By Dave Ranney

KHI News Service

TOPEKA — A state association that represents frail elders and their caregivers recently released its annual compilation of low- and high-performing assisted living facilities.

“We think it’s important for consumers to have this information,” said Mitzi McFatrich, executive director for Kansas Advocates for Better Care. “It lets people know which facilities are on track, staying on track, and consistently performing well, and which ones are not.”

The lists are limited to the 318 assisted living-type facilities in Kansas that are not attached to a nursing home. They do not include the 102 facilities that are attached to nursing homes.

The high-performing assisted living-type facilities each received zero deficiencies during their last three annual surveys.

The surveys conducted by inspectors with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services.

Two years ago, the numbers of deficiencies cited ranged from 0 to 19; last year, 0 to 25.

The 51 well-performing facilities:

• Sterling House II, Abilene

• The Gran Villas, Atchison

• Vintage Park, Baldwin City

• Keen Boarding Care Home, Clay Center

• Assisted Living at Windsor Place, Coffeyville

• The Autumn Place, Columbus

• Sterling House, Derby

• Vintage Place, El Dorado

• Sterling House, Emporia

• Vintage Park, Hiawatha

• Fort Scott Presbyterian Village, Fort Scott

• Franklin House, Fort Scott

• Vintage Park, Fredonia

• Sterling House, Hays

• Vintage Park, Hiawatha

• The Pines, Hiawatha

• Country Place Senior Living, Hoisington

• Vintage Park, Holton

• Glenn Moore Meadows, Holton

• Waldron Place, Hutchinson

• The Gansel House, Independence

• Heartland Haven Home Plus, Inman

• Sterling House, Junction City

• Coopers Home Care #2, Lawrence

• Harmony Adult Care Home, McPherson

• Linnwood Park of Meridan, Meridan

• Vintage Park, Neodesha

• Redbud Plaza Assisted Living, Onaga

• Vintage Park, Osage City

• Vintage Park, Osawatomie

• Village West, Ottawa

• Vintage Park, Ottawa

• The Gables, Overland Park

• Seniorcare Homes Waveny Park, Overland Park

• Vintage Park, Paola

• Guest Home Estates IV, Pittsburg

• Dignity Care Home, Salina

• Shawnee Heartland, Shawnee

• The Sweet Life, Shawnee

• Independent Living, Smith Center

• Clare Bridge, Topeka

• Vintage Park, Wamego

• Mary Martin’s Retirement, Wichita

• Meadowlark Adult Care Home 2, Wichita

• Meadowlark Adult Care Home 3, Wichita

• Meadowlark Adult Care Home 5, Wichita

• Reflection Living, Wichita

• Marjorie’s Home, Wichita

• Caring Hearts for Senior Living, Wichita

• Clare Bridge, Wichita

The facilities on the low-performing list are those that were cited for three or more deficiencies each year for the last three years.

Of the 16 low-performing facilities, 13 were cited for mistreatment, actual harm, and/or causing a resident to be in immediate jeopardy at least once in the last three years. These facilities are listed below in bold.

The low-performing facilities and the number of deficiencies cited during their latest survey:

• Family Care Home, Abilene, 5;

• Sweet Country Homes, Carbondale, 8;

• Diamond View Estates, Dighton, 11;

• Carriage House,Greensburg,3;

• Golden Years Senior Care Home, Hutchinson, 13;

• Shank Home, Lakin, 9;

• The Windsor , Lawrence, 5;

• Miltonvale Manor Res. Care, Miltonvale,3;

• Whispering Pines, Norton, 4;

• Park Meadows Senior Living, Overland Park,10;

• Joy Home, Oxford, 15;

• Legend at Capital Ridge, Topeka, 9;

• Cherished Friends, Wellington, 10;

• Accord Senior Care-Marjorie, Wichita, 13;

• The Homestead, Wichita, 6;

• Chaucer Estates, Wichita, 4.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – The Missouri Senate passed a bill that would impose tougher penalties on drivers who run stop signs, if they cause crashes resulting in injury or death.

The legislation would increase fines and require the suspension of driver’s licenses in certain cases of failing to yield the right of way.

The bill would set a minimum fine of $500 and raise the maximum to $1,000 instead of the current $200 for violations resulting in injuries.

For serious injuries, there would be a new minimum fine of $1,000, and the maximum would rise to $3,000 from the current $500.

For violations resulting in fatalities, there were be a new minimum fine of $5,000, and the maximum would be raised to $10,000 from the current $1,000.

