Diet Guidelines Tweaked -- No Big Changes from MedPage Today

By John Gever, Senior Editor, MedPage Today

The federal government has issued the first update in five years of its "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" -- but despite broad recognition of the U.S. obesity crisis, the update left the major cornerstones of the guidelines largely intact.

The revision, a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was released today -- although it carries a 2010 date. USDA and HHS last updated the guidelines in 2005.
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Access To Medical Care For Individuals With Mobility Disabilities

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The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice have developed guidance on accessibility to medical care for individuals with mobility impairments. Below is the table of contents from the document.

Accessibility of doctors’ offices, clinics, and other health care providers is essential in providing medical care to people with disabilities. Due to barriers, individuals with disabilities are less likely to get routine preventative medical care than people without disabilities. Accessibility is not only legally required, it is important medically so that minor problems can be detected and treated before turning into major and possibly life-threatening problems.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in every day activities, including medical services. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities on the basis of their disability in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance, including health programs and services. These statutes require medical care providers to make their services available in an accessible manner.

This technical assistance publication provides guidance for medical care providers on the requirements of these statutes in medical settings with respect to people with mobility disabilities, which include, for example, those who use wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, crutches, or no mobility devices at all individuals with disabilities are generally the same as those required under Section 504.


Table of Contents

PART I: OVERVIEW AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
PART 2: COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PART 3: ACCESSIBLE EXAMINATION ROOMS
PART 4: ACCESSIBLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

	Read/Download Mobility Impairments Guidance

Biomarkers, Imaging Ready for Prime Time

By John Gever, Senior Editor, MedPage Today

Brain imaging results and biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can now be used clinically in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, according to new guidelines proposed by a working group from the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association.

If adopted, the guidelines would be the first major update in diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease since 1984.
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H.R. 3851: To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish physical activity guidelines for... (GovTrack.us)

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To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish physical activity guidelines for the general public, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep. Barton Gordon [D-TN6]
Cosponsors: Mary Bono Mack [R-CA45]Ronald Kind [D-WI3]Zach Wamp [R-TN3]

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Status:
Introduced Oct 20, 2009
Referred to Committee on Energy and Commerce

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S. 1810: A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish physical activity... (GovTrack.us)

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A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish physical activity guidelines for the general public, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen. Thomas Harkin [D-IA]
Cosponsors: Samuel Brownback [R-KS] Mark Udall [D-CO]

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Status:
Introduced Oct 20, 2009
Referred to Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions

Current Updated Information

New Guidelines for Incorporating Spirituality in End-of-Life Care

Guidelines derived from a recent Consensus Conference, including recommendations on the role of healthcare providers in the assurance of quality spiritual care to patients in a palliative care setting, are published in a comprehensive report in Journal of Palliative Medicine, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com). Journal of Palliative Medicine is the official journal of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) and an official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA). The article is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/jpm

The article, “Improving the Quality of Spiritual Care as a Dimension of Palliative Care: The Report of the Consensus Conference,” represents the final Consensus Report of a conference sponsored by the Archstone Foundation of Long Beach, CA. According to Joseph F. Prevratil, JD, President and CEO, “The report’s recommendations seek to ensure that spiritual care is a fundamental component of quality palliative care, which strives to prevent and relieve suffering for seriously ill patients and their families.”

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Adult Learner-Centered Training: in Home and Residential Care

Turnover among direct-care workers, especially those who are new on the job, is an ongoing issue for long-term care employers. Many factors contribute to the problem, but one workers themselves often cite, is inadequate preparation for the job. Recognizing that traditional training programs are often not effective, PHI, over the last two decades, has developed a different approach to preparing workers. Drawing on the principles of adult learning, PHI trainings engage learners more actively through small group work, role plays, and other interactive techniques. These learner-centered trainings are more successful than traditional approaches in developing workers communication, problem solving and work readiness skills, giving workers the tools they need to develop positive caregiving relationships. A new guide from PHI called Adult Learner Centered Training: An Introduction for Educators in Home and Residential Care (pdf) outlines the PHI approach to training and provides educators with tools to bring learner-centered principles to their own training programs.Though there are many books on adult learner-centered teaching, this is the first guide specifically for long-term care educators. Using a highly accessible format, it introduces readers to the principles of adult learner-centered teaching and then uses examples from the field to illustrate how to use the approach.

