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September 10, 2013
Consumer Voice to Host FREE Webinar on Quality Home Care
While the definition of good care will vary from person to person, there are basic elements that make up quality home care. This webinar will give you a roadmap for what quality care at home should look like and action steps you can take if you feel you are not getting quality care. The webinar will take place Monday, September 16th, 2013, from 2:00 - 3:30 PM EDT. Click here to register today.
This webinar will cover:
- What quality home care looks like
- How to get quality care
- Action steps you can take if you feel you’re not getting quality care
- Personal experiences from a consumer perspective
Participants will receive an agenda and presentation materials prior to the webinar.
We hope you take the opportunity to register for this webinar today!
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Free Five Week Course on Dementia Management
Laura Gitlin, a professor of community public health and director of the Center for Innovative Care in Aging at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and Nancy Hodgson, an assistant professor at the School of Nursing at Johns Hopkins, are offering a massive open online course (M.O.O.C.) on dementia management through Coursera. The course is free to anyone and will cover information on Alzheimer's disease and person-centered care. The course begins October 14th and includes 5 sessions. The availability of the classes is such that you have to view all the video lessons during the 5 weeks the course is offered. For more information, read the article in the New York Times.
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AMDA Releases List of Potentially Unnecessary Medical Tests and Procedures
AMDA - Dedicated to Long Term Care Medicine (AMDA) partnered with the ABIM Foundations' Choosing Wisely campaign to encourage discussions among physicians, patients and other health care stakeholders about medical tests and procedures that may be unnecessary or even cause harm. AMDA developed a list of five practices or tests that are common in the post-acute/long-term care setting but lack the scientific evidence to support their use. AMDA launched a website that includes clinical tools and products for this campaign. For more information, read the press release.
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Maine Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes First Annual Update
Last week, the Maine Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes hosted its first annual workshop in Augusta, ME. The goal of the Partnership is to provide education and support to all 107 nursing homes across the state as they provide care to residents with dementia. The First Annual Update reviewed the progress of the Partnership. Plus, the Partnership was pleased to announce that Maine is leading the nation in moving towards the national goal set by CMS to reduce the use of antipsychotic medications for residents living in nursing homes with dementia. Maine exceeded the goal set by CMS of 15% reduction as Maine achieved a 17% reduction through quarter 1 2013. For more information, read the full Annual Update.
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PHI Launches Upgraded State Data Center
The PHI State Data Center - a web-based tool that provides state-by-state profiles of nursing home aides, home health aides, and personal care aides - has been updated with the most recent wage, employment and demographic data available on the direct-care workforce. The site now features information for each state on required training hours for home health aides, nursing aides, and personal care aides, and provides the only comprehensive database of state-level training standards for Medicaid-funded personal care aides. The upgrading of the State Data Center is the final stage of the re-launch of PHI's website. View the new website at: www.PHInational.org. View the PHI State Data Center here.
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Alabama Releases Elder Abuse Toolkit
The Alabama Department of Senior Services has released its Elder Abuse toolkit. Particularly helpful sections include: The Red Flags - which identifies signs of emotional abuse, exploitation, neglect and physical/sexual abuse; Questions to Ask - which provides things to ask yourself in order to identify if you or someone you know is a victim of abuse; and the Financial Scam Quiz - which provides yes or no questions to determine if you have been a victim of a financial scam.
Additional elder abuse resources can be found as part of this year's Residents Rights Month with the theme "Speak Out Against Elder Abuse!" Find out more on 2013 Residents Rights Month on the Consumer Voice website.
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September is National Preparedness Month
Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) kicked off the 10th annual National Preparedness Month to emphasize the importance of family and community emergency preparedness. "Each September, we commit to focusing our collective efforts on raising our level of readiness to be preapred for any potential hazard with National Preparedness Month. It is a time for us to promote individual and community preparedness," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. For more information, read the press release.
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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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