The bill now goes to the House.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today met with University of Missouri (MU) Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin to discuss university affairs, and expanding higher education opportunities.

Loftin came to MU in December of last year, after seeing great success and growth as president of Texas A&M University.

“Bowen is a proven academic leader and someone who commands a great deal of respect,” McCaskill said. “I know that he will work hard to hold my alma mater to an incredibly high standard, and make sure that Missouri’s students have access to the best possible educational opportunities, so they can compete for the jobs of tomorrow.”

McCaskill previously fought for an expansion of federal student loans, and recently led the charge to prevent a drastic increase in student loan interest rates.

McCaskill also previously helped pass the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which made college more affordable for Missouri families by boosting Pell Grants, cutting interest rates on college loans, and providing loan forgiveness for students who spend ten years in public service, as well as opening up TEACH Grants for undergraduates who commit to teaching in high-need school districts.

Kansas Corporation Commission

TOPEKA — The Kansas Cold Weather Rule ends on March 31, and Kansans who are delinquent on electric and natural gas utility bills will be subject to disconnection of service. The rule, in effect November 1 through March 31 each year, provides protection to residential customers who cannot fully pay winter utility bills from companies under the Kansas Corporation Commission’s jurisdiction. That protection ends Monday.

The KCC would like to remind Kansas customers there is still time to contact your utility company to set up a payment plan, but cautions that failure to make arrangements or failure to adhere to an already established payment plan could result in service disconnection. Reconnection may require payment in full.

The Cold Weather Rule requires utilities to set up 12-month payment plans for customers who cannot afford to pay their full bill. As part of this arrangement, the customer must make an initial payment of 1/12 of the overdue amount, 1/12 of the bill for current service, the full amount of any disconnection or reconnection fees, plus any applicable deposit owed to the utility. The balance will be billed in equal payments over the next 11 months in addition to the regular monthly bill.

The KCC adopted the Cold Weather Rule to protect customers during cold winter weather by providing a reasonable and organized method of paying past due and current bills. The Cold Weather Rule applies only to residential customers of electric and natural gas utility companies under the KCC’s jurisdiction. For a complete list of utilities regulated by the KCC visit: kcc.ks.gov/pi/jurisdictional_utilities.htm.

More information about the Cold Weather Rule is available at kcc.ks.gov/pi/cwr_english.htm.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Russian spacecraft ferrying three astronauts has docked at the International Space Station after a delay.

The Soyuz craft linked up with the orbiting outpost Thursday evening.

It blasted off from Kazakhstan on Wednesday local time for what was supposed to be a six-hour “fast track” to the space station. But an engine burn intended to adjust the craft’s path never occurred, delaying its arrival.

The American and two Russians on board were not in danger.

Since the shuttle’s retirement, NASA has relied on the Russians to transport astronauts. It has a contract with two private companies including SpaceX to carry cargo and eventually astronauts.

NASA says SpaceX’s fourth supply run to the space station set for Sunday has been postponed because of a problem at the Florida launch site.

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) condemned the draft Clean Water Act rule released this week by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. The rule would reportedly give the federal government regulatory authority over millions of acres of wetlands and streams by greatly expanding its authority over “waters of the United States.”

“This is yet another brazen power grab by the Obama Administration. This proposed rule would have a devastating impact on Missouri farm families, and it has serious implications for productive activities like dredging, filling, and drainage nationwide,” said Blunt, who serves as Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

“I will fight the EPA’s proposal and I will keep fighting the Obama Administration’s attempts to takeover Americans’ private properties,” Blunt concluded.

TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) — Toyota is recalling 119,000 Avalon sedans from the 2003 and 2004 model years because their air bags could deploy inadvertently.

The company says circuits within the air bag control module can be damaged if they’re exposed to interference from other electrical components in the car.

The defect can also cause the seat belt pretensioners to tighten without warning.

Toyota says it knows of one minor injury related to the defect, but no accidents.

The company is notifying owners of the recall. Dealers will add an electrical noise filter to the air bag control module for free.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – The Missouri House has passed a $26.6 billion state budget that ties the amount of an increase in funding for public schools to increases in state revenue.

The chamber approved 13 bills Thursday comprising the state’s operating budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The spending plan now moves to the Senate.

For public schools, the budget provides a $122 million increase from the $3 billion they now receive in basic aid. But if revenues meet more optimistic projections from Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration, the increase would be $278 million.

House members used a similar two-tier approach for public colleges and universities. The budget does not include funding to expand the Medicaid health care program.

Lawmakers have until early May to approve a budget.