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The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care

June 11, 2013

Advocates, Win a Kindle eReader and an eBook!

Since we will not have a Facebook First Friday in July, because of the holiday, the Consumer Voice has decided to hold a special online giveaway through 7/31 with the goal of increasing our support on Facebook, Twitter and membership in the Action Network. Enter to win a Kindle eReader and eBook! The winner will be announced during our August 2nd Facebook First Friday event. Enter here. Good luck and thanks!

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Resources Available on the Aging and Disability Resource Center's Technical Assistance Exchange Website

Now available for viewing and download on the Aging and Disability Resource Center’s Technical Assistance Exchange website are presentations and resource lists made by the Administration for Community Living and the Veterans Administration, sharing information about their networks and available services.  These presentations are part of an ongoing effort to expand collaborations and information-sharing among federal agencies and programs.  Long-Term Care Ombudsmen will find useful information related to veterans’ issues and benefits in the materials. To access the materials, click here.

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Joint Commission Seeks Information on Effective Strategies to Control Infections in Facilities

Do you know any nursing homes or assisted living facilities with successful infection control practices? Practices might include an effective strategy to control infections, or a successful way to communicate with staff, residents, families and other health care facilities. As part of a U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-funded grant, “High Reliability Practices to Reduce Transmission of Infections in Long Term Care,” The Joint Commission is seeking examples of effective, successful or high reliability practices that prevent infections in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.  The submissions may be selected for discussion at an invitational roundtable meeting in July 2013 and included (with permission) in education materials made available at no charge to the field later this year. To submit a practice for consideration, please complete the online survey. The survey will be available until June 21, 2013. (Contact: Kris Donofrio, kdonofrio@jointcommission.org)

Nominate a Volunteer to be a Cabot Community Celebrity

Points of Light is joining with Cabot Community Celebrity Awards to recognize the achievements and contributions of volunteers who serve every day in communities across the nation.  Nominate a volunteer in your community to be a Cabot Community Celebrity, and he or she could join other honorees January 11, 2014 on an all-inclusive, six day/seven night cruise aboard the Celebrity Summit with stops in Puerto Rico, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.  The trip serves as more than just a way to say thank you, but an opportunity for some very special volunteers to learn and be inspired by one another.  Nominate a volunteer here before June 14.

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Advancing Excellence Webinar on Data Displays of Goals, New QAPI Requirements and More

Advancing Excellence (AE) is holding a webinar that will explore the data displays of several of the AE goals.  It will also discuss the Plan Do Study Video currently on the AE website and the new QAPI requirements from CMS.  Plus, it will cover the new website HealthCareCommunities.org. Space is limited. Register now.

Advancing Excellence Overview of Resources and Data Displays
Thursday, June 13, 2013
3:15pm EST

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CMS Updates Survey Guidelines Regarding Use of Antipsychotic Medications in Dementia Care

 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated survey guidelines regarding nursing homes' use of antipsychotic medications for dementia care.  The interim guidance revises Appendix P and Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual.  The Appendix P update includes new surveyor tasks to ensure that survey samples include enough residents who have dementia and who are taking an antipsychotic medication.  Updates on Appendix PP include new interpretive guidance related to care of residents with dementia, including medication use.  For more information, read the article in McKnight's.

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CMS Announces QAPI Materials for Nursing Homes

CMS has announced the national rollout of Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) materials that will help nursing homes establish a foundation that will support and sustain QAPI. This is the first step in meeting the Affordable Care Act requirements for CMS to develop a technical assistance program to help nursing homes establish best practices in quality.  The following materials have been posted on the CMS QAPI website:

  • QAPI at a Glance
  • Four process tools to help nursing homes get started laying a foundation that will sustain QAPI
  • QAPI News Brief
  • Video - Nursing Home QAPI - What is in it for you?

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HUD Issues New Guidance on How to Support State and Local Olmstead Efforts

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued new guidance to HUD-assisted housing providers on how they can support state and local Olmstead efforts to increase the integrated housing opportunities for individuals with disabilities who are transitioning from, or at serious risk of entering, institutions and other restrictive, segregated settings.  HUD's new guidance encourages public housing agencies and other HUD-assisted housing providers to consider the housing needs of their individual communities and their state and to partner with state and local governments to provide additional community-based, integrated housing opportunities. For more information, read HUD's new guidance and press release. For more information on the Olmstead Decision, visit NORC's website.

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Elder Justice Coordinating Council Accepting Public Comment on Nine Proposals

The Elder Justice Coordinating Council announced, during the May 13, 2013 meeting, that the public are welcome to send comments and suggestions to the Council on implementation strategies for the nine proposals for federal action to address elder abuse, neglect and exploitation presented during the meeting. To read the nine proposals and submit comments, visit the Coordinating Council's website (scroll down to the bottom for information on submitting comments).

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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 © 2013.

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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