10 Fun Halloween Facts

Halloween has a long and colorful history! Why not share these tidbits with your residents during your facility’s celebration this year?

1.  It’s hard to imagine jack-o’-lanterns being carved out of anything but pumpkins, but the tradition actually began in Ireland with large turnips and potatoes. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, where carvers found that the large orange fruit made for a perfect jack-o’-lantern.  
2. Halloween can trace its roots back 2,000 years to a Celtic celebration called Samhain, which means “summer’s end.” The Celts believed that Samhain was a time when the dead could walk among the living.
3. According to the National Retail Federation, nearly 158 million consumers will participate in Halloween activities this year. On average, they’ll spend $75.03 on decorations, costumes, candy and other Halloween-related fun.
4. Trick-or-treating originated on All Souls’ Day during the Middle Ages, when poor people in Great Britain would beg for soul cakes, a sweet-bread treat, and pray for dead relatives in return. American children began trick-or-treating in the 1800s, but the focus was more on pranks than candy. By the 1950s, the focus had switched to costumes and family fun.
5. According to an Irish legend, jack-o’-lanterns are named for a man called Jack who could not go to Heaven or Hell and was forced to walk the earth forever with only a coal from hell to light his lantern.
6. Humans aren’t the only ones getting in on the Halloween fun. The National Retail Federation reports that approximately $330 million will be spent on Halloween costumes for pets this year.
7. Black and orange are the colors most commonly associated with Halloween. Orange represents the autumn harvest, while black is tied to death and darkness.
8.  The modern-day Halloween game of bobbing for apples is thought to be derived from Roman celebrations of Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees.
9.  According to the National Confectioners Association, three-quarters of Americans say that chocolate is their favorite Halloween treat.
10. While many of us enjoy Halloween, there’s a word for people who have an extreme, intense or irrational fear of Halloween – samhainophobia.

From our team to yours, have a safe and happy Halloween!

Best Practices: Perineal Skin Care

It's crucial that your staff provide great care to your residents' delicate perineal skin to avoid potentially serious skin conditions. We recommend reviewing the following steps with your staff as a refresher course on providing quality care. Materials needed: Disposable washcloths/wipes, towels, linens, underpads, perineal cleanser, barrier cream and gloves Step 1: Wear gloves and use wipes to remove heavy soiling prior to perineal care. Then remove or discard gloves and wash your hands. Place a protective underpad under the resident's buttocks. Cover the resident with linens and raise them to only expose the perineum. Wash your hands and put on clean gloves for perineal care. Step 2: Using a washcloth or wipe, apply perineal cleanser sparingly. Gently wipe the perineal area, wiping from "clean" urethral to "dirty" rectal area to avoid contamination. Step 3: If an indwelling catheter is present, hold and support the catheter tubing to one side to avoid traction or unnecessary movement during the procedure. When cleaning the urethral area, gently spray and wipe the catheter tubing from the urethra outward for about three inches of tubing. Keep the drainage bag below the level of the bladder. Step 4: Turn the resident on his side. Spray a wipe with perineal cleanser and gently wipe the remaining area, including the rectum and buttocks, without returning to the urethral area. Appropriately and gently cleanse from clean to dirty areas, leaving the entire area clean and dry. Step 5: Apply a moisture barrier to the buttocks and peri area. Step 6: Remove the soiled linens and place them in an appropriate receptacle. Leave the resident in a position of comfort. Registered promedsupply.com customers can access and download our exclusive in-service guides at any time by clicking on Education and selecting Product In-Service Guides on the website. Not a registered user? Just give us a call at (800) 648-5190 and one of our Customer Care Professionals will be happy to get you set up.

Congratulations, Laura Kuhn!

Congratulations to ProMed copywriter Laura Kuhn! She tied the knot with Nathan Underhile on October 19.

Report: Not Taking Meds as Prescribed Leads to Increased Nursing Home Admissions

According to a new report, about 100 million Americans are not taking their medications as prescribed, leading to an uptick in unnecessary deaths, hospitalizations and nursing home admissions.

