Tag Archive for: Therapy

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Technology We’re Loving!

The Bungee Mobility Trainer by Neurogym Tech. available through Medline

“Therapists like this piece of equipment because it allows our rehab guests to work on static and dynamic balance while eliminating the fear of falling. I witnessed a new CABG patient with sternal precautions dancing with one of our therapists using this device. Pretty amazing stuff!

Also, I like the design and smaller footprint of this piece as before our only options for partial weightbearing were to purchase ceiling tracks and harnesses, or large, expensive equipment that fits over treadmills and takes up too much space in the rehab gym. We have heard nothing but good reviews from our therapists on this piece of equipment. It’s becoming the next “must have” in addition to the Biodex Balance Trainer and the ACP Omnicycle which are always popular.”

–  Amanda Green, Executive Director Marketing & Strategic Development

Check it out now!

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2018 INALA Industry Awards

HTS Receives INALA Industry Award

HTS is excited and honored to receive the Industry Award from the Indiana Assisted Living Association (INALA).  HTS was nominated by Justus Senior Living which own and operate 6 independent and assisted living communities in the Indianapolis and surrounding area. HTS has partnered with Justus to provide exceptional outpatient therapy.

“HTS continues to be a true partner in our communities. They take a proactive approach and when a resident has a unique diagnosis, they go the extra mile to communicate and educate staff. They are helpful and offer creative solutions, but at the same time are totally appropriate. Our residents trust the therapists and appreciate their courteous approach. The HTS Staff Work well with community teams. At the corporate level we are able to communicate openly and honestly, sharing many of the same values. They truly represent what partnership means.”

Thank you for sharing this thoughtful testimonial. We are extremely happy to work with each of our communities to ensure the residents receive the best care possible. We are honored to receive this award from the INALA Industry Awards. Click here to see all of the 2018 INALA award winners.

About INALA

Indiana Assisted Living Association’s (INALA) mission is to promote the interests of the assisted living industry in Indiana and to enhance the quality of life for the population it serves. The Indiana Assisted Living Association believes assisted living brings a housing option to seniors which offers quality housing and caring assistance in the least prescriptive manner, provided by individuals with the highest professional standards. The Association encourages a residential environment that enhances social interaction and promotes the quality of life. Click here to learn more about INALA.

In this picture: Amanda Green, Executive Director of Marketing/Strategic Development, LaChelle Henkle-Weaver, INALA Board President, Aretoula Nahas, Director of Outpatient Therapy.

 

Speak with your doctor to find out how therapy could benefit you!

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Collaborating for a successful transition to the new Medicare payment model

HTS is excited to collaborate with our partners for a successful transition to the new Medicare payment model. Our ongoing focus on clinical quality, patient-centered programs, and functional outcomes has prepared our staff in advance to succeed under PDPM. In addition to implementing proprietary clinical program efficacy analysis, HTS has assessed the financial impact of PDPM and is committed to supporting our partners through the challenges of adapting to the new reimbursement model.

HTS will be providing PDPM solutions that include:

  • Staff Education and Training in Critical Areas such as Section GG and ICD.10 Coding
  • PDPM Live Trainings for Partners and Staff in Multiple Locations
  • Internal System Transitions
  • RUGs IV to PDPM Facility-specific Impact Analysis

Our alliance with Proactive Medical Review, the PDPM experts currently providing education on this topic to 25 states, allows us to uniquely provide our partners with additional support for strategic planning, MDS coding efficacy, and nursing best practices.

Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) training dates:

  • Friday, September 21 – Evansville, IN
  • Thursday, October 4 – Fort Wayne, IN
  • Thursday, October 11 – Louisville, KY
  • Tuesday, October 16 – Greenwood, IN
  • Tuesday, October 23 – Kokomo, IN
  • Friday, November 9 – Edmonton, KY
  • Thursday November 15—Phelps, KY

We remain optimistic considering the enormous changes we are facing with this new payment model. As partners in therapy, you can be confident in our resources and unmatched expertise to navigate this change while working together toward a successful transition.

