| September 25, 2008 |
Vol 15, Issue
40 | |
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FAHSA
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| Welcome to
this week's edition of the FAHSA Link.
First FAHA President, Richard A. "Dick" Hermann,
Passes Away - Mr. Richard A. "Dick" Hermann, the
first President of the Florida Association of Homes for the
Aging (FAHA), from 1963-1965, and past administrator of East
Ridge Retirement Village, passed away on September 23, 2008,
in Vero Beach, Florida. Mr. Hermann played a pivotal
role in the formation of FAHA, and in October, 1962, attended
the first annual meeting of the American Association of Homes
for the Aging (AAHA) at the Commodore Hotel in New York
City. This meeting solidified Florida's ties with the
national group. After two additional meetings, the
charter and bylaws for FAHA were drafted and ready for
consideration by the nonprofit homes in Florida. Then,
in 1963, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the committee, Mr.
R. A. Hermann, sent a notice to potential members inviting
them to attend a statewide organizational meeting. On
March 29-30, the Temporary Florida Committee of AAHA met in
general session at Florida Presbyterian Homes in Lakeland to
officially organize FAHA.
We admire and
respect the past work of R.A. "Dick" Hermann for being such a
visionary and leader in his field. We extend our
condolences to his wife, of 35 years, Marga and his three
children and their families.
During Mr.
Hermann's term in office as President, other officers and
board members included the following: Vice President, J.H.
"Ned" Underwood, St. Petersburg Methodist Home; Irma M. Brown,
Bay Oaks Soroptomist Home, Miami; Sidney Entman, River Garden
Hebrew Home for the Aged; Maurice Pearlstein, Douglas Gardens
Jewish Home for the Aged, Miami; Mother M. Josita O'Carm,
Lourdes Residence, West Palm Beach; Dr. W. Monte Johnson,
Florida Presbyterian Homes, Inc.; Pomeroy Carter, Advent
Christian Village; Glenn W. Gold, Biscayne Methodist Home;
Louis J. Kurtz, Bethesda Baptist Home; Rev. Thomas D. Ryan,
Jr., Wesley Manor; Robert L. Parry, Presbyterian Homes of the
Synod of
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AAHSA's Larry Minnix Featured on
CNN's 'Seeking Solutions with Suzanne' - On
Wednesday, September 24th, Larry Minnix, President and CEO of
the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
(AAHSA), was featured on the CNN Headline News program,
'Seeking Solutions with Suzanne'. Mr. Minnix discussed
the pros and cons of "Gray Market Caregivers", those who
provide care without being affiliated with a formal
agency. He also shared tips on how to find a caregiver
that safely meets your loved one's unique
needs.
To watch the web-video of the show, click here
to view the clip on your computer.
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| ALF News |
AAHSA Conducts 2008-09 ALF Salary
Survey -- The Hospital and Healthcare Compensation
Service (HCS) is conducting its eleventh annual Assisted
Living Salary and Benefits Report. The Report is published in
cooperation with the American Association of Homes and
Services for the Aging (AAHSA).
The results
provide assisted living facilities with the most reliable,
comprehensive source of compensation information. Last
year's Report contained data from 530+ facilities.
Salaries and bonus payments will be reported
according to county, state, region, revenue size, and unit
size. In addition, both for-profit and not-for-profit data
will be covered separately in the Report. Information on 23
fringe benefits will be reported according to region.
Percent increases planned for 2008 will be reported separately
for management, nonmanagement, RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and Resident
Assistants.
New this year, the Report results
will also be available in Excel and allow users to upload the
study results into existing pay systems. The files will
include all the salary/hourly sections of the Report, and show
the minimum, maximum, average and percentiles for each data
grouping of the published results.
To read the
rest of this article and to complete the questionnaire, please
click on the ALF Alert link below.
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| District and Membership News |
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Dale Lind Selected Winner of Orlando Sentinel Top
100 - Dale Lind, Executive Director of Waterman
Communities, parent company to Waterman Village of Mt. Dora
and Waterman Cove in Tavares, was selected as Orlando
Sentinel's Top 100 '2008 Family Champion'. The Family Champion
award is given to an individual who, through time, talent and
vision, makes a difference in the work/life arena.
The judges of this year's competition were
impressed by the nomination letters received from Dale's
staff. One writes, "When employees could not afford
transportation to get to work, Mr. Lind helped get them cars."