Failure to take medications as prescribed is associated with about 40 percent of nursing home admissions among residents with type 2 diabetes, according to the report. People who have multiple chronic medical conditions are of particular concern because they often take many medications.

This noncompliance will cause costs to skyrocket and health outcomes to deteriorate, the report added.

To learn more, click here.

Match Your Residents with the Right Incontinence Products

The sheer volume of incontinence management products on the market can make it a challenge to find the perfect fit for your residents. We’ve put together the following chart to help make it easier for you. Keep in mind that CMS recommends considering incontinence, gender, fit and ease of use when selecting an absorbent product.¹

Type of Product	Absorbency	Good For
Briefs	Moderate-Ultimate	·        Bedridden residents       ·        Overnight use       ·        Heavy to complete     urinary incontinence       ·        Bowel incontinence
Pull-Ups	Super-Ultimate	·        Ambulatory residents       ·        Light to severe     urinary incontinence       ·        Bowel  incontinence
Pads and male guards	Moderate-Ultimate	·        Added absorbency inside     regular undergarment     or pull-ups       ·        Used as a system with     reusable pants
Liners	Moderate-Ultimate	·        Moderate to severe     urinary output       ·        Bedridden residents       ·        Ambulatory residents
Belted undergarments	Light-Heavy	·        Occasional accidents       ·        Frequent changes
Underpads	Moderate-Ultimate	·        Open airing       ·        Bed and furniture protection

ProMed recently made a number of upgrades to our incontinence management products to benefit both the resident and the caregiver. Our Embrace™ Adult Skin Caring Underwear with Leakage Barrier now features a comfort stretch panel that hugs the body like real underwear, creating a comfortable, dignified wearing experience. Additionally, our Embrace™ Adult Skin Caring Underwear is now packaged in 100-count cases to save valuable storeroom space and reduce ordering frequency. Both of these products also have updated packaging.

We’ll soon be introducing the Embrace™ Skin Caring Stretch FlexRight Brief, which has a fully breathable stretch panel that creates a natural, discreet fit and moves with the resident. These briefs have standardized sizing that allows you to stock fewer products, freeing up valuable storage space and saving caregiver time. Be sure to watch LTC Connection for future announcements on this product!

To learn more about our complete line of incontinence management products, contact your ProMed territory manager, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 or visit us online at promedsupply.com.

Reference

1 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. State Operations Manual. Appendix PP – Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities (Rev. 70, 01-07-11). Available at: http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som107ap_pp_guidelines_ltcf.pdf. Accessed October 10

Buy 10 FlatMats, Get One Free!

We're having a fall management special! For a limited time, when you buy 10 or more FlatMats at $112.95 each, you'll get one FREE! To receive this deal, use promo code FMATB10G1 when you check out online or reference it when you place your order over the phone. To learn more, give us a call at (800) 648-5190. 

Happy National Consultant Pharmacist Week!

National Consultant Pharmacy Week begins tomorrow, October 15 and runs through October 18. The celebration is sponsored by the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP), the only international professional society devoted to optimal medication management and improved health outcomes for older individuals.

To learn more, click here.

Physicians: Mobile Devices Help Reduce Adverse Drug Events

Doctors say that using mobile devices when prescribing drugs can help reduce the number of adverse drug events in nursing homes.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh interviewed 800 physicians and found that 560 of them used a mobile device as part of prescribing drugs in the nursing home setting. Of those 560, 88 percent felt that the use of drug reference software on their mobile devices had helped prevent at least one adverse drug event in the previous month.

The researchers noted that doctors in the nursing home setting are less likely to use mobile devices than physicians in other clinical settings. They also added that younger doctors (those with 15 years or fewer of clinical experience) are 67 percent more likely to use mobile devices than their older peers. Those who are using the mobile devices for drug look-ups do so frequently, with 98 percent saying they do so at least once a day.

To learn more, click here.

