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December 2, 2014
The Time Is Now
Your support makes the difference, the difference in whether there is a voice for consumers of long-term care services, and whether there is an organization to fight for the rights, dignity and well-being of millions of long-term care consumers. Your support determines how many issues Consumer Voice can address, how hard we can fight and how long we can stay in the fight.
Please make the most generous contribution that you can to Consumer Voice.
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Three Years Later - CANHR Report Card on "Overprescribed: The Human and Taxpayers' Cost of Antipsychotics in Nursing Homes"
Staff attorney at CANHR Anthony Chicotel wrote a recent report entitled "Overprescribed" Three Years Later - A CMS Report Card. November 30th was the three-year anniversary of the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging's hearing "Overprescribed: The Human and Taxpayers' Cost of Antipsychotics in Nursing Homes." During the hearing, Senators and testimony of the witnesses condemned the practice of chemically restraining nursing home residents by administering antipsychotics. Three years later, Mr. Chicotel evaluates the progress of CMS's seven-part plan to eliminate inappropriate use of antipsychotics. Read the article from CANHR.
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CMS Makes Revisions to State Operations Manual
CMS has updated the State Operations Manual, Appendix PP - "Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities." The manual includes revisions for over 20 sections of the document including guidance related to dementia care, restraints and nasogastric tubes. Section F-155, relating to advance directives, was heavily updated and includes revisions which advises nursing home surveyors to ensure that residents' care is aligned with their advance directives and to look at how a facility determines whether a resident has an advance directive. The revised section of the manual that adresses quality of care for residents with dementia reviews limitations and warranted use of antipsychotic medications. Access the 226-page document here. Read McKnight's article on the document.
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"Thin Edge of Dignity" Available to View Online
Attendees at the Consumer Voice Annual Conference watching Dick Weinman's moving documentary.
Attendees of the Consumer Voice Annual Conference enjoyed a viewing of Dr. Dick Weinman's "Thin Edge of Dignity" and participated in a passionate discussion about the documentary with the subject himself. Dr. Weinman's video is also available for viewing on YouTube. The moving video can be used for volunteer training or shared via social media.
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LTSS Consumer Penny Shaw Publishes Article on Residents' Rights
Dr. Penelope Ann Shaw, nursing home resident, MANHR Board Member, and former Consumer Voice Leadership Council member, has published an article in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society entitled "Treatment Intervention: Learning Residents' Rights." In the article, she shares her experience of becoming a resident of a nursing facility and advocating for the disabled and elderly in Massachusetts. Dr. Shaw highlights residents' rights and describes how learning about her rights inspired her self-advocacy. Access the article here.
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Consumer Voice 2015 Calendar Makes a Great Holiday Gift!
The Consumer Voice has created a unique and one-of-a-kind 2015 calendar. The calendar would make a great gift to show your appreciation to friends, family, residents, staff members, volunteers, co-workers and anyone else who shares your passion for quality care and supports residents' rights. The 12-month calendar (beginning January 2015) supports the Consumer Voice's "Better Staffing: The Key to Better Care" campaign with photos, quotes, poems and artwork from long-term care consumers and staff members. The focus of the calendar is better staffing with resident comments centering around what staffing means to them, how staff members have helped them, and how staffing can be improved in their facility; plus special focus on nursing home regulations that highlight quality care.
Buy now!
Peek inside -
These calendars make great holiday gifts! Buy now - the special price of $14 has been extended through the holidays!
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NHeLP Releases Issue Brief on Medicaid and Medicare Cost-Sharing Protections for Low-Income Seniors
The National Health Law Program has released an issue brief entitled "Medicaid and Medicare: Aging, Access and Affordability." The brief is part of a series focused on older adults, and it describes the Medicaid and Medicare cost sharing protections for low-income seniors, identifies key shortcomings and gives recommendations to inform future advocacy. Click here for the brief.
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Job Opportunity: Arizona State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
The Arizona State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is hiring a State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. The State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (Human Services Program Development Specialist) serves as an advocate for all residents in licensed nursing homes, adult residential care homes and assisted living facilities. For complete information, view the job posting.
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In this Issue
The Time Is Now
CANHR Report Looks at "Overprescribed: The Human and Taxpayers' Cost of Antipsychotics in Nursing Homes" Three Years Later
CMS Makes Revisions to State Operations Manual
"Thin Edge of Dignity" Available to View Online
LTSS Consumer Penny Shaw Publishes Article on Residents' Rights
Consumer Voice 2015 Calendar Makes a Great Holiday Gift!