If you have any questions at all about this information, please contact us directly.

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October is Physical Therapy Month

National Physical Therapy Month is a celebration held each October by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). PT month is designed to recognize the impact that physical therapists and physical therapist assistants make in restoring and improving motion in people’s lives. Physical therapists are movement experts who can help you overcome pain, gain and maintain movement, and preserve your independence, often without the need for surgery or long-term use of prescription drugs. Physical therapy is a cost-effective treatment that allows patients to participate in a recovery plan designed for their specific needs.

Goals of physical therapy include:

  • Restore physical function
  • Improve the ability to ambulate
  • Strengthen the body affected by injury/illness
  • Reduce pain and inflammation
  • Education and prevention

We offer comprehensive rehabilitation services including physical, occupational and speech therapy. Our therapists are experts in treating conditions affecting adults ages 50+. Therapy is a cost-effective treatment that allows patients to participate in a recovery plan designed for their specific needs to regain function and independence for a better quality of life.

For more information, contact www.htstherapy.com.

 

October is National Physical Therapy Month!
National Physical Therapy Month is designed to recognize the impact that physical therapists and physical therapist assistants make in restoring and improving motion in people’s lives. Physical therapy may be necessary for those recovering after an illness, a fall, injury, surgery or chronic condition. Physical therapists work hard to help patients retain and regain their quality of life.

 

Speak with your doctor to find out how therapy could benefit you!

 

Resource: APTA, www.apta.org

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Fun Ways to Stay Active Indoors this Summer

Summer allows us to enjoy many outdoor activities and time with family and friends. Barbecues, swimming, and trips to the beach make summer an exceptional time of year! For aging adults, the summer months can also be hazardous to your health. Problems like dehydration, sunburn and exasperation of pre-existing conditions are common after too much sun exposure. It’s important to stay safe when the temperature rises.

Staying active is very important no matter the season. On days when the summer sun is too intense for outdoor activities, moving indoors may be the best option. Here are some fun activities older adults can do to stay active and beat the heat:

  1. Get your steps in and explore a museum or aquarium
  2. Visit a local senior center to socialize and enjoy outings and activities
  3. Take dance lessons for a fun way to stay active
  4. Walk and window shop at an indoor shopping mall
  5. Join a health club that offers group fitness and aquatic classes
  6. Go bowling with friends or join a bowling league
  7. Workout at home with weights and bands or invest in easy-to-use home gym equipment

Therapy Can Help Aging Adults Stay Active & Independent
Exercise is extremely important in managing many common symptoms of aging. Physical therapists evaluate your needs and teach you how to exercise appropriately for joint mobility, muscle strength and fitness. It can help strengthen the muscles around your joints, help you maintain bone strength, give you more energy to get through the day, help you control your weight, improve your balance and help you enhance your quality of life. Occupational therapists help older adults to safely do the things they want to do, stay active and live well despite limitations. Talk to your doctor today about the benefits of therapy!

Cool off this summer with a refreshing slice of watermelon!
At 92% water, this favorite summer snack is a great source of hydration and loaded with essential vitamins. Watermelon also contains high levels of the antioxidant lycopene, a famous cancer-fighting substance found in tomatoes.

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7 Things We Know Up-front About the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM)

HTS is feeling optimistic as we read the latest reimbursement model change proposed by CMS and released late afternoon on Friday, April 27th. If you haven’t had the chance to dive into RSC-1, this was gearing up to be the biggest reimbursement overhaul since PPS.

The RSC-1 has now been modified and renamed to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM). The new model is designed to improve the incentives to treat the needs of the whole patient, instead of focusing on the volume of services the patient receives. CMS noted that RCS-1 received considerable feedback expressing concerns with the complexity of RCS-1. As a result, CMS has made significant changes that we are feeling pretty good about. If passed, this would take place starting October 1, 2019 — which means we don’t have much time before it becomes reality.

