Health care group honors Boulder City woman

Monday, Oct. 20, 1997 | 11:22 a.m.

A 67-year-old Boulder City woman who spends about 40 hours a week volunteering at a nursing home has been named the Nevada Health Care Association's volunteer of the year.

Lillian Hathaway's donation of her time is even more significant in light of dwindling federal funds for the long-term care industry.

Tammy McDermott, administrator of the Boulder City Care Center, says the impact of funding cuts in Medicaid and Medicare are not yet known.

But what is known is that new strategies will have to be used to continue to deliver quality care to those in nursing homes, according to McDermott.

Hathaway's presence at the Boulder City nursing home has become important not only to the residents but to the staff as she assists wherever extra help is needed.

Hathaway began volunteering at the facility three years ago when her 30-year-old son, Edward, was placed there following an automobile accident.

She saw volunteerism as a way of spending more time with her son.

Hathaway and Estelle Walker, 61, of Carson City, received awards during the NHCA's annual conference last week at the Orleans hotel-casino.

Walker was named nurse aide of the year.

Also during the conference, McDermott was elected president of the association.

NHCA is a trade organization for administrators and other professionals in the long-term care industry, representing about 28 facilities around the state.

Executive Director Winthrop Cashdollar said the three-day conference gave professionals the chance to learn about new developments and to prepare for what lies ahead -- such as leaner budgets and new federal regulations.

By April 1, according to Cashdollar, long-term care facilities will be required to have computer systems to create databases on patients. That information eventually will become part of a national database.

Now, he said, many facilities take the information down on paper and keep it in files.

Another major concern in the industry, Cashdollar said, was the repeal of the Boren Amendment, which was named after former U.S. Sen. David Boren, D-Okla.

The amendment required states to make payments to hospitals and facilities for medical services that were "reasonable and adequate."

The law was popular with care providers, but not with state governments.

According to Cashdollar, the law resulted in many lawsuits against states and so governors around the nation lobbied President Clinton to abandon the law.

The law was repealed effective Aug. 5.

"We don't know what the effect of that will be," Cashdollar said.