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April 10, 2018
Consumer Voice's Lori Smetanka and Other Advocates Publish Article on Advocating for Residents Under the Revised Nursing Facility Regulations
Consumer Voice Executive Director Lori Smetanka, along with Eric Carlson and Nancy Stone, have written an article published in the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) Journal entitled "Advocating for Nursing Facility Residents Under the Revised Federal Requirements." The article provides a comprehensive guide to the revised federal nursing facility regulations, focusing on care planning and person-centered care; admission, transfer, and discharge procedures; grievance procedures; resident rights, choice, safety, and self-determination; staffing, medications, and quality of care; and protections from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. It also discusses advocacy and enforcement issues and further CMS rulemaking activities under the Trump administration which will likely result in changes to the rules. Read the full article here.
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New Consumer Voice and NORC On-Demand Training Center
Consumer Voice and NORC have created a new online training center. This on-demand education platform allows you to delve into important topics through our online courses. Courses are available for consumers, representatives of long-term care Ombudsman programs, advocates, and family members through your computer or mobile device.
There are separate courses created by Consumer Voice and NORC. Consumer Voice courses focus on understanding federal regulations, policies, and advocacy strategies. NORC courses focus on Ombudsman program practices and advocacy.
NORC created a continuing education course that Ombudsman programs can use for on-going education credits for their representatives. Individuals that complete the course will receive a certification of completion. Two continuing education courses are currently available, one regarding Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation and another regarding Volunteer Management. Additional courses will be added to the Training Center over time.
To enroll in a course you must create an account. Watch the video for an overview of the Training Center. Step-by-step instructions for enrolling and navigating a course are available here. Access the training center at consumervoice.mrooms.net.
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Free Webinar - When Nursing Homes Close: Hear from Pilot States
Based on our 2016 study of nursing home closures, Consumer Voice has been working with two pilot states, Tennessee and Michigan, as they review their closure processes for ways to improve the transition of residents.
Join us for a webinar Wednesday, April 18th at 2pm ET to hear from representatives from each state about their experiences over the past year as they developed mission statements, clarified roles of the different state agencies, created a written process, and developed tools for addressing transfer trauma.
Representatives from each team will discuss:
- The benefits of a coordinated state relocation team with a written closure process;
- Obstacles the team faced and how they overcame those obstacles; and
- How the newly coordinated team and written manual provided a different closure experience.
For more resources on nursing home closures, please visit our website. Register for the webinar here.
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National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16th
April 16th is a day for health care decision planning. It promotes education and awareness and is aimed at encouraging adults to create an advance health care plan. An advance health care directive helps name someone to make health care deicions when the person cannot do so. When creating planning documents, it is also a good time to think about what kind of health care and treatment one wants and does not want. For more information, visit the website for National Healthcare Decisions Day. Also, review free resources provided by the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging.
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Newly Updated Report on Nursing Facilities, Staffing, Residents and Facility Deficiencies
A newly updated report is available from the University of California, San Francisco and the Kaiser Family Foundation - Nursing Facilities, Staffing, Residents and Facility Deficiencies, 2009 Through 2016. This report analyzes nursing home data from 2009 to 2016, including rates of deficiencies, staffing levels as well as resident and facility characteristics. Charlene Harrington from the University of California, San Francisco has previously completed similar reports analyzing nursing home data in earlier years. This report provides information on recent trends in nursing facilities in the United States, drawing on data from the federal On-line Survey, Certification, and Reporting system (OSCAR) and Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports (CASPER). The information in the report is meant for policymakers and the general public to understand recent changes in nursing facility care and to highlight ongoing areas of interest. Read the report here and view the supplemental tables.
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CMS Releases Memo on Payroll-Based Journal Staffing Measures on Nursing Home Compare Tool
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a memo regarding - Transition to Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Staffing Measures on the Nursing Home Compare tool on Medicare.gov and the Five Star Quality Rating System. The memo announced that beginning in April 2018, CMS will use PBJ data to determine each facility's staffing measure on the Nursing Home Compare tool and will calculate the staffing rating used in the Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System. It also noted that nusing homes whose staffing data audit identified significant inaccuracies between the hours reported and the hours verified or facilities who have failed to submit data by the deadline will receive a one-star rating in the staffing domain. Nursing homes will also receive a one-star rating in the staffing domain if they report seven or more days in a quarter with no RN hours.
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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:
Revised Federal Nursing Home Regulations - Check out the Consumer Voice issue page for a multitude of resources on the revised regs.
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In this Issue
Consumer Voice's Lori Smetanka and Other Advocates Publish Article on Advocating for Residents Under the Revised Nursing Facility Regulations
New Consumer Voice and NORC On-Demand Training Center
Free Webinar - When Nursing Homes Close: Hear from Pilot States
National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16th
Newly Updated Report on Nursing Facilities, Staffing, Residents and Facility Deficiencies
CMS Releases Memo on Payroll-Based Journal Staffing Measures on Nursing Home Compare Tool
Spotlight on Resources
Calendar of Events
April 8-14: National Crime Victims' Rights Week
Tuesday, April 10: Trauma-Informed Care for People Living with Dementia, 1:00pm ET, Webinar from the National Alzheimer's and Dementia Resource Center
April 15-21: National Volunteer Week
Monday, April 16: National Healthcare Decisions Day
Wednesday, April 18: When Nursing Homes Close: Hear from Pilot States, 2:00pm ET, Consumer Voice webinar
Wednesday, April 18: Drafting Advance Planning Documents to Reduce the Risk of Abuse or Exploitation, 2:00pm ET, Webinar from the National Center on Law & Elder Rights
May: Older Americans Month
Friday, May 11: Dr. Joshua M. Wiener's Legacy: Keep on Marching!, 1:00-5:00pm ET, Symposium in Washington, DC
Friday, June 15: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
October: Residents' Rights Month, Speak Up: Know Your Rights and How to Use Them
October 22-24: Consumer Voice Annual Conference, Alexandria, Virginia
Join the conversation and follow us on social media!
Last Week's Most Popular Post:
Tuesday, April 3:
In honor of this year's World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15th, submit your artwork to the WEAAD Virtual Art Gallery.
Last Week's Most Popular Tweet:
Tuesday, April 3:
Celebrate justice for older people! Create and submit art that promotes empowering older adults and preventing abuse!
Long-Term Care Resources & News
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