For Immediate Release: November 18, 2008
The Commerce Department's NTIA Awards $2.7 Million to National Association of Area Agencies on Aging to Help Seniors Transition to Digital TV
WASHINGTON—The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today an award of $2.7 million to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) to help seniors transition to digital television through the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Full-power TV broadcasters switch from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts after February 17, 2009.
“Vulnerable consumers will be helped with the technical assistance that n4a will provide,” said Meredith Baker, acting NTIA administrator. “They have the right mix of capacity, skills and experience—as well as trust and standing among seniors—to lead this effort to help older adults transition to digital television.”
The association will assist seniors with completing a coupon application, obtaining a converter box and connecting the device to a television in the home now to the end of April. They are partnering with credible and effective organizations, together forming the Keeping Seniors Connected (KSC) Coalition. These include the Meals on Wheels Association of America, the National Association for Hispanic Elderly, the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging and the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged. The association recently served as the lead national organization on a $5 million contract, successfully coordinating assistance in promoting Medicare Part D enrollment.
"With extensive outreach in communities across the country, the Keeping Seniors Connected organizations will reinforce the efforts of the NTIA and their contractors by directly disseminating customized, targeted information about the transition to these vulnerable populations,” said Sandy Markwood, CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. “Most importantly, n4a will then offer seniors the direct, one-on-one assistance that most will need in order to make a smooth transition to DTV."
NTIA is working with more than 300 federal and private organizations to ensure a smooth digital TV transition for America’s seniors and other households. Also, NTIA’s consumer education effort, including the “apply, buy and try” campaign to urge consumers to request coupons before the end of the year, is proving effective. To date, more than 18 million households have requested more than 35 million coupons, and more than 14 million coupons have been redeemed.
Background
The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 requires full-power television stations to cease analog broadcasts and switch to digital after February 17, 2009. The Act authorizes NTIA to create the TV Converter Box Coupon Program, which is funded by the $19 billion airwaves auction and not tax dollars.
Digital broadcast television offers consumers a clearer picture, more programming choices and will free up the airwaves for better communications among emergency first responders and new telecommunications services.
Consumers receiving free, over-the-air television on analog televisions will need to act to ensure their televisions continue to work when full power television stations go all-digital. Viewers of over-the-air television need to look at each analog set in their home that is not connected to cable, satellite or other pay television service and make a timely decision. They can connect their television to cable, satellite or pay television service; they can replace it with a digital TV; or they may keep it working with a TV converter box.
For consumers choosing the converter box option, the TV Converter Box Coupon Program permits all households to request up to two coupons - each worth $40 - toward the purchase of certified converter boxes. Coupons may be requested until March 31, 2009, or while supplies last. Consumers can purchase a converter box at one of the more than 35,000 participating local, phone or online retailers. Coupon applications can take several weeks to process and mail so consumers opting to purchase a converter box should act now, and should call stores before shopping to ensure the desired converter box is available. Converter boxes generally cost between $45 and $80 and coupons expire 90 days from the date they are mailed.
Some viewers watch programs over translators or other low-power stations which may continue broadcasting analog signals after February 17, 2009. Those viewers may wish to select a converter box that will pass through analog signals.
Households may apply now for coupons online at www.DTV2009.gov, by phone at 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009), via fax at 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632) or by mail to P.O. Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000. Deaf or hard of hearing callers may dial 1-877-530-2634 (English TTY) or 1-866-495-1161 (Spanish TTY). Nursing home residents may apply with the paper application available downloadable at www.DTV2009.gov.
Consumers will receive a list of eligible converter boxes and participating retailers with their coupons. Coupons expire 90 days after they are mailed, and only one coupon can be used to purchase each coupon-eligible converter box.
For more information about the Coupon Program, please visit www.DTV2009.gov and for questions about the DTV transition, go to www.dtv.gov or call 1-888-CALL-FCC.
NTIA is responsible for the development of the domestic and international telecommunications policy of the Executive Branch.
Contact: Todd Sedmak, (202) 482-7002 or press@ntia.doc.gov
Editor's Note:
The NTIA is correct to note that "our nation's seniors, including those residing in nursing homes or other senior care facilities, constitute a vulnerable community that may rely on free, over-the-air television to a greater degree than other members of the public."
What the NTIA does not suggest is that the Owners and Operators of said senior care facilities should have knowledgeable tech people on staff who are aware of the impending change from analogue to digital TV on February 17, 2009. Is this on the radar of your facility's staff and do your IT gurus plan to perform the installation of the converter box for all your residents??
Better check now before you're caught with your pants down in February when Mr. Jones and Mrs. Smith's TV stops working. There is nothing like a non-working TV to make your resident satisfaction scores plummet to zero. BB
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
What Do The Candidates Have to Say About Long-term Care?
Welcome to the AAHSA meeting in Philadelphia
October 7, 2008 in financing long term care, long-term care, making a difference, politics | Tags: Barack Obama, caregiving, cash and counseling, election, John McCain, long-term care, politics | by Sarah Mashburn
Today’s Changing Aging blog has a great post about one of my favorite blog topics: the presidential candidates and long-term care.
Recently, AARP Magazine asked both candidates to respond to the following question:
How would you shift long-term care services and financing so that people can afford to stay in their homes and communities as long as appropriate?
Here are their answers:
John McCain: I am confident in the pioneering approaches for delivering care to people in a home setting, and would look to them first as models for how we need to approach this issue. There have been a variety of promising state-based experiments such as Cash and Counseling or The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Through these programs, seniors are given a monthly assistance which they can use to hire workers and purchase care-related services and goods. They can get help managing their care by designating representatives, such as relatives or friends, to help make decisions. it also offers counseling and bookkeeping services to assist consumers.
Barack Obama: The long-term care system is heavily biased toward institutional care — even though most people would rather remain at home — and the quality of care is often poor. Moreover, nursing home and home care are very expensive, and Medicare coverage for both is limited, making catastrophic expenses routine. As President, I will work to give seniors choices about their care, consistent with their needs, and not biased towards institutional care. I will work to reform the financing of long-term care to protect seniors and families from impoverishment or debt. I will work to improve the quality of elder care, including by giving our long-term care and geriatric workforce the respect and support they deserve and training more nurses and health care workers in geriatrics.