Study: LTC Residents See Greater Benefit from High-Dose Flu Vaccine

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have found that elderly people in long-term care facilities see a greater antibody boost when they receive a high-dose flu vaccine versus a standard vaccine.

The two-year study involved 200 LTC residents between the ages of 86 and 87, all of whom required assistance with many ADLs. During the first year of the study, participants' antibody levels for all three flu strains (A, B and H1N1) were much higher after 30 days if they received the high-dose vaccine. During the second year, participants saw boosted antibody levels against A-strain and B-strain flu, but not H1N1. The researchers explained that this could be because some participants took part in both years of the study, so they were already vaccinated against H1N1 the first year.

To learn more, click here.

Happier Employees, Better Survey Results?

If your facility's employees are happy with their jobs, chances are you'll be happy with your survey results, according to a new study.

The National Research Corporation used data from its My InnerView tool to determine that SNFs with a high rate of employee satisfaction also have fewer survey deficiencies and higher Five Star Quality ratings. However, the report's authors cautioned that it's not possible to say conclusively that more satisfied workers provide better care.

To read the complete report, click here.

Drink To Your Health!

We keep hydration top-of-mind during the warm summer months, but it's just as important to stay hydrated once the weather turns cooler. According to CMS tag F327, facilities must "provide each resident with sufficient fluid intake to maintain proper hydration and health."¹

To determine how much fluid a resident should consume on a daily basis, CMS recommends multiplying the resident’s body weight in kg (2.2 lbs = 1 kg) by 30 cc, except for residents with renal or cardiac distress (these individuals can be harmed by having an excess of fluids in their bodies). Using drinking cups with gradation marks can help you keep track of how much liquid a resident is consuming.

The following strategies from CMS can help residents stay hydrated throughout the day¹:

• Offer a variety of fluids (water, fruit juice, milk, etc.) between meals and encourage residents as appropriate
• Serve additional beverages with meals to help increase fluid intake
• Make sure filled water pitchers and drinking cups are easily accessible to residents
• Offer alternate fluid sources, such as popsicles, gelatin and ice cream

ProMed offers drinking cups and pitchers for use throughout your facility. To learn more, contact your ProMed territory manager, give us a call at 800.648.5190 or visit us online at promedsupply.com.

Reference
1 State Operations Manual. Appendix PP – Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities. Rev. 70, 01-07-11. Available at: http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som107ap_pp_guidelines_ltcf.pdf. Accessed Septmeber 25, 2013. 

Study: Norovirus Vaccine Shown Effective in Human Tests

Researchers testing a norovirus vaccine have some good news for the high-risk nursing home population. During human tests, the vaccine was shown to be highly effective in reducing symptoms of the infection.

The study involved 98 participants who drank water dosed with norovirus. Fifty of those participants received the norovirus vaccine. The results were as follows:

• Twenty-six of the people who were given the vaccine became infected. Ten of them developed mild, moderate or severe vomiting and/or diarrhea. 
• Twenty-nine of the people who were not given the vaccine became infected. Twenty of them developed the above-mentioned symptoms. 

The researchers hope that continued testing will confirm the vaccine's effectiveness and help prevent future norovirus outbreaks. 

To learn more, click here. 

Medicare Won't Cover PET Scans for Alzheimer's

CMS has announced that Medicare will not cover positron emission tomography (PET) scans, which are used to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease. PET scans can detect beta-amyloid, a sign of Alzheimer's, in the brain.

Medicare will not cover the tests because of "insufficient evidence" that the scans are "reasonable and necessary" for diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's.

To learn more, click here.

AHCA: SNF Quality Is Improving, But Infection Control Still a Problem

According to the American Health Care Association's 2013 Quality Report, more LTC facilities are earning top marks when it comes to national quality ratings, but they're not focusing on infection control as much as they should.

Between 2011 and 2012, providers improved in all most all of the common quality measures, such as off-label antipsychotic medication use, moderate to severe pain and pressure ulcers. Direct nursing hours also increased.

