficiently. Nortel builds on already accepted technologies, such as Wi-Fi, cell phones and RFID. For example, Nortel has built an electronic notification system for hospitals that allows physicians to sign off on patient discharges more quickly.

Protecting the Value of Long-Term Care Insurance (The Hill, June 8, 2009)
Recently, the Special Committee on Aging examined the long-term care insurance industry. One of the current limitations this industry faces is how to manage the high cost of long-term care.