September 11, 2018
Consumer Voice Commends House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for Hearing on Nursing Home Quality Care
Consumer Voice commends the U.S.House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for holding a hearing last week entitled, “Examining Federal Efforts to Ensure Quality of Care and Resident Safety in Nursing Homes.” While there are certainly nursing homes that provide excellent care, studies and reports show that poor care, abuse, and neglect continue to be a problem nationwide. The Consumer Voice applauds the Committee’s interest in this important issue and stands ready to provide assistance as the Committee moves forward in its oversight of the nursing home industry.
Read the full statement here. The source of the no-harm deficiency example included in the statement is from the Elder Justice Newsletter: What "No Harm" Really Means for Residents, a publication of the Center for Medicare Advocacy and the Long Term Care Community Coalition Back to Top Materials Available from Sexual Abuse Webinar
Materials are available from Consumer Voice's recent webinar "Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes: What You Need to Know." The webinar examines the full scope of sexual abuse in nursing homes, including: (1) its prevalence, (2) the physical and social signs of sexual abuse, (3) who is most at risk, (4) who the perpetrators are, (5) what protections the federal nursing home rule provides, and (6) how Ombudsman programs can advocate for nursing home residents who are victims of this type of abuse. Find the webinar recording and Powerpoint slides here. Consumer Voice and the National Center on Elder Abuse also created an issue brief on the topic to accompany the webinar.
Back to Top NORC Webinar on Emergency Preparedness
Recent natural disasters have significantly impacted several states, including consumers of long-term care services and supports. Join the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) for a free webinar Tuesday, September 18th entitled "Emergency Preparedness: Ombudsman Program Advocacy and Facility Responsibilities." Presenters will share their experience before, during, and after a natural disaster. Attendees will learn about CMS’ emergency preparedness rule, model policies and procedures for Ombudsman programs by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the most common reactions of residents after a disaster and how to support them, and tips to help prepare personally and professionally.
Presenters are Maria Greene, Consultant, National Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC); Mike Milliken, Florida State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; Dania Vazquez, Puerto Rico State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; and Lisa Hayes, Managing Local Ombudsman, Houston-Galveston Area Agency on Aging/Houston-Galveston Area Council. Register now. Back to Top Updated Hand in Hand Training Series for Nursing Homes
The updated Hand in Hand: A Training Series for Nursing Homes is now available on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) Integrated Surveyor Training Website (ISTW). The Hand in Hand training is now available as a self-paced online training and also available for download as an instructor-led course. This training focuses on caring for residents with dementia and on preventing abuse. CMS, supported by a team of training developers and subject matter experts, created this training to address the need for nurse aides’ in-service training on these important topics. Click here for the self-paced online training and here for the materials for instructor-led training.
On Wednesday, October 24 from 9:00am – 12:00pm during the Consumer Voice Annual Conference, a post-conference intensive will be held on the training. This highly interactive session will provide advocates an in-depth familiarity with the Hand in Hand training program and tools for bringing it to life through engaging adult learning principles. Find more information about the intensive here and register for the conference here (registration for only the post-conference intensive is available). Back to Top New Jimmo Resources from the Center for Medicare Advocacy
The Center for Medicare Advocacy, with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, has created two new checklists to help Medicare beneficiaries and their families respond to unfair Medicare denials based on an erroneous “Improvement Standard.” The Jimmo v. Sebelius Settlement confirmed that you do not need to improve in order to qualify for Medicare coverage. The Medicare Home Health Coverage Requirements checklist provides Medicare beneficiaries and their families with an overview of the home health coverage criteria, providing an emphasis on the Jimmo Settlement. The Skilled Nursing Facility Expedited Appeals Checklist provides an overview of the expedited appeals process in traditional Medicare, focusing on the termination of skilled care solely based on an erroneous “Improvement Standard.” Find more information from the Center for Medicare Advocacy here. Back to Top
Spotlight on Resources
 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 and NORC websites to explore all the available resources. Check out this week's highlighted resource:
Emergency Preparedness Fact Sheet
Back to Top | In this Issue
Consumer Voice Commends House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for Hearing on Nursing Home Quality Care
Materials Available from Sexual Abuse Webinar
NORC Webinar on Emergency Preparedness
Updated Hand in Hand Training Series for Nursing Homes
New Jimmo Resources from the Center for Medicare Advocacy
Spotlight on Resources
Calendar of Events Wednesday, September 12: Using Supported Decision-Making to Avoid Guardianship: Screening with the PRACTICAL Tool, 2:00pm ET, Webinar from the National Center on Law & Elder Rights Tuesday, September 18: Dementia Care: Opioid Use & Impact for Persons Living with Dementia, 1:30pm ET, Call from CMS Tuesday, September 18: Emergency Preparedness: Ombudsman Program Advocacy and Facility Responsibilities, 3:00pm ET, NORC Webinar October: Residents' Rights Month, Speak Up: Know Your Rights and How to Use Them October 22-24: Consumer Voice Annual Conference, Alexandria, Virginia
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