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April 2, 2019
House Passes Additional Funding for Money Follows the Person; Senate Now Considering Bill
Last week the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019 (H.R. 1839). (Thank you to those who contacted their Representatives!) The bill would extend spousal impoverishment protections through September 2019 and would provide an additional $20 million for the Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. As we have previously noted, MFP benefits both long-term care consumers and states. MFP helps individuals with disabilities and seniors who want to move out of nursing homes or other institutions and back into their communities, where they can live independently and experience an improved quality of life. At the same time, it helps states improve access to home and community-based long-term services and supports and save money.
The Senate is now considering H.R. 1839. Call your Senators to urge them to vote YES on H.R. 1839! Call the Capitol Switchboard at: (202) 224-3121 (voice) or (202) 224-3091(tty) and ask to be connected to your Senators. You can use this tool to find your Senators, if you don’t know who they are: https://contactingcongress.org/.
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ACL Seeking Feedback on Updates to APS Guidelines
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is seeking feedback on draft updates of the National Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State Adult Protective Services (APS) Systems. The Guidelines were published in 2017 to provide guidance to the APS field about effective practices. ACL is updating the Guidelines to incorporate new research findings and new areas of interest in APS practices and policies.
ACL is holding a series of webinars seeking feedback on the draft updates. Click the links below to register.
- Thursday, April 11, 2019, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET
- Wednesday, April 24, 2019, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET
- Monday, April 29, 2019, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET
- Friday, May 10, 2019, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET
ACL is also accepting written comments on all parts of the original and revised Guidelines. Submit comments here by May 31, 2019.
The draft revised Guidelines are available from the ACL website:
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Thank Your Volunteers During National Volunteer Week -
April 7-13
Next week, April 7-13, is National Volunteer Week. The theme for this year is Celebrate Service. In federal fiscal year 2017, 6,625 volunteers trained and designated to investigate and resolve complaints, contributing 591,363 hours of service to Ombudsman programs across in the country (according to the NORS data). The Independent Sector determined the estimated value of a volunteer hour in 2018 was $24.69. For the Ombudsman program, that is $14.6 million of assets due to volunteer service! National Volunteer Week, is a perfect time to reach out and say thanks for volunteering with your program and making a difference in the lives of the residents. Find more information and resources for celebrating on NORC's Volunteer Week and Volunteer Recognition webpages.
Long-Term Care Ombudsmen: Thank your volunteers and recognize their work publicly by sending NORC brief messages of appreciation for their dedicated advocacy (e.g., examples of their advocacy, years of service, photos). NORC will post your message on its website and highlight the submissions on the home page. Email your submissions to ombudcenter@theconsumervoice.org.
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Next Week is National Crime Victims' Rights Week
April 7-13 is National Crime Victims' Rights Week. This year's theme is "Honoring Our Past. Creating Hope for the Future." The theme is meant to celebrate progress made while looking to a future of crime victim services that is even more inclusive, accessible and trauma-informed. The Office for Victims of Crime has provided an extensive resource guide featuring sample materials including sample social media posts, current statistics, and tutorials. Access the materials here.
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National Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day is May 20th
Monday, May 20th is National Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day. The Administration for Community Living, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging are hosting an event to celebrate the day. The event aims to raise awareness of older adults' mental health needs; promote evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery supports; encourage collaboration between mental health and aging networks; and highlight where to seek services when needed. Attend the event in person in Washington, DC by registering here or tune into the livestream 1:00pm-3:30pm ET Monday, May 20th.
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Bill in Oklahoma Would Crack Down on Antipsychotic Drug Use in Nursing Homes
In Oklahoma, a bill pending in the State House would tighten regulations on administering antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes. According to AARP Oklahoma, the state ranks first in the nation in administering such drugs to nursing home residents. The legislation, Senate Bill 142, has passed the State Senate and is now pending in the House Health Services and Long-Term Care Committee. It would require informed consent from the patient or legal representative and if an antipsychotic is administered during an emergency, a follow-up exam by a physician would be required to ensure proper diagnosis. For more information, read the article here.
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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:
Ombudsman Volunteer Recognition Planning Idea List
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In this Issue
House Passes Additional Funding for Money Follows the Person; Senate Now Considering Bill
ACL Seeking Feedback on Updates to APS Guidelines
Thank Your Volunteers During National Volunteer Week - April 7-13
Next Week is National Crime Victims' Rights Week
National Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day is May 20th
Bill in Oklahoma Would Crack Down on Antipsychotic Drug Use in Nursing Homes
Spotlight on Resources
Calendar of Events
April 7-13: National Volunteer Week
April 7-13: National Crime Victims' Rights Week
Tuesday, April 9: Overview of Phase 3 Nursing Home Regulations: A Look Ahead, 3:00pm ET, Free Consumer Voice webinar
Wednesday, April 24: Navigating the National Ombudsman Resource Center Website, 3:00pm ET, NORC Webinar, Registration info forthcoming
May: Older Americans Month
Monday, May 20: National Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day, 1:00-3:30pm ET, RSVP for the in person event in Washington, DC here or watch the livestream
Saturday, June 15: World Elder Abuse Awarness Day - Lifting Up Voices
November 3-6, 2019: Consumer Voice Annual Conference, Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, Virginia
Join the conversation and follow us on social media!
Last Week's Most Popular Post:
Tuesday, March 26:
A nursing home in New York has developed a program that enables senior residents to access medical cannabis under New York state law
Last Week's Most Popular Tweet:
Wednesday, March 27:
It's National Assistive Technology Awareness Day!
Long-Term Care Resources & News
We always welcome thoughts or reactions to the articles included in the weekly Voice. Feedback can be sent to info@theconsumervoice.org
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