August 9, 2011

The Senate Postpones the Date to Determine Elder Justice Act Funding

The Senate has postponed committee action on appropriations for the Elder Justice Act until at least September. These hearings were originally scheduled for July 26.

Earlier in the summer, the Elder Justice Coalition (EJC) launched a postcard campaign to build support for funding of the Elder Justice Act. If you are holding on to EJC postcards, continue to distribute them and send the signed ones to the EJC, Matz, Blancato & Associates 1612 K St., NW, Suite 400 Washington,, DC  20006. Currently, about 15,000 postcards have made it to DC.

For more information on elder abuse and the Elder Justice Act, visit our website.

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Minnesota State Ombudsman Experiences Nursing Home From Resident Perspective

Minnesota State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Deb Holtz recently went through an interesting experience: she became the patient at a local rehabilitation facility. According a news article, Holtz was in post-surgical rehabilitation at a facility when she became aware of how vulnerable someone can feel when depending on others for care.

Although, Holtz’s visit was only 25 hours. She was quoted in a news article saying, “I felt like I lost part of my dignity.”

From her experience, Holtz is now more concerned that people may not know their rights. She credits the facility however, for being responsive to her concerns. Holtz plans to start a dialogue with the nursing home industry about residents’ rights and dignity issues. She would also like more interaction with her office and residents, through more volunteering and brochures.

Read more about Holtz's experience.

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Save Medicaid!

Under the agreement approved by Congress and signed by President Obama, we are facing an extraordinary challenge before Thanksgiving to preserve federal funding for programs and long-term care for the elderly and people with disabilities. Every one of us will need to fight to save these programs. Click here to oppose Medicaid cuts.

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The Consumer Voice in Department of Labor Listening Sessions

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AoA Releases 2009 Annual Report

On May 23, the Administration on Aging (AoA) released its Annual Report for Congress: Fiscal Year 2009. The report provides data reflecting services and activities provided to individuals and evaluative assessments of programs performed by the national aging services network under the Older Americans Act.

According to the report, AoA shares and/or administers the responsibility for delivering services to almost 11.5 million older persons (ages 60 and over) in the United States, U.S. Territories, and the Tribes. Within this there are three million clients registered who have benefited from intensive in-home services. The report includes an analysis of AoA’s performance.

The report will be availabe on AoA's website.

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Massachusetts AG Sues Drug Manufacturer Over Risperdal Marketing for Elderly

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is suing the drug manufacturer Ortho-McNeil-Janssen for illegally marketing Risperdal, an atypical antipsychotic drug, to treat elderly patients with dementia. The Attorney General said Janssen’s “illegal marketing and sales tactics helped the company generate hundreds of millions of dollars in sales” in the state while it failed to disclose “the serious risks associated with Risperdal’s use in dementia patients, including increased risk of death.” The state charges that Janssen made “misleading and deceptive statements” to prescribers about Risperdal’s safety, including failing to disclose research showing that users are at risk of weight gain and diabetes and that the drug has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of dementia. See AG Coakley's Office Files Suit Against Ortho-McNeil-Janssen for Illegally Marketing Risperdal. For more on inappropriate use of antipsychotics in nursing homes, see  Cause for alarm: Antipsychotic drugs for nursing home patients and Medicare Atypical Antipsychotic Drug Claims for Elderly Nursing Home Residents.

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Law Banning Sex Offenders from Living in Nursing Homes Ruled Unconstitutional in Massachusetts

A state law in Massachusetts made it illegal for dangerous sex offenders to live in a nursing home. However, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled today unanimously that such a law is unconstitutional. Boston Globe, Kay Lazar and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff.
See all stories on this topic »

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Connecticut Resident Coalition Writes Senators about Medicaid Block Grant Threat

The Connecticut Statewide Coalition of Presidents of Resident Councils recently wrote to their U.S. Senators, Joe Lieberman and Richard Blumenthal, opposing federal budget proposals that would block grant the Medicaid program. “We understand that the federal government has a large deficit problem,” the members of the executive committee told the senators, “but we feel that going to block grants would affect the amount of Medicaid dollars Connecticut receives, which would affect the lives of the 27,000 Connecticut residents who live in nursing homes.” The coalition leaders noted that with less federal money, the daily Medicaid rate would be cut, affecting quality of care, and that the state would have to absorb increases in spending. Members of the executive committee are Brian Capshaw, Ronnie Martin, Karen Hawley, May Jasper-Bey, Grace Blige-Curry, and Mary DePasquale.

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