Organization Design for Geriatrics: An Evidence Based Approach

From the Regional Geriatric Programs of Ontario, this newly released handbook is aimed at providing an evidence-based approach to service delivery for the elderly patient in core specialized geriatric services. Core services include:

• geriatric rehabilitation
• assessment and consultation
• geriatric outreach
• outpatient clinics
• geriatric day hospitals
• condition-specific units
• innovative areas of care

Each chapter follows the same general layout:

• executive summary
• definition and description of the service
• description of information sources used
• recommendations from the literature

Training care workers to safely administer medicines in care homes

Published by Commission for Special Care Inspection (CSCI), Quality Performance and Methods Directorate, this document provides CSCI inspectors a guide to good pratice in how care providers should train care workers to safely administer medicines in care homes. It covers the following and more :

• what the regulations and minimum standards say
  
• Who is allowed to adminster medications
  
• levels of training
  
• what training can be offered in-house

Although information is based on UK standards, this document could be of interest to all personal care home staff.

Second Draft Revisions to ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) has placed in the docket and on its Web site for public review and comment a second draft of revisions to the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles. The second draft is being issued because the format has been significantly changed, provisions for over-the-road buses have been added, and changes have been made in response to comments on the first draft. The draft revisions cover only buses, over-the-road buses, and vans. Draft revisions to the guidelines for other modes will be issued later. Comments will be accepted on the second draft, and the Access

Board will consider those comments prior to issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking to update the guidelines.

DATES: Comments on the draft revisions to the guidelines must be received by January 20, 2009.

Guideline for Alzheimer's Disease Management: California Workgroup on Guidelines for Alzheimer's Disease Management

This report updates and expands the Guidelines for Alzheimer’s Disease Management (California Workgroup on Guidelines for Alzheimer’s Disease Management, 2002), which itself was a revision of the California Workgroup’s original Guideline published in 1998.

All of these documents were based upon work begun by the Ad Hoc Standards of Care Committee of the Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centers (ADDTCs) of California (Hewett, Bass, Hart, & Butrum, 1995).

Promoting Seniors Mental Health In Cancer Care: A Guide for Front-Line Providers

Published in March, 2008, by the British Columbia Psychogeriatric Association in partnership with the Canadian Coalition for Seniors Mental Health, this guide provides an overview of the intersection between cancer and seniors’ mental health, identifies the associated challenges older adults may experience, and provides practical information for supporting seniors’ mental health during cancer care. The Guide was authored by front-line clinicians and other experts in aging, cancer and/or seniors’ mental health and is directed to front-line service providers in any setting who provide care to older adults with cancer. While the Guide highlights many of the common issues that older adults and their care providers may encounter, it is not specific to any one type of cancer.

2010 Dietary Guidelines

The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services (a) provide notice of the first meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and (b) solicit written comments pertinent to review of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The first Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee meeting will be held on October 30 and 31, 2008, from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. E.S.T. on both days. Written comments on the Guidelines received by October 24, 2008 will be ensured transmission to the Committee prior to this meeting. Written comments will, however, be accepted throughout the Committee's deliberations.

How to Become a Patient Safety Organization

Interim Guidance Availability AHRQ and OCR are announcing the availability of the guidance entitled ``Implementing the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 Including How to Become a Patient Safety Organization.'' The Interim Guidance document explains how the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will begin implementing the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (Patient Safety Act), how an entity can become a Patient Safety Organization (PSO), and how information may be protected as Patient Safety Work Product (PSWP) in the interim period prior to the promulgation of a final regulation. To access the Interim Guidance, visit AHRQ's PSO Web site at http://www.pso.ahrq.gov. DATES: The Interim Guidance is effective immediately with the publication of this notice. The Interim Guidance will remain effective until the effective date of the final regulation, which is expected to be promulgated before the end of 2008.

OIG Supplemental Compliance Program Guidance for Nursing Facilities

This Federal Register notice sets forth the supplemental compliance program guidance (CPG) for nursing facilities developed by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). OIG is supplementing its prior CPG for nursing facilities issued in 2000. The supplemental CPG contains new compliance recommendations and an expanded discussion of risk areas. The supplemental CPG takes into account Medicare and Medicaid nursing facility payment systems and regulations, evolving industry practices, current enforcement priorities (including the Government's heightened focus on quality of care), and lessons learned in the area of nursing facility compliance. The supplemental CPG provides voluntary guidelines to assist nursing facilities in identifying significant risk areas and in evaluating and, as necessary, refining ongoing compliance efforts.

Proposed Guidelines Regarding Help America Vote Act (HAVA)

SUMMARY: The EAC seeks public comment on proposed guidelines designed to assist States in determining what constitutes a ``material change in the administration of a State plan'' under HAVA Section 254(a)(11). DATES: Comments must be received on or before 4 p.m. on August 11, 2008.