Medicare Confusing to More Than Half of Seniors

Confused by Medicare reform? You're not alone. According to a new report, only 46 percent of seniors and baby boomers have a strong understanding of how Medicare works, and 50 percent of people over the age of 60 have a poor understanding of Medicare reform. This could lead seniors, especially low-income seniors, to make uninformed choices about their health care.

Other report findings include:

• 39 percent of all seniors rate their ability to navigate Medicare options as fair to poor
• Only 47 percent of limited-income seniors are familiar with Medicare's Extra Help program (and only 13 percent have applied for help through it)
• Less than 31 percent have heard of the Medicare Savings Program

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Banish Bacteria During Bathing

When you think of water, you picture something clean and pure, right? Unfortunately, bacteria can thrive in water, potentially leading to infections.

An Infection Control Today article took a look at water that enters healthcare facilities through water distribution systems and found that it can contain bacteria ranging from Legionellae (which cause Legionnaires’ disease), opportunistic molds and Chryseobaterium meningosepticum, which can cause meningitis.1

In light of these findings, a number of experts have encouraged facilities to eliminate using water wherever possible. When water cannot be eliminated, it should be monitored closely and disinfected either chemically or through heating.1

Reducing water use during bathing
The staff and residents at your facility can come in contact with the bacteria in water in any number of ways, including ice machines, showerheads, bathtubs, toilets and taps. One opportunity for cutting down on water use is with bathing and perineal care. Many rinse-free cleansers – available in foam, cream and gel formulas – can be applied and removed with soft, dry cloths, eliminating the need for water.

Pre-moistened washcloths are another good option for both perineal and full-body cleansing. These cloths often contain skin-soothing ingredients, such as aloe. More advanced formulations cleanse, moisturize, freshen and soothe the skin, reducing the need for multiple products. Manufacturers of these products have also taken other steps to reduce the risk of cross contamination, such as adding single-washcloth dispensers to their packaging.

Additional information
The CDC maintains a Healthy Water page on its website that can be found at www.cdc.gov/healthywater. The page offers guidance on using water safely in areas ranging from the medical field to private drinking water systems.

Reference
1 Burns S. Water: Is it a Breeding Ground for Bacteria in Your Facility? Infection Control Today. Available at: http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/2002/10/water-is-it-a-breeding-ground-for-bacteria-in-you.aspx. Accessed September 14, 2011.

Nurses Optimistic about Job Security, Less So about Retirement

An online survey of nurses revealed that although the majority are satisified with their job security and finances, their view of their ability to retire is far less rosy.

Among the findings:

• 79 percent of respondents feel secure in their jobs but are anticipating changes due to healthcare reform and rising increases
• More than half expect more demanding hours, less qualified workers and more nurses to leave the profession
• About 79 percent plan to work past retirement age to keep up with basic living expenses
• 42 percent believe they they will never be able to fully retire

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Proposed Legislation Would Speed Pain Relief, Ease Regulations

Senator Herb Kohl, the chairman of the Senate's Special Committee on Aging, has proposed legislation that would allow nursing home staff acting on a physician's verbal instructions to order and administer controlled medications to residents in urgent need of pain relief.

The legislation, known as the Nursing Home Resident Pain Relief Act of 2011, would allow nurses and other licensed personnel to act as "facility designees" when ordering and administering controlled painkillers. Currently, physicians must submit prescriptions for controlled painkillers in writing before the medications can be dispensed, which means that residents can go for long periods of time without adequate pain relief.

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Want Job Satisfaction? Work in a Nonprofit Nursing Home

A study out of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that employees at nonprofit nursing homes have greater levels of satisfaction with their facilities than their counterparts at for-profit homes.

The respondents on the survey were evenly split between workers at for-profit and non-profit facilities. A solid 80 percent of nonprofit employees said they would recommend their facility to a friend, compared with 72 percent of for-profit workers. Similarly, 66 percent of nonprofit workers ranked their facility as "excellent" or "very good" in terms of overall safety, compared to 57 percent of for-profit employees.

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Finally, Some Good Employment News!

The news on employment has been pretty gloomy lately, so it's always nice to see something positive! The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has announced that 3,900 assisted living jobs were added in August.

Health care continues to be a bright spot for job seekers. Over the past year, 305,900 jobs were added.

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More Caregiver Vaccinations = Fewer Flu Outbreaks

A new study has found that nursing homes with a higher rate of vaccinated caregivers have a much lower number of flu outbreaks. The study, conducted at the University of Oklahoma, found that when between 51 and 75 percent of caregivers are vaccinated, the odds of a flu outbreak at a given facility decrease by 87 percent.

However, the researchers also found an unexpected link between higher rates of vaccinated residents and a greater probability of flu outbreaks. The researchers suspect this might be from facilities overvaluing the protection afforded by vaccinating the residents and undervaluing vaccinating employees.

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