Partisanship aside, I agree with elements of both Obama and McCain’s responses. McCain makes a good case for consumer choice and personal responsibility in his support of Cash and Counseling and other person-centered programs. On the other hand, Obama acknowledges that long-term care is expensive and that we should develop programs that help seniors and their loved ones address these costs. It’s no coicidence that both elements are included in our Long-term Care Solution Initiative. I guess that that makes me a “purple person” when it comes to this topic. What do you think?
October 7, 2008 in financing long term care, long-term care, making a difference, politics | Tags: Barack Obama, caregiving, cash and counseling, election, John McCain, long-term care, politics | by Sarah Mashburn
Today’s Changing Aging blog has a great post about one of my favorite blog topics: the presidential candidates and long-term care.
Recently, AARP Magazine asked both candidates to respond to the following question:
How would you shift long-term care services and financing so that people can afford to stay in their homes and communities as long as appropriate?
Here are their answers:
John McCain: I am confident in the pioneering approaches for delivering care to people in a home setting, and would look to them first as models for how we need to approach this issue. There have been a variety of promising state-based experiments such as Cash and Counseling or The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Through these programs, seniors are given a monthly assistance which they can use to hire workers and purchase care-related services and goods. They can get help managing their care by designating representatives, such as relatives or friends, to help make decisions. it also offers counseling and bookkeeping services to assist consumers.
Barack Obama: The long-term care system is heavily biased toward institutional care — even though most people would rather remain at home — and the quality of care is often poor. Moreover, nursing home and home care are very expensive, and Medicare coverage for both is limited, making catastrophic expenses routine. As President, I will work to give seniors choices about their care, consistent with their needs, and not biased towards institutional care. I will work to reform the financing of long-term care to protect seniors and families from impoverishment or debt. I will work to improve the quality of elder care, including by giving our long-term care and geriatric workforce the respect and support they deserve and training more nurses and health care workers in geriatrics.
Partisanship aside, I agree with elements of both Obama and McCain’s responses. McCain makes a good case for consumer choice and personal responsibility in his support of Cash and Counseling and other person-centered programs. On the other hand, Obama acknowledges that long-term care is expensive and that we should develop programs that help seniors and their loved ones address these costs. It’s no coicidence that both elements are included in our Long-term Care Solution Initiative. I guess that that makes me a “purple person” when it comes to this topic. What do you think?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Alaska Telemedicine Program Touted as National Broadband Access Model
An Alaska telemedicine program is being hailed as a model for how broadband access can benefit rural U.S. residents. During this week's Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on "Why Broadband Matters," lawmakers such as Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) stressed the geographic difference between the country's largest state and "the lower 48."
Many Alaskans, according to Stevens, live off the state's road system. "We basically have no transportation system," Stevens said. "We've got telemedicine and tele-education in Alaska far ahead of the rest of the country."
Other witnesses at the hearing noted the importance of developing broadband connections throughout the United States primarily as a larger technological need. But Jonathan Linkous, executive director of the American Telemedicine Association, detailed the broad application of the technique nationwide. "No other state has benefited more, I might add, than the state of Alaska," Linkous said. http://stevens.senate.gov/public/...
Editor's Note:
This blog first reported on "Broadband Use and Older Adults" back in 2002 when we published a report commissioned by Verizon to illustrate the quality-of-life- enhancing benefits that broadband speed provided to senior housing residents. While it is true that Alaska has been a trailblazer -- first in connectivity, and second in content delivery -- the gap is closing as the "Lower 48" catch up to the cost-savings and benefits that a broadband connection provides to both rural and urban residents. Most seniors see the benefit as they experience reduced mobility. In such cases the Internet can replace or enhance the quality of life as people age and their worlds "become smaller."
BB
Many Alaskans, according to Stevens, live off the state's road system. "We basically have no transportation system," Stevens said. "We've got telemedicine and tele-education in Alaska far ahead of the rest of the country."
Other witnesses at the hearing noted the importance of developing broadband connections throughout the United States primarily as a larger technological need. But Jonathan Linkous, executive director of the American Telemedicine Association, detailed the broad application of the technique nationwide. "No other state has benefited more, I might add, than the state of Alaska," Linkous said. http://stevens.senate.gov/public/...
Editor's Note:
This blog first reported on "Broadband Use and Older Adults" back in 2002 when we published a report commissioned by Verizon to illustrate the quality-of-life- enhancing benefits that broadband speed provided to senior housing residents. While it is true that Alaska has been a trailblazer -- first in connectivity, and second in content delivery -- the gap is closing as the "Lower 48" catch up to the cost-savings and benefits that a broadband connection provides to both rural and urban residents. Most seniors see the benefit as they experience reduced mobility. In such cases the Internet can replace or enhance the quality of life as people age and their worlds "become smaller."
BB
Elderly at ease with, adapt well to remote monitoring technology
Seniors who rely on remote monitoring technology to help them remain secure and independent do not view it as intrusive or impersonal, according to a study by a Philadelphia-based nursing home operator New Courtland Elder Services and Mendota Heights, MN-based aging services provider Healthsense. Study participants, drawn from four locations within the New Courtland network, unanimously agreed that such technology makes them feel safer and enables them to live independently longer, according to New Courtland Housing and Community Services Vice President Kim Brooks. "We thought at first that adapting to the technology would be a major issue for our residents, but clearly it was not," Brooks said. "The results of the survey demonstrate that even seniors with little or no prior exposure to this technology can readily adapt to it once they realize the improved quality of life it offers." http://www.wirelesshealthcare.co.uk/...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
North Dakota telepharmacy project expands across country
As recently as three years ago, many elderly residents in this part of southeastern North Dakota were forced to order their medications by mail.
These days, customers have a real drugstore and can talk to a real person about their health needs — albeit via the Internet.
Thanks to the virtual pharmacy system that has been tested on the frozen prairie, the days of walking down to the general store for prescription drugs are returning to rural America.
