Alexandria, Va. Physical therapists in skilled nursing facilities, home health settings and in private practice painted a picture of salary cuts, reduced hours and job losses in a recently released employment survey by the American Physical Therapy Association.

* Of the 5,756 who responded to the survey, about two-thirds (63.4 percent) of PTs working in SNFs and nearly half (48.8 percent) of those providing home care said their salaries had decreased in the wake of Medicare restrictions imposed by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Of those in private practice, 26 percent said their salaries had decreased.

* One in five (20.1 percent) of respondents in private practice said their hours had been reduced, while 43.5 percent of those working in SNFs and 39.4 percent of those working in home care said they were working fewer hours.

* Of the respondents, 3.2 percent said they were unemployed, with more than one-third (39.5 percent) of them having been employed by SNFs.

APTA president Jan Richardson calls the survey results "disturbing," but adds, "We think future statistics will reflect a more positive outlook for the profession, particularly as a result of the [congressional] repeal of the $1,500 cap that was placed on outpatient therapy services under Medicare, as well as the addition of more than $12 billion to the Medicare program over the next five years."

Philadelphia Durable medical equipment providers were the bright spot in otherwise dismal results of the Phoenix Lending Survey, which regularly charts lenders' interest in various industries. While 85 percent of commercial lenders responding to the survey said they would not lend to a health care concern, 44 percent said they thought DME was an "attractive" segment in the industry.

Despite that, however, "there's clearly a 'Code Blue' being signaled in the health care industry," says F. Talbot Briddell, president of Phoenix Management Services, which conducted the survey.

Managed care companies, for-profit hospitals, home health care agencies, physician practices and nursing homes all were ranked as unattractive candidates for loans. "The striking finding here is that there is virtually no segment of the health care industry that lenders are excited about," Briddell says.

This marked the first time that lenders were asked about specific categories in the health care industry.

Westport, Conn. It isn't cheap to be a caregiver. Consider these statistics from the 1999 MetLife "Juggling Act" Study:

* On average, the caregivers studied had lost $566,500 in wages, $67,000 in retirement contributions and $25,500 in Social Security benefits.

* 29 percent reported passing on promotions, training opportunities and new assignments.

* 25 percent rejected transfers or relocation.

* 22 percent said they could not acquire new job skills.

And caregiving requires many out-of-pocket expenses, according to respondents, who say they spent an average of $19,500 in food, transportation, assistance with rents and mortgages, and costs to retain home care professionals.