February 17, 2015
CMS Announces Revisions to 5-Star Rating System
On February 12, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it was making changes to its Nursing Home Compare 5-Star Quality Rating System, which allows consumers to learn about and compare nursing homes in terms of their performance on surveys (inspections), staffing levels and quality measures. According to CMS, the following changes are being made: - Adding 2 new antipsychotic quality measures - one for long stay residents, the other for short stay residents - to the 5-star calculations. Antipsychotic medication use had previously not been calculated into the rating;
- Raising the bar for performance on quality measures by increasing the number of total quality measure points needed to achieve each star rating;
- Conducting specialized onsite surveys of a sample of facilities nationwide to assess accuracy of the resident assessment information used to calculate quality measures; and
- Adjusting how the number of stars awarded for staffing is determined. Up to this time, a facility could have 3 stars for RN staffing and 3 stars for total nursing staff hours and receive four stars for overall staffing. Under the new system, a facility must have at least 4 stars in either RN staffing or total nursing staff hours to be awarded 4 stars.
The new 5-Star Rating System will go live on February 20, 2015. CMS has noted that it expects the changes will result in a number of facilities dropping stars in the quality measure and /or staffing domains with a resulting drop in overall stars in a number of cases. To read CMS’s fact sheet, click here.
Back to Top Legislation to Require Round-the-Clock Registered Nurse Coverage in Nursing Homes Reintroduced in Congress
Consumer Voice is pleased to share that Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) has reintroduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to require round-the-clock registered nurse (RN) coverage in nursing homes. H.R. 952, the Put a Registered Nurse in the Nursing Home Act, was reintroduced by Congresswoman Schakowsky in the 114th Congress last Thursday, February 12th, and would require all nursing homes receiving Medicare and/or Medicaid reimbursement to have a RN on duty twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Under current federal law, nursing homes are only required to have a RN eight hours a day regardless of facility size or the complexity of residents’ care needs. This is not sufficient to ensure that quality care is being provided within these settings. It is critical for a RN to be on duty 24 hours a day because she or he is the sole nursing professional in a nursing home who can conduct a nursing assessment when residents’ medical conditions suddenly change or deteriorate.
Now that H.R. 952 has been introduced in the new Congress, we need your help in moving this vital bill forward! Click HERE to ask your U.S. Representative to sponsor the Put a Registered Nurse in the Nursing Home Act. This will help the legislation get off to a strong start. The more sponsors there are, the more likely other House members will support the bill as it moves forward. To read more about why round-the-clock RN coverage is critical to ensuring quality care in nursing homes, visit our webpage on the legislation here. Thank you for your advocacy, and stay tuned for further updates on this important legislation! Back to Top LTC Ombudsmen - Save the Date: Webinar on Long-Term Care Ombudsman Final Rule
Please save the date, March 2, at 3:00 p.m. ET for a webinar on the Long-Term Care Ombudsman final rule. This rule guides implementation of the portions of the Older Americans Act governing grants to states for operation of Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman programs.
Presented by the Administration on Community Living staff, this webinar will provide an opportunity to review sections of the rule including: - Responsibilities of key figures in the system, including the Ombudsman and representatives of the Office of the Ombudsman;
- Responsibilities of the entities in which LTC Ombudsman programs are housed;
- Criteria for establishing consistent, person-centered approaches to resolving complaints on behalf of residents;
- Appropriate role of LTC Ombudsman programs in resolving abuse complaints; and
- Conflicts of interest: processes for identifying and remedying conflicts so that residents have access to effective, credible ombudsman services.
Registration and agenda information will be sent next week.
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs final rule now can be found online in the Federal Register, here.
Questions? Contact NORC at ombudcenter@theconsumervoice.org. Back to Top National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making Announces State Grants
The National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making will be awarding grants to state-wide projects designed to increase knowledge about and the use of Supported Decision-Making as an alternative to guardianship. The State Grant Program will award grants of up to $5,000 for state projects that 1) identify and advocate for implementation of state laws and policies that increase the use of Supported Decision-Making; and 2) collect and disseminate information to document the positive impacts of Supported Decision-Making in their state. For more information, click here.
Back to Top Participate in the White House Conference on Aging Regional Forum
Thursday, February 19, 2015 in Tampa Florida
Go to http://www.hhs.gov/live-3 at 8:30am ET to view the live stream. The White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) is launching a series of regional forums to engage with older Americans, their families, caregivers, leaders in the aging field, and others on the key issues affecting older Americans. Meeting locations include Tampa, FL on February 19th; Phoenix, AZ on March 31; Seattle, WA on April 9; Cleveland, OH on April 27; and Boston, MA on May 28. The forums are designed to help provide input and ideas for the 2015 White House Conference on Aging, which will be held in Washington, DC later this year.
Watch the live webcast and submit comments of your own to the WHCoA website. Visit the WHCoA website to learn the three key ways you can get involved.
Click here to view the agenda for the February 19th forum in Tampa, Florida. Patty Ducayet, President of the National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (NASOP) and the Texas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, will be a participant on the Elder Justice Panel. Upcoming regional forums: - March 31 - Phoenix, AZ
- April 2 - Seattle, WA (Note date change)
- April 27 - Cleveland, OH
- May 28 - Boston, MA
Back to Top ACL Announces Funding Opportunity for Senior Medicare Patrol Program
The Administration for Community Living has announced a new funding opportunity for the Senior Medicare Patrol Program project cooperative agreements. The SMP program is a volunteer program that disseminates fraud prevention and identification information through the media, outreach campaigns, community events and also works with beneficiaries encountering problems accessing their Medicare benefits. With this funding opportunity, ACL anticipates awarding 54 new three-year cooperative agreements to support individual state SMP project activities. One award will be made for each of the 54 service areas which are the 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Join ACL for a conference call for potential applicants on March 4th at 3pm EST (Phone: 800-857-2889; Passcode: 1176603). Letter of Intent is due March 6th.
