|
|
|
King-Bruwaert
House in Burr Ridge, Ill., is the first assisted-living community in the United States to
become accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
This comes following an extensive on-site review held during May 2000. King-Bruwaert was
held to the highest assisted-living standards in the industry. More than 100 people
attended a ceremonial presentation including the Joint Commission personnel. King Bruwaert
House is a continuing care community that opened in 1933. 
A new study, Seniors
Housing Absorption Trends, compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the American
Seniors Housing Association (ASHA), concludes that the move-in rates for assisted-living
properities averaged 5.5 units per month. Reviewing responses from ASHA surveys of new
properties opened since 1997--including freestanding assisted-living, assisted-living with
special care (dementia), congregate seniors housing with assisted living and continuing
care retirement communities--and supplemented by trends from 300 additional properties
tracked by PwC's Senior Advisory Services Group, the study reported move-in rates for
assisted living very similar to those found by the National Investment Council for Seniors
Housing & Care Industries (NIC) and posted at the Key Financial Indicators section of
NIC's Web site at www.nic.org. For more information, contact ASHA at (202) 974-2300 or
visit www.asha.nmhc.org. 
The American
Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) honored Delaware Senator William
Roth as a year 2000 recipient of the Distinguished Service in Aging Award in July at a
ceremony in Wilmington, Del. The award is presented each year in recognition of public
figures or others of national stature who have had a far-reaching, positive impact on the
elderly or the aging services field. Roth has served as chair of the Senate Finance
Committee since 1995. He was elected to the Senate in 1970 and is currently serving his
fifth term. As chairman of the Finance Committee, Roth was instrumental in providing
relief from the unexpected excesses of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. During this time,
according to AAHSA, he was very supportive of long-term-care providers' concerns. John M. Parvan |
Benchmark Assisted Living, headquartered in Wellesley Hills, Mass., has promoted John M. Parvan to senior vice president of Development. Benchmark also announced two new executive director positions--Steven C. Garde will serve at Bay Square in Yarmouth, Maine, and Thomas M. Streep will serve at Greystone Farm in Salem, N.H.
Hormel HealthLabs, a subsidiary of Hormel Foods Corporation in Austin, Minn., announced the appointment of Daniel J. McHugh as president.
Aegis Assisted Living has announced three new appointments. Kevin Rougex has joined Aegis at Shadowridge (Oceanside, Calif.) as their executive director. Susan McPherson has joined Aegis as the regional vice president of operations, based in Carlsbad, Calif. Warren Howard has joined Aegis as corporate director of culinary services, based in Redmond, Wash., at company headquarters.
 Daniel J. McHugh |
Regent Assisted Living, Inc. has named a general manager for Mira Loma, an assisted-living community in Henderson, Nev. Leighanne Friedman was promoted from care coordinator to general manager. Darron Truede was named to the position of general manager for the organization's Willow Creek Community in Folsom, Calif.
Elcombe Systems Limited appointed two new executives to lead the company's current market expansion and entry into the telehealth field. Ron Evans has been appointed vice president and chief technology officer, while Johanne Allaire will serve as director of sales.
Tel-Tron Systems Solutions announces that Kurt Swartzlander has joined its staff as director of contract management and project administration. Tel-Tron is located in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Extendicare Foundation, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., named Lisa Hutchins to its board of directors as secretary. Hutchins is an administrative assistant for the company.
 Kurt Swartzlander |
The Boston Home recently named Edward D. Draper to position of dietary director. The Boston Home is a nonprofit, 84-bed long-term-care facility.
Savoy Senior Housing Corporation, a developer and operator of luxury assisted-living communities in New York and New Jersey, has appointed Tracy Schoenfeld Fishel vice president of operations and Joanna Laba as executive director for the Savoy at Little Neck.
Sundt Senior Living has named Teri L. Jones a principal in its Northern California office.
Hearthstone Assisted Living Inc., an owner and operator of assisted-living communities, appointed Jim Wang as chief financial officer.