"It's perfect," said Jim Williams, a longtime Arthur resident. "You can walk down there and it's done in a few minutes."
Most telepharmacies are staffed with registered pharmacy technicians, who usually need about two years of schooling and earn about $15 an hour in North Dakota. Some registered nurses also have been trained for the job.
The pharmacy technicians use remote cameras to contact pharmacists in another location and show them the original signed prescription, computer-generated label, stock bottle where the pills are stored and the bottle the patient will take home. Once the prescription is approved, patients have a mandatory private consultation with pharmacists through real-time video and audio.
"We can do most of the things the pharmacists do except give professional advice," said Jennifer Joyce, the pharmacy technician in Arthur. Joyce knows all of her patients on a first-name basis.
"You don't have the expense of a regular pharmacist," said Katie E. Thompson, a registered pharmacist who lives near Page. "That's the point of a telepharmacy."
North Dakota lawmakers opened the door for the telepharmacy project by passing legislation in 2001, after dozens of rural pharmacies went out of business. The project began with 10 volunteer sites in 2002 and has grown to 67 locations.
The idea is catching on in other places.
States that have changed laws to allow for remote pharmacies include Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming, along with the District of Columbia. More are on the way, according to the leader of North Dakota's project.
"We get calls every day from other states," said Ann Rathke, director of telepharmacy at North Dakota State University in Fargo. "A lot of states have used or have adopted in some way our rules, because they were out there."
Charles Peterson, dean of pharmacy at NDSU, said the rest of the country has been "watching and waiting" to see how the North Dakota project worked. "Every state is struggling with, the most part, the same issues," he said. "Access to health care in a rural setting is a problem for everyone. We have shown that this is a solution."
Rathke said it costs about $18,000 to set up a site in North Dakota, including equipment, installation and one year of Internet service. Telepharmacies pay an annual licensing fee of $175.
In most cases, pharmacy has more laws and rules than any other area of health care and many states are unwilling to make modifications or adjustments, Peterson said.
"Those other states that haven't in some cases been willing to talk about it, willing to even look at it, are being forced to look at it because North Dakota has proven this thing," Peterson said.
The first telepharmacy in Texas opened in 2002 in the town of Turkey, but only a few more have popped up since then, said Debbie Voyles, director of telemedicine at Texas Tech University. "Where there are no pharmacies, there are no doctors," she said. "Patients have to travel to see the doctors, so it's no big deal to them to have to pick up the prescriptions."
The Texas Tech pharmacy school is looking at ways to increase interest and is hoping to learn from North Dakota's success, Voyles said. Don Turner, who runs the virtual pharmacy in Turkey, said his clients are mostly elderly people who don't have access to transportation. The nearest pharmacist to the town of 400 people is about 50 miles away.
"It's a great thing for Turkey," Turner said. "I think it's just a matter of time for other small towns."
By DAVE KOLPACK, Associated Press Writer
Friday Sep 12, 6:47 AM ET
___
On the Net:
Telemedicine Information Exchange: http://tie.telemed.org
Editors Note:
We are continuing to see new and exciting ways for our seniors and elderly population to make use of the Internet to enhance their quality of life. Maybe in the future there will be a telepharmacist on every CCRC, ALF and SNF campus.
BB
These days, customers have a real drugstore and can talk to a real person about their health needs — albeit via the Internet.
Thanks to the virtual pharmacy system that has been tested on the frozen prairie, the days of walking down to the general store for prescription drugs are returning to rural America.
"It's perfect," said Jim Williams, a longtime Arthur resident. "You can walk down there and it's done in a few minutes."
Most telepharmacies are staffed with registered pharmacy technicians, who usually need about two years of schooling and earn about $15 an hour in North Dakota. Some registered nurses also have been trained for the job.
The pharmacy technicians use remote cameras to contact pharmacists in another location and show them the original signed prescription, computer-generated label, stock bottle where the pills are stored and the bottle the patient will take home. Once the prescription is approved, patients have a mandatory private consultation with pharmacists through real-time video and audio.
"We can do most of the things the pharmacists do except give professional advice," said Jennifer Joyce, the pharmacy technician in Arthur. Joyce knows all of her patients on a first-name basis.
"You don't have the expense of a regular pharmacist," said Katie E. Thompson, a registered pharmacist who lives near Page. "That's the point of a telepharmacy."
North Dakota lawmakers opened the door for the telepharmacy project by passing legislation in 2001, after dozens of rural pharmacies went out of business. The project began with 10 volunteer sites in 2002 and has grown to 67 locations.
The idea is catching on in other places.
States that have changed laws to allow for remote pharmacies include Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming, along with the District of Columbia. More are on the way, according to the leader of North Dakota's project.
"We get calls every day from other states," said Ann Rathke, director of telepharmacy at North Dakota State University in Fargo. "A lot of states have used or have adopted in some way our rules, because they were out there."
Charles Peterson, dean of pharmacy at NDSU, said the rest of the country has been "watching and waiting" to see how the North Dakota project worked. "Every state is struggling with, the most part, the same issues," he said. "Access to health care in a rural setting is a problem for everyone. We have shown that this is a solution."
Rathke said it costs about $18,000 to set up a site in North Dakota, including equipment, installation and one year of Internet service. Telepharmacies pay an annual licensing fee of $175.
In most cases, pharmacy has more laws and rules than any other area of health care and many states are unwilling to make modifications or adjustments, Peterson said.
"Those other states that haven't in some cases been willing to talk about it, willing to even look at it, are being forced to look at it because North Dakota has proven this thing," Peterson said.
The first telepharmacy in Texas opened in 2002 in the town of Turkey, but only a few more have popped up since then, said Debbie Voyles, director of telemedicine at Texas Tech University. "Where there are no pharmacies, there are no doctors," she said. "Patients have to travel to see the doctors, so it's no big deal to them to have to pick up the prescriptions."
The Texas Tech pharmacy school is looking at ways to increase interest and is hoping to learn from North Dakota's success, Voyles said. Don Turner, who runs the virtual pharmacy in Turkey, said his clients are mostly elderly people who don't have access to transportation. The nearest pharmacist to the town of 400 people is about 50 miles away.