However, infection control remains a problem. In 2013, 40 percent of SNFs have been cited under Tag F441.

Click here to access the complete report.

Gov't. Shutdown Should Not Immediately Impact LTC

According to several long-term care associations, the government shutdown should not immediately impact long-term care. LeadingAge and the AHCA have reassured members that Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements will continue, at least in the short term.

However, the shutdown will likely lead to fewer initial and recertification surveys for Medicare and Medicaid providers. It will also interrupt the work of task forces charged with identifying healthcare fraud and abuse.

To learn more, click here.

It's Time to Fight the Flu

It’s October 1, which means flu season is officially underway. According to the CDC, it will most likely spike in January or February before coming to a close in May, but being prepared now can help you lessen the flu’s effects on your facility.

The CDC recommends taking the following steps to help prevent flu and other respiratory infections from spreading throughout your facility¹: 

 Promote and administer the seasonal flu vaccine. The CDC recommends the flu vaccine as the best defense against the seasonal flu. The vaccine is approved for everyone six months of age and older. The vaccine will be available as intramuscular, intradermal and nasal spray formulations.

 Take steps to minimize potential exposure. Respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette and proper hand hygiene should be observed by residents, staff and visitors. (One way to encourage respiratory hygiene is to download the CDC’s “Cover Your Cough” poster here.)

Monitor and manage ill staff members. Staff members who develop a fever and respiratory symptoms should not come to work. If the symptoms develop at work, they should stop all resident-care activities, don a facemask and notify their supervisor of their illness before leaving work.

Adhere to standard precautions. Standard precautions assume that every person is potentially infected or colonized with a pathogen that could spread throughout the facility. The elements of standard precautions that pertain to individuals with respiratory infections are performing hand hygiene and wearing gloves and gowns.

Adhere to droplet precautions. Droplet precautions should be implemented for residents with suspected or confirmed influenza for seven days after illness onset or until 24 hours after the resolution of fever and respiratory symptoms, whichever is longer.

Use caution when performing aerosol-generating procedures. Some procedures are more likely to generate higher concentrations of infectious respiratory aerosols than coughing, sneezing, talking or breathing. Examples include bronchoscopy, sputum induction, elective intubation and extubation, CPR and open suctioning of airways. These procedures should only be performed on residents with suspected or confirmed influenza if they are medically necessary and cannot be postponed.

Manage visitor access and movement within the facility. If a resident is in isolation for a confirmed case of influenza, their visitors should be limited to people who are necessary for their emotional well-being and care.

Monitor influenza activity. The facility should have a plan for alerting staff about increased influenza activity within the facility. Staff should also be aware of when collection of clinical specimens for viral culture could help public health efforts. Close communication and collaboration with local health authorities is recommended.

Implement environmental infection control. Standard cleaning and disinfection procedures are adequate for influenza virus environmental control within a healthcare facility, including patient areas in which aerosol-generating procedures are performed.

Implement engineering controls. Consider installing engineering controls that reduce or eliminate exposure by shielding staff and residents from infected individuals. Examples include partitions and curtains.

Train and educate healthcare personnel. Ensure that all healthcare providers receive job- or task-specific education and training on the prevention of influenza during orientation and on an ongoing basis.

 Administer antiviral treatment and chemoprophylaxis when appropriate. Refer to the CDC’s website for the most up-to-date information and guidance.

Identify personnel at higher risk for influenza complications. Staff members who are pregnant, have given birth within the last two weeks, are 65 or older or have chronic diseases such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, immunity-suppressing diseases, some chronic conditions and morbid obesity are at higher risk of flu complications.

Professional Medical has everything you need to develop a comprehensive flu prevention and management strategy for your facility! To learn more, contact your territory manager, visit us online at promedsupply.com or give us a call at (800) 648-5190. Click here to download our Flu Prevention Strategies & Solutions Guide. 

Reference

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/infectioncontrol/healthcaresettings.htm. Accessed September 11, 2013.