Click here for the full announcement, which includes application instructions. Back to Top
2012 State Web Tables Released from National Study of Long-Term Care Providers
The Long-Term Care Statistics Branch of the Naitonal Center for Health Statistics has released state web tables using data from the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers conducted in 2012. This series of data tables and maps is a companion to the 2013 national overview report - Long-Term Care Services in the United States: 2013 Overview. The maps show the use of long-term care services by individuals aged 85 and over per 1,000 persons aged 85 and over for five provider types, in addition to the use of long-term care services by individuals aged 64 and under per 1,000 persons aged 64 or under for adult day services centers. Back to Top
Spotlight on Giving: Join Consumer Voice
Here are a few reasons why you should join Consumer Voice as a member: - Most organizations are raising their membership fees, but we have either kept ours very low or we have reduced them for seniors and for long-term care professionals.
- We are enhancing our benefits and will make special members-only offers, including discounts on purchases and a discounted registration for the annual Consumer Voice Conference.
- Most of all, we are making progress in advocating for the rights and well-being of all long-term care consumers. The source of our capabilities is the membership and support of people like you and many partner organizations.
By purchasing a membership now, you support Consumer Voice and the movement advocating for the rights and well-being of everyone who now or in the future depends upon long-term care.
Back to Top Spotlight on Educational Resources for Family Members
The Consumer Voice and the National Ombudsman Resource Center have a multitude of resources available online covering a wide range of long-term care topics. Visit the Consumer Voice website and the NORC website to explore all the available resources. Take a look at this week's highlighted resource: Fact sheets for Family Members on Selecting a Nursing Home - The Consumer Voice offers a variety of fact sheets for family members with tips and tools for choosing a nursing home for your loved one. Fact sheets include: A Consumer Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home; Long-Term Care Resources on the Internet; Emergency Preparedness: Questions Consumers Should Ask; and Long-Term Care Insurance. Back to Top
| In this Issue CMS Announces Revisions to 5-Star Rating System
Legislation to Require Round-the-Clock Registered Nurse Coverage in Nursing Homes Reintroduced in Congress LTC Ombudsmen - Save the Date: Webinar on the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Final Rule
National Resource Center for Supported-Decision Making Announces State Grants
Free Webinar for LTC Ombudsmen on LGBT-Affirming Intake
Participate in the White House Conference on Aging Regional Forum ACL Announces Funding Opportunity for Senior Medicare Patrol Program
2012 State Web Tables Released from National Study of Long-Term Care Providers Spotlight on Giving: Join Consumer Voice
Spotlight on Educational Resources for Family Members
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!
Free Webinar for LTC Ombudsmen on LGBT-Affirming Intake
Register Today!
LGBT-Affirming Intake: Asking Questions about Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Thursday, February 19, 2015
3:00- 4:00 EST
Join The National Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) for this opportunity to hear from Dr. Tim R. Johnston of SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) in a webinar focused on how to ask older adults demographic questions related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The webinar will begin with a discussion of how to have respectful and affirming conversations with older adults that may identify as LGBT. Next, we will discuss tips for asking LGBT related demographic questions in general intake interviews. Finally, Dr. Johnston will answer common questions and concerns related to these questions, and provide advice for supporting staff members who are responsible for conducting these interviews. The overall goal is to increase comfort with these questions, as well as to give participants the skills to support others in acquiring this important information. This webinar is free and open to state and local long-term care ombudsmen. Registration is limited. To maximize participation, we ask that individuals from the same organization share a phone line and only register one person.
Register Today!
Can’t make this webinar? Slides and resources will be posted on the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center website.
Questions? Contact us at ombudcenter@theconsumervoice.org.
Calendar of Events Thursday, February 19: LGBT-Affirming Intake: Asking Questions about Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 3:00pm EST, Free NORC webinar for long-term care ombudsmen Thursday, April 30: Delivering Your Message in Person: The Nuts and Bolts of Meeting with a Key Decision Maker, Advocacy skills training webinar from the Consumer Voice Tuesday, June 30: Delivering Your Message: Utilizing Both Traditional Approaches and Social Media, Advocacy skills training webinar from the Consumer Voice Thursday, August 27: How to Grow, Support, and Activate Your Network, Advocacy skills training webinar from the Consumer Voice
Your Car Can Help Promote Quality Care 
Do you, a loved one or friend have a car that you or they would like to dispose of? Now, Consumer Voice can help – and your used car can help Consumer Voice! By working with our car disposal agency, Vehicle Donation to Any Charity (V-DAC), the proceeds from the sale of your car become a contribution to Consumer Voice.
Note: We are actually registered with the service as “NCCNHR” so when asked which charity you would like to benefit, just say or type in “NCCNHR.”
Here is a link to our page on the V-DAC site http://v-dac.com/org?id=52-1122531 and you can get started there – or just call 877-999-8322 toll free. And to discuss your donation with Consumer Voice, just write to us at info@theconsumervoice.org or call (202) 332-2275 x209
Join the conversation and follow us on social media!
Last Week's Most Popular Post:
Tuesday, February 10:
Researchers surveyed 1,965 employees at 37 nursing homes in three states and found that only 54% had flu shots during the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 flu seasons.
Last Week's Most Popular Tweet:
Wednesday, February 11:
Important injury prevention info Via @nprnews: Even "Proper" Technique Exposes Nurses' Spines to Dangerous Forces
Long-Term Care Resources & News
Read past issues of The Gazette here.
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
Support Consumer Voice While You Shop Online
.jpg)
|
