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January 8, 2012
Happy New Year!
As we embark on 2013, we wanted to take a moment to wish everyone in our network a very happy and healthy New Year. We also want to thank you for all of your help and hard work you've provided throughout 2012. With your assistance, we would not be able to do the work we do.
We are very much looking forward to seeing what this next year will bring. And you can rest assured, the Consumer Voice will continue to advocate for the right of all consumers of long-term care, services and supports to be treated with respect and dignity and have a wide range of affordable, quality options across all settings. Cheers to a new year!
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Year of Elder Abuse Prevention Materials Available
The Administration on Aging is offering a new toolkit to help organizations participate in the Year of Elder Abuse Prevention. It includes an outreach guide, event planning materials, fact sheets, poster, and more.
Consumer Voice Leadership Council Member Penny Shaw Responds to Article in Annals of Long-Term Care
Consumer Voice Leadership Council Member Penny Shaw recently had a comment published on www.annalsoflongtermcare.com. Penny wrote responding to the article “Borderline Personality Disorder in Residential Care Facilities” in the August 2012 issue of Annals of Long-Term Care. She pointed out that the same behaviors described in the article as borderline personality disorders have also been described as “nursing-home-induced post-traumatic stress disorder.” She emphasized the need to see behaviors from the resident’s point of view. She also addressed issues of self-harm and staffing issues.
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Rep. Linda Sanchez Honors Leonila Vega
Rep. Linda Sanchez honored Leonila Vega, former Executive Director of the Direct Care Alliance, on the House Floor on December 20, 2012.
Watch the video of her lovely tribute.
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Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect Launches Ageless Alliance
The Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect at UC Irvine has launched a grassroots elder justice movement called Ageless Alliance. Ageless Alliance connects people of all ages nationwide who stand united for the dignity of older adults and for the elimination of elder abuse. The Alliance focuses on building awareness, providing support and encouraging community involvement.
They'd like to get as many people across the country as possible to join (it’s free), spread the word and get involved. They especially want to get seniors themselves, family members, college students, service organizations (e.g., Lions Clubs, Girl Scout troops) and community members to join and be empowered to take action. If you would consider visiting www.agelessalliance.org and joining, as well as spreading the word among colleagues, friends and family that would be genuinely appreciated. There are also resources/materials in our “action kit” section that may be of future use to you. More features are coming soon. If you use Facebook, please “like” Ageless Alliance as that is a great way to spread the word about the movement online.
Advance CLASS Releases Statement on Repeal of CLASS
Advance CLASS released a statement on January 2nd regarding the repeal of CLASS legislation. Executive Director Connie Garner said, “Advance CLASS and its member organizations are extremely disappointed that Congress and the Administration chose to remove the CLASS Act from law. However, we are grateful to Senator Rockefeller for intervening, and hopefully, the bipartisan Commission he argued to establish in its place will work quickly and aggressively to propose a plan that holds true to the core principles of the CLASS Act: broad participation, supporting personal responsibility, and flexibility in choice of long-term services and supports.”
For more information, read the full statement.
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PAS Center Holding Webinar on Personal Care Aide Training
The National Research and Training Center for Personal Assistance Services (PAS Center) is holding a free webinar on PCA Training Requirements: Findings from a 50-State Study on Tuesday, January 22. The webinar will feature Dorie Seavey and Abby Marquand from PHI discussing findings from their recent study of state training requirements for personal care aides (PCAs), currently the fastest growing occupation in America.
PCA Training Requirements: Findings from a 50-State Study
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
2:00pm EST
To join the webinar on that date, visit this link.
Golden Living Nursing Homes Settle Allegations of Poor Wound Care
The US Attorney’s Office announced last week that the US and the state of Georgia had reached a settlement with GGNSC Holdings LLC of Plano, Texas, the operator of skilled nursing facilities located in Atlanta, Georgia, to resolve allegations that GGNSC provided inadequate and worthless wound care services to residents at two of its Atlanta-area nursing homes. GGNSC operates nursing homes under the “Golden Living” name. GGNSC has agreed to pay $613,300 to resolve these allegations.
For more information, read the report from the FBI.
American Taxpayer Relief Act Includes Provisions Related to Aging and Aging Services
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, signed into law to prevent a "fiscal cliff" and avert major spending cuts, included some provisions relating specifically to aging and aging services. Some of those provisions included: Section 610 provides additional funding for fiscal year 2013 (all are one year funding) for Area Agencies on Aging ($7,500,000), ADRCs ($5,000,000), SHIP Programs ($7,500,000) and National Center for benefits and outreach enrollment. Section 642 repealed the CLASS Act. Section 643 creates a Commission on Long Term Care to: “develop a plan for the establishment, implementation, and financing of a comprehensive, coordinated, and high-quality system that ensures the availability of long-term services and supports for individuals in need of such services and supports.”
Read the bill in its entirety.
Protect the Elderly from Dangerous Bed Rails
THANK YOU to those individuals and groups who have signed our petition which calls for safety standards for adult bed rails. Haven’t signed yet? Please take the time to do so today by clicking here. We have a goal of 1,000 signatures and we need your help to reach that goal!
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About The Gazette
The Gazette is a weekly e-newsletter, published by the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care and the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center. If you do not wish to continue receiving this publication, please unsubscribe. Your contributions and comments are welcome and should be sent to swells@theconsumervoice.org. Copyright © 2011.
The Consumer Voice is the leading national voice representing consumers in issues related to long-term care, helping to ensure that consumers are empowered to advocate for themselves. We are a primary source of information and tools for consumers, families, caregivers, advocates and ombudsmen to help ensure quality care for the individual. The Consumer Voice's mission is to represent consumers at the national level for quality long-term care, services and supports.
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