"It's a great thing for Turkey," Turner said. "I think it's just a matter of time for other small towns."
By DAVE KOLPACK, Associated Press Writer
Friday Sep 12, 6:47 AM ET
___
On the Net:
Telemedicine Information Exchange: http://tie.telemed.org
Editors Note:
We are continuing to see new and exciting ways for our seniors and elderly population to make use of the Internet to enhance their quality of life. Maybe in the future there will be a telepharmacist on every CCRC, ALF and SNF campus.
BB
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Brain Fitness Programs - What are they and why does your Community need one?
From our friends at Stanford University . . .
Since all of you are dealing with baby boomer and seniors' trends, you may be interested in this report we prepared for the American Seniors Housing Association (this happened thanks to the lead by a fellow alumnus, Ryan Frederick, so thanks Ryan!).
The 15-page report, entitled "Brain Fitness Centers in Senior Housing: A Field in the Making," provides an overview of the brain fitness field with four case studies that shed light on the use of brain fitness centers in seniors housing communities, including those operated by Senior Star Living of Tulsa, OK, Belmont Village Senior Living of Houston, TX, and Erickson Retirement Communities of Catonsville, MD.
In releasing the Special Issue Brief, David Schless, ASHA's President, noted, "This report truly underscores how cutting-edge technology and science are being used to enhance the lives of seniors. It is particularly exciting to contemplate the enormous potential impact that computerized cognitive assessments and training can have for seniors housing residents."
According to the author, Alvaro Fernandez, "This is the very first publication in the field of brain fitness to address specific considerations related to seniors housing, expanding on our general market report released earlier this year. It is
very conceivable that the early and enthusiastic adaptation of cognitive fitness, supported by the solid measurement of outcomes reported in the Brief, will help to transform the way in which the general population perceives seniors housing."
Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary
II. A Field in the Making: Opportunities and Open Questions
III. Case Studies: Senior Star Living, Belmont Village, Erickson
Retirement Communities.
IV. Navigating through the Brain Fitness Program Landscape
V. Conclusions
For more info, and to acquire the report ($25), you can check out
http://www.sharpbrains.com/special-reports/brain-fitness-centers-in-senior-housing/
Editor's note:
Since our involvement back in 2007 at the Microsoft Aging Summit in Redmond, WA, I have been following a number of the market leaders who are providing "brain fitness" services to the senior housing industry. These companies are active in our associations, have sponsored panel discussions, and are frequent exhibitors and speakers at events like ALFA, AAHSA, AHCA, CAST etc. If you have not visited one of their booths at the previous shows please make an effort to see them if you plan to be in Philadelphia for AAHSA or Nashville for AHCA later this year. It won't be long before your residents and their families start asking you if your facility/community offers these types of programs. All you Activity Directors should take note. For a list of these companies please contact Berry at this blog.
BB
Since all of you are dealing with baby boomer and seniors' trends, you may be interested in this report we prepared for the American Seniors Housing Association (this happened thanks to the lead by a fellow alumnus, Ryan Frederick, so thanks Ryan!).
The 15-page report, entitled "Brain Fitness Centers in Senior Housing: A Field in the Making," provides an overview of the brain fitness field with four case studies that shed light on the use of brain fitness centers in seniors housing communities, including those operated by Senior Star Living of Tulsa, OK, Belmont Village Senior Living of Houston, TX, and Erickson Retirement Communities of Catonsville, MD.
In releasing the Special Issue Brief, David Schless, ASHA's President, noted, "This report truly underscores how cutting-edge technology and science are being used to enhance the lives of seniors. It is particularly exciting to contemplate the enormous potential impact that computerized cognitive assessments and training can have for seniors housing residents."
According to the author, Alvaro Fernandez, "This is the very first publication in the field of brain fitness to address specific considerations related to seniors housing, expanding on our general market report released earlier this year. It is
very conceivable that the early and enthusiastic adaptation of cognitive fitness, supported by the solid measurement of outcomes reported in the Brief, will help to transform the way in which the general population perceives seniors housing."
Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary
II. A Field in the Making: Opportunities and Open Questions
III. Case Studies: Senior Star Living, Belmont Village, Erickson
Retirement Communities.
IV. Navigating through the Brain Fitness Program Landscape
V. Conclusions
For more info, and to acquire the report ($25), you can check out
http://www.sharpbrains.com/special-reports/brain-fitness-centers-in-senior-housing/
Editor's note:
Since our involvement back in 2007 at the Microsoft Aging Summit in Redmond, WA, I have been following a number of the market leaders who are providing "brain fitness" services to the senior housing industry. These companies are active in our associations, have sponsored panel discussions, and are frequent exhibitors and speakers at events like ALFA, AAHSA, AHCA, CAST etc. If you have not visited one of their booths at the previous shows please make an effort to see them if you plan to be in Philadelphia for AAHSA or Nashville for AHCA later this year. It won't be long before your residents and their families start asking you if your facility/community offers these types of programs. All you Activity Directors should take note. For a list of these companies please contact Berry at this blog.
BB
Monday, September 1, 2008
AAHSA Board Member Takes on LTC Financing in New York Times Blog
August 28, 2008 by Sarah Mashburn
excerpted from AAHSA
I’ve written before about The New York Times “New Old Age” blog. This new publication features a variety of perspectives on the issues facing our aging population and those who care for them. Today, that included a commentary from AAHSA board member Kathryn Roberts. Kathryn is the CEO of Ecumen, one of the country’s largest not-for-profit providers. She’s also a passionate advocate and is working hard to help us advance our Long-term Care Solution. Check out her take on why the presidential candidates aren’t addressing long-term care, and why these leaders are missing out on an important opportunity:
Why Are the Candidates (Mostly) Silent on Long-Term Care?
My generation put day care in workplaces, gave rise to pediatricians and drove minivans and hybrids to market. Could transforming how we pay for aging be the baby boomers’ next big act?
Today about 10 million Americans need long-term care; 12 million will need it in 2020.
