November 10, 2015

Consumer Voice Conference Was a Success!

Thank you to all those who joined us for the 2015 Consumer Voice Conference!  The conference was attended by over 200 advocates from across the country. 

During the conference, the Residents Luncheon gave residents an opportunity to talk about what quality care means to them.

Plus, we celebrated our 40th Anniversary!

For more photos from the week, visit our website or our Facebook page.

Powerpoints and materials from the sessions will be posted online soon.

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Congratulations to the 2015 Consumer Voice Leadership Award Winners

Thank you to those that nominated individuals and organizations for our annual Leadership Awards. The nominees are all extraordinary advocates and choosing the recipients was quite difficult. The recipients received their awards during our Annual Conference last week.

Elma Holder Founder’s Award
Toby Edelman, Senior Policy Attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy

Janet Wells Public Policy Leadership Award
Richard Mollot, Executive Director, Long Term Care Community Coalition

Toby S. Edelman Legal Justice Award
Margaret Farley, Farley Law Firm and Kansas Advocates for Better Care

Janet Tulloch Memorial Advocacy Award
Ann Williams, Georgia Long-Term Care Advisory Council, Family Member and Advocate
Rosemary Pavelko, PEER Advocate and Long-Term Care Advocate

Howard Hinds Memorial Award
Joan Rixom, Ombudsman Volunteer, Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Scott Bartlett, Ombudsman, Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, Colorado

Cernoria Johnson Memorial Advocacy Award
Beverley Laubert, Ohio State Long-Term Care Ombudsman

Public Service Award
California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR)

Congratulations to all of the winners! We appreciate the nominations that were submitted and are extremely grateful for the members of our Governing Board and Leadership Council who volunteered to serve on the Leadership Award Selection Committee to review the qualified nominees and select the award recipients.  We extend our thanks to Lori Walsh, Peter Reed, Brian Capshaw, Carmen Castro, Joe Rodrigues, and Michelle Brown.

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There's Still Time to Register - Free Webinar - Put a STOP to Poor Care

Wednesday, November 18 3:00-4:15pm ET
Put a STOP to Poor Care: Advocating for Quality Care

Join us for a webinar hosted by Consumer Voice in collaboration with the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) to learn how to advocate for quality, individualized care. The webinar is specifically for long-term care consumers and their family and friends.

Regardless of where an individual receives long-term care services and supports they are entitled to receive quality, person-centered care.

During this webinar we will:

• Identify indicators of quality care and warning signs of poor care;
• Provide communication tips, and share advocacy strategies to help consumers, family members, advocates, and others advocate for individualized care;
• Share resources available to assist in your advocacy, including advocacy with and on behalf of, individuals with limited capacity; and
• Review the role of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) Program and how and when to seek LTCO assistance.

Please register and share this registration invitation with long-term care consumers, family members, Resident Councils, Family Councils, and advocates that would benefit from this information.
If you have any questions or issues registering for the webinar, please email info@theconsumervoice.org

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Put a STOP to Poor Care Brochures Available for Bulk Purchases

Consumer Voice released “Put a STOP to Poor Care” brochure, produced in collaboration with the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), which includes indicators of quality care, warning signs, red flags of potential abuse, and advocacy tips to address concerns. Regardless of where an individual receives long-term care services and supports they are entitled to receive quality, person-centered care, and this brochure was designed to help consumers understand quality care, learn how to identify issues, and gain action steps to advocate for the care they need and deserve. Long-term care ombudsmen (LTCO) could distribute this brochure during their visits, use it as a training tool during in-service training for facility staff, and share it with members of Resident and Family Councils.

Bulk orders of the brochure are now available.  Order packs of 50, 100 or 250 on the Consumer Voice website.

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Welcome Katie Kohler, NORC's New Program & Outreach Associate

We are pleased to announce that Katie Kohler has joined the Consumer Voice as National Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC)'s new Program & Outreach Associate. In this role, Katie will be responsible for updating and managing the NORC website and clearinghouse of information, assisting with special projects, providing technical assistance, and enhancing our outreach to and communication with state and local LTCO.

She has a degree in Communication and prior to joining Consumer Voice she has worked as an intern for C-SPAN, volunteered in a nursing home, and been a Communications Consultant with Consumer Voice and NORC.

Katie can be reached at ckohler@theconsumervoice.org. Please join us in welcoming her.

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#GivingTuesday is in Three Weeks!