World Alzheimer's Conference Announces Data on Alzheimer's Vaccine
The first World Alzheimer's Congress, held in Washington, D.C., in July, announced preliminary results from the first human study of a possible Alzheimer's vaccine. The experimental compound known as AN-1792, which could possibly ward off and even reduce Alzheimer's, has been found to be safe in studies with laboratory mice. Ireland's Elan Corporation has started small studies in people to test the side effects of the vaccine. The studies indicate that the vaccine has been well-tolerated, with few side effects. It is not known yet if the vaccine will help humans, but it did prove to reduce brain-clogging amyloid plaque, which may play a role in Alzheimer's Disease. The human study should run approximately one year.
Aegis Moves Headquarters
Dwayne Clark, president and CEO of Aegis Assisted Living LLC, has announced the company's recent move to the Millennium Office Park, located at 18200 NE Union Hill Rd., in Redmond, Wash. The recent corporate move was sparked by the company's rapid growth in the assisted-living industry and the addition of office staff necessary to provide proper support to the Aegis communities. According to Clark, "We are pleased to be in our new state-of-the-art corporate offices. Our growth and success at the community level has allowed us to grow at a reasonable rate." The company plans to build 40 to 45 assisted-living communities in the western United States within the next five years.
National Certification Program Introduced by ALFA
The Assisted
Living Federation of America (ALFA) has announced the introduction of two assisted- living
certification programs for sales and marketing professionals. The new programs complement
ALFA's Assisted Living Professional Administrator Certification program introduced in
March. The sales certification program is based on the industry-specific "Ask, then
ask again" sales model, recognized by Mature Media as the best assisted-living sales
program in the country. The advanced sales and marketing certification includes the sales
training plus comprehensive training on networking and development of an assisted-living
marketing plan. According to ALFA, these programs have been successfully used by some of
the nation's leading assisted-living providers.
Government Watch
AASHA Pleased With President's Request for Medicare Budget Increase
President Bill
Clinton has requested that Congress increase funding for Medicare by $21 billion over the
next five years. The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA)
spent more than a year educating the Congress and the Administration on the unintended
consequences of the Balanced Budget Act on nursing homes and home-care agencies. AAHSA
believes Clinton's request is a direct response to their efforts.
"Adjustments in Medicare reimbursements to hospitals, nursing homes and home care providers are essential to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries continue to have access to quality care," said AASHA President Len Fishman.
Administration on Aging Announces New Grants
Jeanette C. Takamura, Assistant Secretary for Aging, recently announced that the Administration of Aging (AoA) plans to award 19 new and 29 renewed grants for a program that recruits and trains retired professionals to identify fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
These 48 Senior Medicare Patrol Project grants, which total almost $10 million, are located in 43 states, as well as Puerto Rico. Volunteers participating in the program include retired medical professionals, accountants, investigators, law-enforcement personnel, attorneys, teachers and others. The volunteers work with Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in their own communities and in local senior centers to help identify deceptive healthcare practices, such as overbilling, overcharging or providing unnecessary or inappropriate services.
The Senior Medicare Patrol Project grants, originally named the Health Care Anti-Fraud, Waste and Abuse Community Volunteers' Demonstration Projects, were created under report language authored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).
State Takes Action on Workforce Shortfall
Colorado Governor Bill Owens appointed a blue ribbon panel to address the chronic shortage of qualified healthcare workers in nursing homes, home health and other long-term-care settings in his state. The panel met for the first time in July.
The group will review existing programs and methods currently utilized by healthcare providers and other agencies engaged in the recruitment and retention of long-term healthcare workers. A preliminary report is expected at the end of November.
Industry EventsMissouri Association of Homes for the Aging Conference and Expo Assisted Living 2000--ALFA Illinois Health Care Association 50th Annual Convention & Trade Show 2000 Healthcare Food Service Management National Training Conference National Investment Center for the Senior Housing & Care Industries 10th Annual
Conference Partners in Caregiving: Mobile Adult Day Services College Presbyterian Homes and Services Symposium on Aging National Gerontological Nursing Association Annual Convention Virginia Health Care Association Montana Health Care Association 2000 Annual Convention MedTrade American Health Care Association 51st Annual Convention and Exposition Seniors Housing Show 2000 by National Association of Home Builders and National
Council on Seniors Housing American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, 39th Annual Meeting and
Exposition MCMC XII: Medical Case Management Convention Care Providers of Minnesota Convention and Expo |
Click here to purchase reprints
|
|
|