Should our primary option be a Cold War-era nursing home for which we largely pay with personal bankruptcy? No. I believe most Americans desire living fully — and differently — to the very end of life.
Unfortunately, as the unprecedented age wave rises, America sits in a costly time warp. We’re flying a 1965 aircraft — the Great Society programs of Medicare and Medicaid — absent an overhauled engine. While other countries have coordinated home- and community-based services for young and old with physical challenges, our outdated way unnecessarily, and expensively, institutionalizes people.
Medicaid pays nearly half of long-term care expenditures in the United States, costing federal and state governments $116.8 billion every year, according to the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. American businesses lose as much as $33.6 billion in annual revenue because of employees’ need to care for family. That’s about $2,110 per full-time employee who is also a caregiver, according to the MetLife Caregiving Study. There is a better way.
So why are the candidates generally silent on these issues?
Though Senators Barack Obama and John McCain each authored books, they’ve penned and spoken few words on long-term care. I see several reasons for this silence.
One is language. When people hear “long-term care,” their mind typically sees an outdated nursing home they want to avoid. Not great fodder for a stump speech. But long-term care is becoming much more, from independence-enhancing technologies to intergenerational respite centers. At its best, it’s empowered living, and we need new language and images reflecting that.
Second, most policymakers, like most Americans, know little about long-term care. Last year we surveyed Minnesota baby boomers, asking them who pays for long-term care. About a third said Medicare. It might pay for 100 days of rehab, but not for the care of those with memory problems or other intensive needs.
Third, Senators McCain and Obama, unlike most Americans, are somewhat insulated from this issue. When the candidates need assistive services, their private dollars will likely afford them top home services or posh senior housing rather than Medicaid-funded options.
Fourth, policymakers separate long-term care and health care. But the two are tightly intertwined in the kind of preventive, integrated cradle-to-grave health care for which Americans yearn but haven’t delivered on. Long-term care, in fact, could be a doable door opener to overall financing reform.
Fifth, we volley care between either-or’s. As in: either government pays for care, or private long-term care insurance pays. Neither is working. About 5 percent of Americans have long-term care insurance, and even if everyone purchased the best policy he or she could afford, Medicaid costs would still triple. Like most good public policy, the sweet spot lies somewhere in the middle.
Finally, aging and care lobbies (which include every American, because we’re all aging) have not cohesively raised voices around solutions. That will change, because the stakes in terms of life quality and economics are too high and too interconnected to our collective success.
A tremendous opportunity sits before every candidate and citizen who wants to transform America for the 21st century. It’s called long-term care financing reform.
Kathryn’s right. Long-term care financing doesn’t have to be an obstacle for McCain or Obama. It can be an opportunity to attract potential voters, build a legacy, and most important, help make it affordable to care for millions of aging and disabled Americans.
excerpted from AAHSA
I’ve written before about The New York Times “New Old Age” blog. This new publication features a variety of perspectives on the issues facing our aging population and those who care for them. Today, that included a commentary from AAHSA board member Kathryn Roberts. Kathryn is the CEO of Ecumen, one of the country’s largest not-for-profit providers. She’s also a passionate advocate and is working hard to help us advance our Long-term Care Solution. Check out her take on why the presidential candidates aren’t addressing long-term care, and why these leaders are missing out on an important opportunity:
Why Are the Candidates (Mostly) Silent on Long-Term Care?
My generation put day care in workplaces, gave rise to pediatricians and drove minivans and hybrids to market. Could transforming how we pay for aging be the baby boomers’ next big act?
Today about 10 million Americans need long-term care; 12 million will need it in 2020.
Should our primary option be a Cold War-era nursing home for which we largely pay with personal bankruptcy? No. I believe most Americans desire living fully — and differently — to the very end of life.
Unfortunately, as the unprecedented age wave rises, America sits in a costly time warp. We’re flying a 1965 aircraft — the Great Society programs of Medicare and Medicaid — absent an overhauled engine. While other countries have coordinated home- and community-based services for young and old with physical challenges, our outdated way unnecessarily, and expensively, institutionalizes people.
Medicaid pays nearly half of long-term care expenditures in the United States, costing federal and state governments $116.8 billion every year, according to the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. American businesses lose as much as $33.6 billion in annual revenue because of employees’ need to care for family. That’s about $2,110 per full-time employee who is also a caregiver, according to the MetLife Caregiving Study. There is a better way.
So why are the candidates generally silent on these issues?
Though Senators Barack Obama and John McCain each authored books, they’ve penned and spoken few words on long-term care. I see several reasons for this silence.
One is language. When people hear “long-term care,” their mind typically sees an outdated nursing home they want to avoid. Not great fodder for a stump speech. But long-term care is becoming much more, from independence-enhancing technologies to intergenerational respite centers. At its best, it’s empowered living, and we need new language and images reflecting that.
Second, most policymakers, like most Americans, know little about long-term care. Last year we surveyed Minnesota baby boomers, asking them who pays for long-term care. About a third said Medicare. It might pay for 100 days of rehab, but not for the care of those with memory problems or other intensive needs.
Third, Senators McCain and Obama, unlike most Americans, are somewhat insulated from this issue. When the candidates need assistive services, their private dollars will likely afford them top home services or posh senior housing rather than Medicaid-funded options.
Fourth, policymakers separate long-term care and health care. But the two are tightly intertwined in the kind of preventive, integrated cradle-to-grave health care for which Americans yearn but haven’t delivered on. Long-term care, in fact, could be a doable door opener to overall financing reform.
Fifth, we volley care between either-or’s. As in: either government pays for care, or private long-term care insurance pays. Neither is working. About 5 percent of Americans have long-term care insurance, and even if everyone purchased the best policy he or she could afford, Medicaid costs would still triple. Like most good public policy, the sweet spot lies somewhere in the middle.
Finally, aging and care lobbies (which include every American, because we’re all aging) have not cohesively raised voices around solutions. That will change, because the stakes in terms of life quality and economics are too high and too interconnected to our collective success.
A tremendous opportunity sits before every candidate and citizen who wants to transform America for the 21st century. It’s called long-term care financing reform.