NHeLP Releases Issue Brief on Medicare and Medicaid for Low-Income Seniors
Job Opportunity: Arizona State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
4.1 It CAN Be Done!
As part of our nursing home staffing campaign, Better Staffing: The Key to Better Care, Consumer Voice is advocating for a minimum of 4.1 hours of nursing care per resident per day. To show your support of this campaign, individuals can send us a photo with the slogan "4.1 - It CAN Be Done" by tweeting us pictures @ConsumerVoices, posting on our Facebook or emailing your photos to info@theconsumervoice.org. Get the word out and encourage consumers to participate by sending in their photos too!
You can join the Better Staffing: The Key to Better Care campaign, learn more about the campaign's goals, access the campaign advocacy toolkit, and take action at: www.theconsumervoice.org/betterstaffing
Calendar of Events
Friday, December 5: Facebook First Friday, Topic: Retaliation
Wednesday, December 10: Addressing Elder Issues in Indian Country, 9am-5pm EST, Webcast (and in-person event in Norman, OK) sponsored by the National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative
Thursday, December 11: Substance Abuse, 3:00pm EST, Webinar from The National Nursing Home Social Work Network
Thursday, December 11: Teamwork: Nurses and Nursing Assistants Working Together to Provide Person-Centered Care, 2:00pm EST, Session 4 in Pioneer Network's webinar series "The Pivotal Role of Nurses in Assuring Quality and Person-Directed Care"
Support Consumer Voice While You Shop Online During the Holidays
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You can now shop on Amazon while supporting the Consumer Voice! Consumer Voice is now listed as a part of AmazonSmile, an easy and automatic way to support Consumer Voice every time you shop, at no cost to you. The Consumer Voice receives a donation of a portion of the purchase price every time you make a purchase. All Amazon purchases cost the same as they normally would.
To shop at AmazonSmile, click this link or go to smile.amazon.com and input "NCCNHR" as your charity of choice. For simpler shopping, you can install a one-touch button on your browser, so you can easily return to AmazonSmile to shop and support the Consumer Voice. For more information about AmazonSmile, click here. Begin shopping now at smile.amazon.com!
Planning on shopping online on Cyber Monday? Continue in the spirit of giving and donate to Consumer Voice on Giving Tuesday! After you contribute, use #GivingTuesday on Facebook and Twitter to encourage others to give too!
Did You Know?
If you make a tribute contribution in honor of an individual or organization, or in memory of a person, we will send the appropriate contact an acknowledgment recognizing your contribution (but not the amount). All you have to do is supply their mailing address. And you will also receive a donation receipt, too.
Your Consumer Voice Membership Shows Your Support for Quality Long-Term Care
The Consumer Voice envisions a world in which all consumers of long-term care, services and supports are treated with respect and dignity. As we work to achieve this goal, we need friends and advocates like you to join us in our fight to achieve quality services for all long-term care consumers. There is strength in numbers, and when there are many of us and our voice is strong, only then do we achieve our mission of empowering consumers and bringing about quality of life and quality care for all people receiving long-term care, services and supports. That is why we need your help - become a member of the Consumer Voice!
Join now and receive a SPECIAL OFFER - your membership will not expire until December 2015 - That's 1 month FREE!
Go to www.theconsumervoice.org/join to become a member.
Questions about membership? Contact info@theconsumervoice.org
A Gift of Stock is a Win-Win for the Donor and for Consumer Voice
It is great when the value of an asset increases, but when such assets are owned outside of a retirement plan people are subject to capital gains tax on the asset’s appreciation or increase in value. Making a gift of the asset – often a stock or other security – to Consumer Voice eliminates the capital gains tax on the holding. Additionally, the gift may be recognized as a charitable donation and may result in a tax deduction for the full appreciated value of the asset.
So, the donor wins in two ways – by avoiding capital gains tax and receiving a charitable gift deduction. And Consumer Voice wins by obtaining your contribution and using it to support our programs of long-term care advocacy and education. If you would like to make a gift of stock or other security, contact rgelula@theconsumervoice.org.
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There are many things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, including the wonderful care provided by so many caregivers, facilities, and family members, but it remains far from universal.
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Find photos and highlights from the 2014 Consumer Voice annual conference
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Sponsor the Gazette - Consumer Voice is now accepting sponsorship for each weekly issue of The Gazette. As a benefit of sponsorship, the contributor may honor, remember, or thank an individual or organization. For more information, contact Richard Gelula at rgelula@theconsumervoice.org
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