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September 26, 2017
Advocates Call for CMS to Immediately Implement Recommendations from OIG Early Alert
Consumer Voice and partners, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Justice in Aging, Long-Term Care Community Coalition and California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, have sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to urge them to immediately implement the recommendations in the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General's (OIG) Early Alert and to institute prompt enforcement of the reporting requirements instituted in the Social Security Act. In August, OIG issued an Early Alert regarding the reporting of abuse and neglect of nursing home residents, finding that many incidents of potential abuse or neglect are not reported to law enforcement. The OIG alert concluded that CMS procedures are not adequate to ensure incidents of potential abuse or neglect are identified and reported, and OIG recommended that CMS take a number of immediate actions to protect vulnerable nursing home residents. Consumer Voice, and the partner groups, are urging CMS to implement the recommendations now. Unreported abuse cannot continue with impunity. Nursing home residents cannot wait any longer for the requirements to report to law enforcement to be fully implemented and enforced. Read the full letter to CMS here.
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New Residents' Rights Fact Sheets Available
Just released! New Residents' Rights Fact Sheets - the same great info as our Residents' Rights posters but in an easy-to-use 8.5"x11" format! Residents’ Rights are guaranteed by the federal 1987 Nursing Home Reform Law. The law requires nursing homes to “promote and protect the rights of each resident” and places a strong emphasis on individual dignity and self-determination. Promote these essential rights with the Residents' Rights Fact Sheets. Perfect to hand out during Residents' Rights Month, during resident and family council meetings, and to provide as a resource to all advocates. Fact sheets are available in packs of 25 ($25); packs of 50 ($45); or packs of 100 ($85). The fact sheet is available for free download here.
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Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing on Graham-Cassidy Bill
On Monday, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the Graham-Cassidy Bill, which would result in significant cuts to Medicaid and the loss of coverage and care to millions of the nation’s most vulnerable populations, including long-term care consumers. Disability rights advocates, AARP, Planned Parenthood, and other organizations lined the Senate halls in protest of the bill. Many Senators were similarly concerned with the legislation, pointing out that their states would suffer devastating losses to long-term care.
Senator Cantwell of Washington showed that cutting Medicaid was not the answer, and that “there are innovative ways [already] in the Affordable Care Act to drive down cost.” She referred to the Community HealthChoices program in Pennsylvania, where long-term care consumers can receive care in their communities. The Senator asserted, “People would love to stay at home and age. Would love to have care delivered there instead. And guess what, it’s way cheaper than nursing home care.” Teresa Miller, panelist and Acting Secretary of the Department of Human Services in Pennsylvania, underscored that this transition from nursing home care into community-based care, saves money for both the state and federal government and is incentivized under the Affordable Care Act.
You can read a full transcript of Senator Cantwell’s remarks on home and community based care here.
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RTI International Study Assesses Effects of Minimum Wage Increase on Long-Term Care Providers
RTI International has released a study examining the potential impact of wage increases for staff in long-term care facilities. Several state and federal proposals have been introduced to increase minimum wage from the federal minimum of $7.25/hour to up to $15/hour. “Policymakers are increasingly concerned about wage stagnation and income inequality, especially for less-educated workers,” said Joshua Wiener, Ph.D., a distinguished fellow at RTI who led the study. “Our study showed that the average financial impact of a $10 or $12 minimum wage would be relatively small for providers—1 percent and 5 percent in total costs, respectively—but potentially important for the worker who makes only $7.25 an hour. Overall, a $15 minimum wage would increase provider costs by a roughly 13 percent, a substantially larger amount.” Though the study found that an increase in minimum wage would increase provider costs, it also highlighted other research that suggest increasing the minimum wage could decrease poverty levels and use of welfare programs among staff, improve staff recruitment and retention, and increase quality of care. For more information click here.
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National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Has Books Available for National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration of the cultural contributions made by Hispanic and Latino Americans, runs through October 15. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, has a wide assortment of braille and talking books—in English and in Spanish—by acclaimed Hispanic and Latino authors including Isabel Allende, Gabriel García Márquez, Junot Díaz, Julia Alvarez, and many more. NLS administers a free program that circulates braille and talking books and magazines to U.S. residents and citizens living abroad who are blind, have low vision, or have a physical disability that prevents them from using regular print materials. Patrons can receive books through the mail or through BARD, the Braille and Audio Reading Download Service. Visit the That All May Read website and “like” the Facebook page for more information about NLS.
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Spotlight on Resources
The Consumer Voice and the National Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) 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:
Reasons Facilities Should Participate in Residents' Rights Month and Reasons Ombudsmen Should Participate in Residents' Rights Month - Use these simple handouts to encourage long-term care facilities and ombudsman programs to participate in Residents' Rights Month.
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In this Issue
Advocates Call for CMS to Immediately Implement Recommendations from OIG Early Alert
New Residents' Rights Fact Sheets
Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing on Graham-Cassidy Bill
RTI International Study Assesses Effects of Minimum Wage Increase on Long-Term Care Providers
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Has Books Available for National Hispanic Heritage Month
Spotlight on Resources
Combined Federal Campaign
#10552
Thank you for your support!
REMINDER: Regular registration for the Consumer Voice Conference ends September 30th
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Calendar of Events
September 15 - October 15, 2017: National Hispanic Heritage Month
October: Residents' Rights Month
November 5-8, 2017: Consumer Voice 41st Annual Conference, Arlington, VA
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Friday, September 22:
Materials are available from our recent webinar "Balancing Privacy & Protection: Surveillance Cameras in Nursing Home Residents' Rooms"
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Thursday, September 21:
"What factors contribute to the quality of life in your nursing home?" - a Resident's Voice Challenge entry
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