April 22, 2014

Consumer Voice Strongly Supports the Elder Justice Initiative Budget Request - Sign the Petition Now!

The President’s FY 2015 budget includes an Elder Justice Initiative of $25 million. The funding would be used to create an Adult Protective Services (APS) National Data System, develop APS program standards, and support evidence-based research regarding elder abuse.

The Elder Justice Coalition created a petition on whitehouse.gov to encourage the Obama Administration to make the Elder Justice Initiative budget request a priority when speaking with Congress. The petition needs 100,000 signatures by May 7, 2014 in order to receive an official response from the President.

Take action NOW and voice your support of the Elder Justice Initiative and the need to protect victims of elder abuse.

For more information, visit our website.

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Elder Justice Coalition Holding Webinar on the President's Budget Request

The Elder Justice Coalition is holding a free webinar tomorrow, April 23rd, at 3:30pm entitled "Elder Justice Initiative: Action and Advocacy from the Grassroots Up."  The webinar will discuss advocacy efforts surrounding the $25 million Elder Justice and APS Initiative proposed in the President's budget.  Speakers will include Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee, EJC National Coordinator Bob Blancato, and federal and state advocates.  The webinar is hosted by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a).  Register now.

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CMS Proposes Fire Safety Standards

CMS has proposed fire safety standards for some hospitals and healthcare centers to address issues including automatic sprinkler systems, the size of patients' rooms and where to store medical equipment.  The rules would apply to some Medicare and Medicaid-participating facilities including long-term care facilities, among others.  Comments on these rules are due June 16.  Access the Fire Safety Standards.

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CMS Developing New Surveys for Dementia Care and MDS

CMS is developing new surveys for dementia care and Minimum Data Set (MDS). CMS describes the pilot for dementia care: "This focused survey in order to gain new insights about surveyor knowledge, skills and attitudes and ways that the current survey process may be streamlined to more efficiently and accurately identify and cite deficient practice as well as to recognize successful dementia care programs."  For more information, read the memorandum from CMS.

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CMS Reactivating Special Focus Facility Program

CMS announced that the federal government is reactivating the special focus facility program for nursing homes with quality issues. Due to budget cuts last year, CMS reduced the number of nursing homes designated as special focus facilities (SFF) that have a history of survey deficieincies and are subject ot heightened oversight.  As of May 1, CMS will begin gradually increasing the number of SFF "slots."  For more information, read the article in McKnight's.  View the CMS memorandum here.

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Webinar on Community First Choice Option

Friday Morning Collaborative is holding a webinar entitled "Community First Choice Option: State Consideration and Implementation" on Friday, May 16th at 2:00pm EST.  The Community First Choice Option provides states with a new opportunity and financial incentive to expand access to home and community based services to individuals with disabilities and seniors. This webinar will feature insights from three states (Colorado, Montana, and Oregon) that are actively considering or implementing the Community First Choice Option. Register now.

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Webinar for Social Workers on Effective Interdisciplinary Team Work

The University of Iowa School of Social Work is holding a webinar on Friday, April 25th at 2:00pm EST entitled "Effective Interdisciplinary Team Work."  Two social work presenters, Nancy Wilson and Gabrielle Langley, will share strategies for building and supporting effective teams in the nursing home setting, with an emphasis on the role of the social worker.  They will discuss core teams, contingency teams, and coordinating teams.  They will emphasize positive   resident outcomes related to effective team work and will also discuss circumstances under which a team meeting is not a necessary or productive use of  time.  This webinar is for nursing home social workers. Please share the information with facilities.  Register here.

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Report Shows that Caregiving Spouses Perform Medical/Nursing Tasks

A new report from the United Hospital Fund and AARP Public Policy Institute revealed that spouses who are caregivers perform many of the tasks that health care professionals do. Tasks include a range of medical/nursing tasks like medication management, wound care, using meters and monitors and more.  Spouses perform these tasks with greater frequency than other family caregivers, who are mostly adult children.  The report calls for additional research to help tailor interventions that support but do not supplant the primary bond between spouses.  Read the report.

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NSCLC Webinar on New Medicaid HCBS Rules

The National Senior Citizens Law Center is holding a webinar on understanding and impacting implementation of new Medicaid home and community-based services rules. New federal Medicaid rules, for the first time, seek to ensure Medicaid HCBS is provided in settings that are truly integrated with the broader community.  The specifics of the new standards, however, remain to be determined by individual states. Consumers, advocates and other stakeholders need to understand transition issues including the federal standards, what qualifies as HCBS, protections needed, consumer rights and service planning requirements. This webinar will provide consumer advocates and other stakeholders with a clear explanation of the rules and share guidance for state engagement.  Advocates, state policymakers, national advocates, and regulators are encouraged to attend and learn about what the rule means for residential settings, service planning, and the community-integration transition process. The webinar is on Tuesday, April 29th at 2:00pm EST. Register now.

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Share Your Thoughts About Dementia Care

CCAL-Advancing Person-Centered Living is working with the University of Buffalo-Institute for Person-Centered Care on a research project funded by the Retirement Research Foundation.  One of the aims of the study is to gather feedback from a geographically diverse group of people about what they feel is important and/or needed concerning dementia care in America.  
 
The aim of the survey is to develop agreement on priorities for dementia care, research, education, and funding from the perspectives of people living with dementia, family care partners, and advocates for people with dementia. Those with knowledge about dementia are encouraged to participate and invite others.  The organizations request that you take the survey by April 25th.  Take the survey now.

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