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday.
We have a day for giving thanks.  We have two for getting deals.  
Now, we have #GivingTuesday to give back.

On Tuesday, December 2nd, please join Consumer Voice in celebrating Giving Tuesday by making a contribution to Consumer Voice.  Plus, tweet or Facebook about your support of Consumer Voice by using #GivingTuesday.

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CANHR Sues State of California for Dumping Nursing Home Residents in Hospitals

California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) and three nursing home residents have filed a lawsuit against California Secretary of Health and Human Services, Diana Dooley for illegally dumping nursing home residents into hospitals.  The lawsuit alleges that California nursing homes have been sending Medi-Cal residents to acute care hospitals and refusing to allow them to return to the nursing homes where they reside, primarily to increase profits and make space for more lucrative Medicare and private pay residents.  Federal law requires California to offer a readmission hearing, but the California Department of Health and Human Services is refusing to enforce its own hearing decisions, leaving patients with no way to return home.  For more information, visit CANHR's website.

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Welcome to the Newly Elected Consumer Voice Governing Board and Leadership Council Members

Governing Board
Mary Ellen Jacobs, NJ
Judy Peres, MD
Nancy Stone, TX
 
Leadership Council
Consumer Representatives:
Robin Guy, MD
Joy Nathan, DC
Greg Thompson, CA
Patricia Warnick, PA
 
LTC Ombudsman Representatives:
Heather Armstrong, TX
Bill Bard, OR
Michelle Brown, MO
John McDermott, HI
Erin Pettegrew, OH
Joe Rodrigues, CA
 
Issue/Policy Expert Representatives:
Norma Atteberry, FL
Frances Keeler, VT
Darcy McMaughan, TX
Lydia Williams, MD

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Spotlight on Educational Resources

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:

End the Misuse of Antipsychotic Medications among Nursing Home Residents - This Consumer Voice issue brief provides an overview of the dangers of the misuse of antipsychotic medications among long-term care consumers.  When used inappropriately, antipsychotic medications can place nursing home residents at increased risk of injury, harm or death; be employed as a chemical restraint; destroy the quality of life of residents; and cost consumers billions of dollars.

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In this Issue

Consumer Voice Conference Was a Success!

Congratulations to the 2015 Consumer Voice Leadership Award Winners

There's Still Time to Register - Free Webinar - Put a STOP to Poor Care

Put a STOP to Poor Care Brochures Available for Bulk Purchases

Welcome Katie Kohler, NORC's New Program & Outreach Associate

#GivingTuesday is in Three Weeks

CANHR Sues State of California for Dumping Nursing Home Residents in Hospitals

Welcome to the Newly Elected Consumer Voice Governing Board and Leadership Council Members

Spotlight on Educational Resources

Workplace Giving Campaigns: A Great Way to Help Support Consumer Voice

Workplace giving, whether the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), United Way or other workplace campaigns, are great easy ways to give to Consumer Voice.  Our CFC number is: 10552.  In other workplace campaigns, you may be able to write in Consumer Voice or some may still recognize us as NCCNHR.  As long as you provide our address, the funds will get to us.

Consumer Voice
1001 Connecticut Ave., Ste. 425
Washington, DC 20036

Look for ways that you can give back to Consumer Voice through your workplace and please ask if your employer will match your contribution.  Thank you!

Get Your CARE Matters Buttons and Wristbands

CARE Matters wristbands and buttons are sold in packs of 20, 50 and 100.  See the Consumer Voice online store for more information.

Calendar of Events

Wednesday, November 18: Put a STOP to Poor Care: Advocating for Quality, 3:00-4:15pm ET, Free webinar from Consumer Voice in collaboration with the National Center on Elder Abuse

Your Car Can Help Promote Quality Care - It's Easy!

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.

Donating your car is easy - V-DAC comes to the location of the car and picks it up (whether the car can be driven or not).  Provide the car's registration and title, and V-DAC will send you a contribution letter with the amount of the donation that was made.

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:

Wednesday, November 4:
Day one at the Consumer Voice Annual Conference was filled with New State Ombudsman orientation, pre-conference intensives, and much more!

Last Week's Most Popular Tweet:

  Thursday, November 5:
The Consumer Voice opens dialogue between @CMSGov and advocates about nursing home enforcement #CareMatters

Long-Term Care Resources & News

• In Arbitration, a 'Privatization of the Justice System', The New York Times, November 1, 2015
  

Read past issues of The Voice here.

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