 

Here are 7 things we know up front about the PDPM changes to note:

  1. PDPM will be Much Less Complex than RSC-1
    Under the RSC-1, there were actually over 130,000 different possible classifications. The PDPM reduces this by nearly 80%. RUGs will certainly be going away, but this may make the reimbursement calculations much less of headache for all parties involved.
  2. Therapy is Detailed in the Discharge PPS Assessment
    A proposed modified section O requires PT, OT and ST details on all PPS discharge assessments for all Medicare A discharges (including those who DC from the facility). Therapy details include: start and end dates, total individual minutes provided, total concurrent minutes provided, total group minutes provided, and total days provided. This may be CMS’s way of safeguarding against underproviding and ensuring that patients receive what they need versus greatly reducing or eliminating necessary therapy services.
  3. PT & OT are Separate Payment Categories
    Under the RSC-1 model, PT and OT were a combined payment and ST was considered separate. Noting the obvious concerns, we are happy that each discipline will receive their own payment classification. Additionally, the new model eliminates the cognitive impairment factor from the PT and OT classification.
  4. Group & Concurrent Allow for a Total of 25%
     Under RSC-1, it was proposed to allow 25% group therapy and 25% concurrent therapy. Under the PDPM, there is a 25% group and concurrent therapy combined allotment.
  5. Section GG is Even MORE Important
     Replacing section G with GG for the functional component is required for PT & OT payment classifications, as well as,nursing case-mix classification. 6 areas are scored and totaled for the functional measure: eating, oral hygiene, toileting, sit-to-lying, lying-to-sitting on bed, sit-to-stand, chair/bed-to-chair, toilet transfer, walk 50 feet with 2 turns, and walk 150 feet. HTS implemented mandatory use of the CARE Tool for all therapists in 2014 to ensure that our outcomes and benchmarks are congruent with CMS.
  6. Reduced Burden of Multiple Assessments
     The reduction in required assessments as proposed with RCS-1 remains in the PDPM. Only 2 PPS assessments are required: 5-day assessment and D/C Assessment. PDPM adds an optional “Interim Payment Assessment” (IPA) which would allow for a resident to be re-classified if criteria are met.
  7. Reduction in Reimbursement with Length of Stay
    PDPM calls for reduction in reimbursement correlating with length of stay for PT, OT, and Non-Therapy Ancillary (NTA) classifications. For PT and OT, days 1-20 would be reimbursed at the full rate. On day 21, a decreasing adjustment factor of 2% is applied every 7 days throughout the remainder of the stay. NTA days 1-3 are reimbursed at an increased adjustment factor of 3. Day 4 through the remainder of the stay, the reimbursement is adjusted to a factor of 1. These adjustments are based on Medicare’s research indicating PT, OT, and NTA costs decrease the longer the resident stays.
Read More About the PDPM:

We Are Optimistic and Committed

We continue to be optimistic considering the enormous changes we are facing with this new payment model. CMS has an open forum and NASL and other groups are already collaborating on the details. CMS posted provider-specific impact data reflecting FY 2017 payment under RUG-IV compared with what the payment would have been under PDPM. After a full review, the total payment was indeed budget neutral.

You may view your SNF’s impact by following the link above (“CMS provided tools”). As we know more information, we will gladly pass it along. We are committed to being good partners in rehabilitation by informing our clients and colleagues with the most up to date information on rehabilitation and post-acute care.

Cassie Murray, OTR, QCP, IASSC CYB
Executive Director of Clinical Services
Healthcare Therapy Services, Inc.
cmurray@htstherapy.com | 800.486.4449 ext 210

HTS is a leading contract therapy and wellness provider in the Midwest. As the trusted authority in post-acute rehabilitation, our clients look to us to not only maintain exceptional clinical collaboration and outcomes, but also to be a trusted partner in helping their organizations perform better. Since 1988, HTS has been an independently owned, trusted, ethical provider of therapy services for senior living communities, home health agencies and hospitals.