Another writes, "When workers do not have money for lunch,
Dale provided them with a meal ticket." In addition,
other comments that convinced the judges that Dale should
receive the award include:
- He allows employees to adjust their work schedules so
they can leave work to pick up their children from school.
- He encourages his staff to bring their children to work
when problems with daycare arise.
- It is not uncommon to hear Dale say, "Do what you need
to do, family first."
- Mr. Lind is an incredible leader and an inspiration to
others. He has encouraged many employees to further
their education and be the best they can be, he continues to
bring out the best in all of us!
Judges also took note of Dale's strong leadership skills
and his concern for the well-being of his workers.
Congratulations, Dale on this accomplishment.
FAHSA Welcomes New Members -
FAHSA would like to welcome the following new members (in
alphabetical order):
- Fountains Nursing Home, Boca Raton, FL
- Gainesville Health Care Center, Gainesville, FL
- Laurellwood Nursing Center, St. Petersburg,
FL
Individual Members
- Janet Keller, Dunedin, FL
- Minerva Haugabrooks, Mount Dora, FL
Business Members
- Advanced Healing Systems, LLC, Bloomington, MN
- All-Med Services of Florida, Inc., Miami Lakes, FL
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Valrico, FL
- Dynamic Medical Systems, Inc., Rancho Dominguez, CA
- Jacuzzi Whirlpool Bath, Chino, CA
- Jacuzzi Whirlpool Bath, Hendersonville, NC
- Pathway Health Services, Inc., Brookfield, WI
- Pro-Tech Air Conditioning & Heating Service, Inc.,
Orlando, FL
- The Loyola Group, LLC, Wickliffe, OH
- Wings Health Care Solutions, Clermont,
FL
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| Education News |
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Register for the following FAHSA Events
online - Registering for FAHSA events is only a few
clicks away. Go to the Calendar page on the FAHSA Web
site and make plans to join us for one of FAHSA's next events.
Upcoming Educational
Events:
FAHSA Calendar of
Events |
| General News |
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SBA Extends List of Florida Counties Eligible for
Disaster Loans -- The U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) has added and changed counties eligible
for disaster loans due to Tropical Storm Fay. The map and list
reflects the updated declared areas. Eligible businesses
in the primary areas (highlighted in blue) may apply for
Physical Damage and/or Economic Injury Disaster Program (EIDL)
Loans. Eligible businesses in counties contiguous (highlighted
in yellow) to the primary ones may apply only for EIDL Loans.
The deadline for a Physical Disaster Loan application is
October 27, 2008, and for an EIDL Loan application is May 26,
2009. Appellate Court Upholds Arbitration
in Long-Term Care Admission -- Most long-term care
providers incorporate arbitration clauses to resolve
litigation in admissions contracts. Recently, the trend
in the courts has been to uphold these arbitration clauses
(especially newer ones that were carefully crafted).
Some arbitration clauses are signed by a power
of attorney. Lately, Courts in Florida and other states have
ruled that unless the power of attorney specifically gives the
person the right to "arbitrate" claims on behalf of a
relative, the arbitration clause in admissions contracts would
be invalid and unenforceable. McCumber, Daniels, Buntz,
Hartig & Puig, P.A., felt strongly this was an absurd
conclusion, especially where the Power of Attorney (POA) had
broad powers to execute contracts and handle the affairs of
their loved one. This summer, the Second
District Court of Appeal took the unusual action of granting
an "Extraordinary Motion for Oral Argument" giving McCumber,
Daniels, et. al., the opportunity to make the case for their
clients at a hearing before the appellate court.
Two weeks ago, the Court issued the attached
opinion that states that as long as the power of attorney is a
broad grant of authority over the person, then they are bound
by all provisions of a nursing home contract. The
opinion also dismisses Wilkes and McHugh's persistent argument
that arbitration of nursing home claims is improper as against
public policy. This is an important decision as it
impacts many potential claims where a POA signed the
admissions contract. McCumber, Daniels,
et. al., recommends that admission coordinators look at the
power of attorney presented to them upon admission and make
sure they are broadly worded in that they are not limited to
just health care decisions or property rights, but rather all
personal rights over the person. If you
have any questions, please contact Andrew R. McCumber, Esq.,
(813) 287-2822 amccumber@mccumberdaniels.com
Source: McCumber Daniels Client
Bulletin, Sept. 15, 2008. Schedule
Flu Shots for Your Residents - The Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reminds health care
professionals that Medicare Part B reimburses health care
providers who accept the Medicare-approved payment amount for
influenza, pneumococcal, and hepatitis B vaccines and their
administration. All adults 65 and older should get influenza
and pneumococcal shots. Last year, approximately 63.7 percent
of seniors 65 and older received their flu shots even though
Medicare pays for their doses. CMS needs your help
to ensure that people with Medicare and those working in the
health care field take full advantage of these vital
preventive benefits. Flu kills about 36,000 each year and
leads to about 200,000 hospitalizations. Choices include
standard flu shots for all ages, and the nasal vaccine
FluMist, which can be used in healthy people age 2 to
49. For more information about Medicare's coverage
of adult immunizations and a list of related educational
resources, please visit CMS' Medicare
Learning Network Preventive Services Educational Products web
page on the CMS Web site.