Kathryn’s right. Long-term care financing doesn’t have to be an obstacle for McCain or Obama. It can be an opportunity to attract potential voters, build a legacy, and most important, help make it affordable to care for millions of aging and disabled Americans.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Hospitals can appeal to patients via virtual worlds, says IT expert
Note from Editor:
If Hospitals are starting to use this technology, how long will it be before forward-thinking senior housing owner/operators start doing the same thing??
Palomar Pomerado Health of San Diego, Calif. , plans to open a new, high-tech hospital in 2011, but according to Palomar's chief technology officer, an IT-driven community outreach effort has already begun. "We want to 'break the mold' on leveraging technology in the new facility, so it made sense to build a virtual model of the hospital online," said Orlando Portale, Palomar's CTO.
Portale spoke here Thursday at the 2008 Physician-Computer Connection Symposium, an annual event put on by the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems.
Palomar's proposed brick-and-mortar facility, called Palomar Medical Center West, will have 453 beds, cover approximately 1.2 million square feet and cost almost $800 million. Portale said the hospital would teem with state-of-the-art technology, including operating suites with robotics technology and patient rooms that could be quickly reconfigured to meet the needs of a patient's changing health status.
The new medical center's online equivalent, termed "Virtual Palomar West," has similar features, which anyone with Internet access can tour via the virtual world of Second Life.
A creation of San Francisco-based Linden Labs, Second Life has more than 14 million registered users, and Portale told his audience that creating a presence in the popular three-dimensional virtual world was an easy decision for the health system.
"Second Life is the leading metaverse platform," Portale said. "We can simulate a model of the new hospital and offer people in the community a chance to see it before it is built, and we can also begin to simulate potential events in the virtual world."
The "metaverse" is a term coined by writer Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel Snow Crash. It refers to a virtual world where humans interact with each other via avatars in a three-dimensional "metaphor" of the real world.
Portale told the AMDIS audience that interaction with patients in public virtual worlds like Second Life - and in private virtual worlds and meeting spaces created by companies like Forterra Systems and Qwaq - would likely be a critical part of health systems' outreach efforts in the future.
"Conceptual and virtual simulation in healthcare is not going to go away, but will probably grow," he said
By Richard Pizzi, Associate Editor MedTech Publishing
If Hospitals are starting to use this technology, how long will it be before forward-thinking senior housing owner/operators start doing the same thing??
Palomar Pomerado Health of San Diego, Calif. , plans to open a new, high-tech hospital in 2011, but according to Palomar's chief technology officer, an IT-driven community outreach effort has already begun. "We want to 'break the mold' on leveraging technology in the new facility, so it made sense to build a virtual model of the hospital online," said Orlando Portale, Palomar's CTO.
Portale spoke here Thursday at the 2008 Physician-Computer Connection Symposium, an annual event put on by the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems.
Palomar's proposed brick-and-mortar facility, called Palomar Medical Center West, will have 453 beds, cover approximately 1.2 million square feet and cost almost $800 million. Portale said the hospital would teem with state-of-the-art technology, including operating suites with robotics technology and patient rooms that could be quickly reconfigured to meet the needs of a patient's changing health status.
The new medical center's online equivalent, termed "Virtual Palomar West," has similar features, which anyone with Internet access can tour via the virtual world of Second Life.
A creation of San Francisco-based Linden Labs, Second Life has more than 14 million registered users, and Portale told his audience that creating a presence in the popular three-dimensional virtual world was an easy decision for the health system.
"Second Life is the leading metaverse platform," Portale said. "We can simulate a model of the new hospital and offer people in the community a chance to see it before it is built, and we can also begin to simulate potential events in the virtual world."
The "metaverse" is a term coined by writer Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel Snow Crash. It refers to a virtual world where humans interact with each other via avatars in a three-dimensional "metaphor" of the real world.
Portale told the AMDIS audience that interaction with patients in public virtual worlds like Second Life - and in private virtual worlds and meeting spaces created by companies like Forterra Systems and Qwaq - would likely be a critical part of health systems' outreach efforts in the future.
"Conceptual and virtual simulation in healthcare is not going to go away, but will probably grow," he said
By Richard Pizzi, Associate Editor MedTech Publishing
Friday, May 2, 2008
A Powerful Partnership - Senior Housing and Telemedicine
ATA 2008 - Largest, Most Comprehensive Meeting Ever
The Thirteenth Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) was held in Seattle, WA, April 6-8, 2008. The meeting was filled with presentations, exhibits, and networking among a diverse group of almost 2,500 attendees, a record attendance that included individuals from every state in the U.S. and 35 countries. The
The ATA Annual Meeting also served as a venue for other related meetings and activities among a wide range of organizations, including the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT), the Appalachian Regional Commission, the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Continua Healthcare Alliance, the Canadian Society for Telehealth, the Universal Services Administrative Corporation, the Four Corners Telehealth Consortium and the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center. The Mobile Health Clinics Network held their Fourth Annual Mobile Health Clinics Forum in conjunction with ATA, attracting more than 200 attendees and occupying more than 1200 square feet of exhibit space. The Annual Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) meeting focused on personal health monitoring, diverse training courses and federal agency workshops.
A complete summary of the meeting is available at http://www.americantelemed.org/conf/2008/overview.htm. Pictures from the meeting are available on the front page of ATA's web site at: www.americantelemed.org.
Planning for next year's annual meeting is already underway. ATA 2009 will be held April 26-28, 2009 in
Savvy senior housing executives should put this conference on their "must attend" list. As the age-in-place trend continues, and many seniors choose to stay in their primary residence longer, the senior housing industry needs to more fully embrace the use of technology for remote monitoring, wellness management, and disease management.
It's time to forge some strong bonds between the top providers in telemedicine and senior housing. It just makes good business sense for both industries -- mainly because we both serve the same end customer.
BB
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Experts Say Technology Can Help Seniors Remain Independent
Experts involved in two recent studies say that home health care technologies, such as electronic pill dispensers and systems that monitor patients' vital signs, offer benefits that outweigh their costs, MarketWatch reports.