Therapist owned and managed, our mission is to provide the very best people and programs to move our clients and employees forward so that together we can provide a “hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11 to those we serve. We have grown from a single provider (who has been a longstanding client since 1988) to a company employing over 1,800 therapists in the Midwest and Southern states.

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Don’t Let Diabetes Stop Your Holiday Fun!

Managing diabetes during the holidays can be challenging. Health often takes a back seat to attending parties,
shopping, and travel. Planning ahead and making deliberate choices can make all the difference in keeping
your diabetes in check. Use these tips below to make your holidays healthier!

Plan for Parties

  1. Offer to bring a dish to share. Knowing that you have one healthy option can help you keep your
    carbohydrates in line.
  2. Eat slowly, and savor the holiday treats. If possible, eat near your usual meal time and keep
    carbohydrates within your normal meal parameters.
  3. Skip seconds and plan for dessert. Let yourself indulge but remember to keep it in moderation.

Plan for Travel

  1. Create a travel checklist. This can help you ensure you have packed all your medical supplies.
  2. Create an itinerary and pack snacks. Staying on schedule can help keep meal and medication on track
    throughout your trip. Having snacks on hand can help ensure your sugar level stays where it needs to be.
  3. Check your blood sugar often so you’re aware of any effects travel may have on your body.

Stay Active
Whether you’re attending parties or going to visit family and friends out of state, one of the most important
keys to staying healthy during the holidays is exercise. Exercise is known to help lower blood sugar. Find
time for exercise by taking a couple extra laps at the mall, a rest stop, or the airport.

How Therapy Can Help!
Physical Therapists can help people with diabetes improve their ability to move, perform daily tasks, reduce
pain, and sometimes even lower their blood glucose levels. Physical therapy treatments may also help patients
with diabetes associated skin problems and wounds heal more rapidly than they would without treatment.
If you or a loved one has diabetes, talk to your doctor today about how physical therapy may benefit you!

 

Five-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies | Source: Martha Stewart Living, March 2015
Nut butter does double duty by replacing both flour and regular butter in these two-bite (gluten-free!) treats.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, stir together almond butter, chocolate chips, sugar, eggs, and salt until a dough forms. Place 1-tablespoon mounds of dough 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake cookies until puffed and tops are set, about 10 minutes.

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Therapy Can Help Those With COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD is an umbrella term used to describle progressive lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and non-reversible asthma. People with COPD suffer with continued and increasing breathlessness. The symptoms of COPD are sometimes difficult to notice because they can be mistaken for the common cold or normal aging. COPD affects an estimated 30 million people in the United States and over half of them are unaware of their condition. Taking note of your symptoms and asking your doctor to screen you can help you avoid losing major function in your lungs.

Symptoms of COPD:

  • Increased Breathlessness
  • Frequent Coughing
  • Wheezing
  • Chest Tightness
  • Increased Mucus
  • Dizziness Upon Waking
  • Swollen Ankles
  • Frequent Respiratory Infections
  • Difficulty Sleeping
  • Fatigue or Inability to Exercise

COPD leads to the decline of pulmonary function and can lower your quality of life. Genetics and exposure to work/environmental pollutants can cause COPD, but the primary cause is smoking. Smoking and second-hand smoke account for 90% of COPD cases. Quitting smoking is extremely important to slow the progression of COPD. Slowing the progression of the disease can also be done through changing the air quality in your home and work environment.

Exercise and rehabilitation are great weapons in the war on COPD. Too often, patients with COPD avoid exercise because of their shortness of breath. Without exercise and improving endurance, the shortness of breath will only worsen. Physical therapists can help COPD patients exercise in a safe and secure environment. Physical and occupational therapy can improve your ability to exercise, your strength and endurance, and help you conserve energy doing daily tasks. Therapists can also help reduce difficulty in breathing by providing helpful breathing exercises. Talk to your doctor today about the benefits of both physical and occupational therapy to slow the progression of COPD!

 

Sources: COPD Foundation
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