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| Housing
News |
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Change in OMB Requirements for HUD Model
Leases -- A new memorandum signed by Acting Deputy
Assistant Secretary Janet Golrick was issued on September 18,
2008, notifying HUD staff of a change in the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) requirements relative to the HUD
model leases used at subsidized properties covered in the
Handbook 4350.3 REV-1, Occupancy Requirements of Subsidized
Multifamily Housing Programs. Read more about these
changes and other news in this week's Housing News, HUD
08-15.
Other Housing Alert
Issues:
- Prepare for Changes to HUD Audits of Multifamily
Programs
- October 15 Deadline Nears: Do Not Let Stimulus
Payment Pass Your Residents By
- Don't Forget to Contact Senator Martinez about S. 2736 -
and Ask Your Residents to Contact Him Too!
- TV Goes Digital
- Summary of Constitutional Amendments
- It's an Election Year
- AAHSA Writes Open Letter to Congress to Address Subsidy
Payment Shortfall
FAHSA Housing Alert
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| Nursing
Home News |
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FAHSA Surveys Nursing Home Members on Electronic
Medical Records -- One of our members asked whether
FAHSA members are using electronic medical records and whether
they have had success. The response to the FAHSA survey
was positive. Out of the 15 respondents, 11 (73.3%) are
currently using electronic medical records. Respondents
agreed that transferring records electronically has been
successful. Read more on this issue and other news in
this week's Nursing Home Alert, NH
08-34.
Other Nursing Home Alert
Issues:
- Question on Call Lights
- DOEA Resource for PASRR
- The Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture
- HIPAA Privacy Rule Guidance
- Physicians, Nurses & Allied Health Professionals
Open Door Forum
FAHSA Nursing Home
Alert Page
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| Preferred Business Associates
News |
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 FAHSA's
Preferred Business Associates Program (PBAs) -- A
list of PBAs can be found by on the FAHSA Web site www.fahsa.org and
selecting Preferred Business Associates from the left side
menu bar or clicking on the FAHSA Preferred Business
Associates Page hyperlink. FAHSA members can also use the
on-line directory to search for PBAs by specialty.
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| Job-Mart |
| FAHSA is pleased to provide an opportunity for
you to advertise your "position wanted" or "position
available" through the FAHSA Link newsletter and on our
Web Page.
FAHSA members may use the Job Mart services at no charge. A
nominal fee of $25 will be charged to nonmembers.
Your Job Mart advertisement will be displayed on our Web
site for approximately three months. The FAHSA Link is
published weekly and distributed to our membership which is
comprised of nursing homes, CCRCs, HUD housing, assisted
living facilities, independent living facilities and
companies/firms.
To reserve advertisement space in our Job Mart program,
please complete the application and fax it
to FAHSA at (850) 671-3790 or E-mail Erin Steele at esteele@fahsa.org
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Copyright 2008 -- Publication of the
Florida Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
(FAHSA).
- FAHSA Chair: Alma Ballard
- FAHSA President/CEO: Janegale Boyd
- Managing Editor: Gail Matillo
Copyright
Information: Copies of the articles and other information in
this publication may be noncommercially reproduced for the
purpose of educational or scientific advancement. Otherwise,
no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in
any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including
photocopying, microfilm and recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without the written permission
of the editor.
Correspondence: Should be addressed to:
Editor, 1812 Riggins Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. For
telephone inquiries, call (850) 671-3700. Or E-mail FAHSA at
info@fahsa.org. © 2008 FAHSA. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this
correspondence is not intended as a substitute for legal
advice. Please discuss any information gathered from this or
any other FAHSA publications with your legal counsel in the
context of your particular situation before implementing any
new policies or procedures.
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