Majd Alwan -- co-author of a Center for Aging Services Technologies' study, titled "State of Technology in Aging Services" -- said the cost of technology that allows seniors to remain independent might be a "couple hundred dollars" per month, while the cost of a nursing home could be $6,000 per month.
Linda Barnett -- author of an AARP study, titled "Healthy @ Home" -- said that once caregivers and seniors learn about the new technology, such as telemedicine, they become willing to try it. She added, "These technologies can help older adults stay independent longer, and [they] can give caregivers a greater sense of freedom."
Home Health Technology
MarketWatch highlights three categories of home health technology.
- Safety: Safety technologies, which are designed to detect or prevent falls, include user-activated push buttons or sensors that detect walking patterns, floor vibrations or motion. Safety technologies typically are not reimbursable through health plans.
- Health and Wellness: Health and wellness technologies include home telemedicine systems that can monitor glucose and blood pressure and transmit those data to providers.
- Social Connectedness: The devices can help seniors connect socially. However, there are some acceptance and usability issues, and cost can be a factor as well (Powell, MarketWatch, 3/17)
Sunday, March 23, 2008
A Future-Proofed Facility
Two factors led to the conclusion that this project needed to incorporate all current "best-of-breed" technology;
· The increased demands for connectivity on the part of seniors and their family members, and the positive impact broadband “always-on” connectivity has on the health, well-being and satisfaction of seniors
· The operational advantages, cost savings, efficiencies and revenue-generating possibilities that come with wiring an entire building
Some of the many issues that the owners are reviewing before they make final decisions:
· What kind of hardware and software and in what quantities should be provided to support operations and marketing?
· What kind of hardware and clinical systems will support the care staff, including whether such devices should be wireless?
· Outfitting of an on-site telemedicine suite.
· The need for HIPAA compliant software, encryption, and training.
· The build-out into resident rooms, including always-on broadband, television, Internet access, phone lines, video-on-demand services, distance learning, etc.
· Remote monitoring of residents in the Alzheimer’s unit via web cams.
· The creation of an interactive web site that will market
The owners hope to use
The sections below describe information technology systems, infrastructures, and standards that are typical to assisted living and/or specialty care facilities.
Business Office Solution
- Optical fiber access for high-speed data and video connections - if available via 100Mps or greater connections, or via multiple T1 trunk connections. Access equipment and building interconnect equipment will be located in the Equipment Closet and will require dedicated power with surge protection, and be isolated from other electrical systems.
- Equipment Closet – located near Telco vendor demarcations for network, EIS, and video servers, patch panels, backboards, head-end equipment, telephone/PBX system, and building interconnect equipment. Space must be air-conditioned, include dedicated power with surge protection, and be isolated from other electrical systems.
- Desktop Computers – to include workstations, laptops and/or PDAs, monitors, keyboards, mice, cables, network interface cards, and desktop software, i.e. Microsoft Windows O/S, Office (word processing, spreadsheet, database), and utility software (i.e., virus protection). Both personal and group printers and scanners can be included.
- Business Class Telephone System - PBX supporting voice, data, and IP services including: private lines with internal extensions, long distance, internet services, frame relay and VPN services, high-speed broadband access, voice messaging, 911 access, and value-added features such as call-waiting, call-forwarding, and caller-ID.
- Automated Call Detail Recording (ACDR) System – Software system to capture daily business and resident telephone usage and provide summary and detail reporting, billing by dwelling unit, and other management features.
- HIPAA compliance – All EIS, Intranet, Internet, and/or virtual private network (VPN) systems and infrastructures must meet these standards to insure privacy and security of resident information.
- CCTV monitoring system for internal and external video monitoring and security.
- Training and Support for the above software and hardware systems.
Telemedicine Suite
1. A four-station Video Conference platform.
2. A 32-inch or larger TV.
3. Diagnostic Medical Devices (list and specifications to follow).
4. Dedicated, secure line if IP or high-speed fiber connection not available.
5. Training and Support
Resident Solution – Assisted Living Building
1. Televisions (27-inch or larger) in each apartment with Internet/Intranet access features for web-browsing, community activity calendar, daily menu, and other resident-focused information, as well as enabled middleware that supports MPEG encoding for Video-on-Demand (VoD) in each room
2. Digital Cable Television access for broadcast and cable TV viewing.
3. Digital Music access for on-demand listening to resident-selected music choices.
4. Video-on-Demand (VoD) system for pay-per-view movie viewing and access to other video resources (wellness, travel, exercise, documentary, education, and other video library materials).
5. Web Cameras for in-room use enabling residents to videoconference with staff, family, healthcare providers, or friends.
6. A small, common-area computer lab for residents, with two or three workstations as well as flatbed scanners, fax machines, and printers.
7. In-room phones connected to central IP or PBX network with speed dialing, voice mail, and other advanced telephone features. Local and long distance call usage will be tracked and billed via the call capturing software system (ACDR).
8. Training and Support for all Residents on equipment and resident-focused applications, as well as an eight-week training curriculum for the activity directors or community directors to use with all new residents as a core activity.
Alzheimer’s Building
1. TV- set-top boxes (STBs) in all residents’ rooms for staff use only as a bedside data capture tool.
2. Point-of-Care (POC) Data Entry software and system integration to EIS.
3. Training for Staff to use the installed system and software.
4. Training for the cognitively functional residents so they can learn hardware interaction and web surfing skills.
5. “Granny-cam” for remote monitoring and web cams in common areas for family interaction with residents.
6. Remote diagnostic medical devices.
7. Support for staff.
Affinity (Customized) Portal and/or Community Intranet
1. Co-branded and customized portal faceplate and content that is specific to the building and local community.
2. Electronic distribution of activity schedules, menus, and newsletters for residents and family. A reduced paper-flow environment will result as more staff/resident communication occurs over the Intranet.
3. On-line meal selection to assist in ordering, procurement, dietary and nutrition planning, and resident satisfaction.
4. Condition and wellness management reminders and instruction.
5. Continuing education and in-service materials delivered to the staff and other healthcare workers, using distance learning and web-based training methodologies. These materials will be particularly helpful when new hires, or replacement workers, have to be trained quickly and efficiently.
6. Customer Relationship Management (
Pre-Construction and Pre-Leasing Marketing Communications Materials
1. Website Development for the entire property, as well as hosting if required.
2. Collateral Materials (brochures, flyers, other print materials) to support database-marketing efforts.
3. Advertising Campaign in appropriate local media.
4. Internet-based promotion of property via websites such as: www.aplaceformom.com, www.snapforseniors.com, www.seniorcenter.com and others.
5. Virtual Tour capabilities
This project will change the game for many existing providers; it is specified, and could be coming soon to a town near you
BB
Monday, March 17, 2008
Is the Future of Senior Housing @ Home?
Home As The Site of Care: Redesigning Health Care For the 21st Century
An emerging philosophy in senior care emphasizes the need for Home TeleHealth, and to be put simply – keeping health care recipients in their home and improving opportunities to heal chronic illness. The components to consider are:
- Identifying changing demographics and characteristics of the chronic disease population
- Defining the components and implementation strategies that centers care delivery at home
- Advocating and evangelizing the importance of evidence-based research and evaluation of the Home TeleHealth industry, to provide safe and cost effective care in the home
- Demonstrating how patient choice and patient satisfaction are fundamental to the success of all Home TeleHealth programs
- Defining clinical, technical and business elements necessary to sustain a successful HomeTeleHealth program
- Providing a unique opportunity to network with industry thought leaders, clinicians and technology providers
Twenty-first century health care redesign has been achieved by identifying changing demographics and characteristics of the chronic disease that makes the home the most appropriate place to deliver care. Centering patient care in the home has clearly impacted patients enrolled in the program and Community Care Coordination Services has changed the clinical course through care coordination in the home environment, illustrated in specific patient cases.
What does Community Care Coordination mean for seniors?
The mission of Community Care Coordination is: coordinating the right care, at the right place and at the right time. The vision is that the residence is the place of care. The target market is the senior population with chronic conditions, high users, frequent system users, high risk (clinically complex) users, and high cost (over $25,000 per year) users. The program seeks to understand cost effectiveness, efficiency of care, the quality impact to patients and care givers, patient / provider satisfaction and best practices.
With this approach, patients' empowerment can be achieved by allowing independence from caregivers and the hospital. As one patient put it – who wants to go to the hospital and be away from familiar surroundings in the home? When patients take responsibility for their care, they enjoy feelings of pride and security. It enhances their quality of life by bringing the caregiver to the home and builds a bridge between the patient and their caregiver. No longer are visits performed in a rush, and with strangers. Outcomes are improved, often with results that are superior and in shorter duration. In some cases, lives were actually saved by quicker and more accurate results. Reduced hospitalizations were achieved by improved care and attention to the chronic conditions. And even though some seniors have been characterized as resistant to change, there were high levels of satisfaction with the care and technology. Indeed, Home TeleHealth is improving the quality of life for seniors and in some cases, has saved lives by being available all the time!
Training is a critical element if the technology and care are to be successful. Clinicians must prepare an assessment of the needs and issues with the interest of the patient clearly emphasized. All the staff and patients must buy-in to the process. Early champions must be willing to think outside the box to overcome problems and obstacles and not be techno phobic. The first population must be respected by their peers and patients. Staff and patients must trust the technology and their ability to use it. Patient instructions must be clear, concise and include installation and orientation information. Of course there must be a patient instruction checklist for equipment maintenance, including such basic items as no food, liquids, cleaning materials on the equipment, keeping the equipment out of the reach of children and not adjusting the equipment unless instructed to do.
Some of the more typical equipment features include cameras, video monitors, speakerphones, an interface to a communication line and monitoring equipment. The technology should be evaluated in terms of Home TeleHealth priorities such as the patient's needs, provider's needs, the agency requirements and ease of technology implementation. The technology should not be invasive of the patient's needs and care, and in fact, if that is the case, it should be discontinued from use. However, with the success of the equipment, this is not the case with practitioner and patient attention and approval
It is clear that with the tremendous success of various pilot programs, this is a model which should be carefully evaluated and followed by other members of the private and public health care provider community. It has dramatically reduced the cost of providing care to the chronically ill and provided immediate quality of life benefits to the patients.
BB
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Is Your Building Selling Hospitality or Healthcare?
There is one major technology product that the Senior Housing industry is completely missing if they ever want to look more like their hotel brothers. And that is Video-on-Demand (VoD). Doesn’t nearly every business-class two-star hotel now offer a VoD product? Don’t you expect it when you travel? How much do you think that hotel owner generates per-room on VoD services? Let’s say you stay in a $100 a night room, and order “The Bourne Ultimatum” as a pay-per-view movie. Doesn’t that movie cost you about nine dollars—nearly ten percent of the room cost? Yet we business travelers don’t think twice about the up-charge, or that the hotel operator is significantly increasing his nightly per-room revenue. I think there is a lesson here for our industry.
If you want to generate additional revenue per room each month then you have to offer services that your residents will happily pay for—and VoD is one of them.
As I write this, the annual HIMSS Conference is just wrapping up in
But we are getting closer, and the rest of this month’s editorial should be food for thought. If you’re interested in generating another $30-40 per month per apartment in your building then look into VoD. The original investment may seem large, but the ROI comes very quickly.
VoD offers consumers the unique ability to choose movies, distance learning and online courses, Interactive Television (iTV), books and video games, delivered on-demand in full-motion, full-screen video to your television. Current technology uses the existing wiring in your building, so no new wires are required. The systems are designed for easy installation and enable a secure connection to resident rooms, conference rooms, public spaces, and administration offices. Billing systems offer simple integration into the master billing for each room, so there is no complicated accounting for the building owner. Service providers can deploy to most 100-unit buildings in as little as 30 days with no disruption to the regular routine of the community. If you are looking for ways to differentiate your facility in a competitive market, and provide a quality-of-life enhancing amenity for your residents that produces incremental revenue then take time to learn about the current state of the art in Video-on-Demand.
BB
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