September 27, 2011

Reminder: Regular Registration for the 2011 Consumer Voice Annual Conference & Meeting, October 25-28, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, ends September 30.
Register now.

Consumer Voice Conference Call: 10 No-Cost Ideas to Advance Your Culture Change Journey by Involving Residents and Families - Register Today

Attention all advocates! On Tuesday, October 4, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. ET, the Consumer Voice will be sponsoring a conference call entitled 10 No-Cost Ideas to Advance Your Culture Change Journey by Involving Residents and Families. In these difficult economic times, we all need creative, no-cost ideas to advance or start our culture change journey. Quality of care and life for residents are just as important as ever, and this training will provide 10 specific tips and several real-life examples of ways to make life better in the nursing home.

The call will feature welcoming remarks from Consumer Voice Executive Director Sarah Wells and Pioneer Network CEO Peter Reed as well as presentations from:

• Mark Latham, Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, Pleasant View Center - Genesis Health Care, New Hampshire
• Matthew Lysobey, MPH, Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, Arroyo Grande Care Center – Compass Health, California
• Julie Ballard, Director of Culture Change, Health Systems, Inc. and Former Long-Term Care Ombudsman

Costs:

Please share this training opportunity with:

• the providers in your state or region
• resident and family council members
• your state or local Culture Change Coalition
• your state survey agency
• your state or local citizen advocacy group

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Policy Brief Outlines Financial and Emotional Stress for Informal Caregivers in California

A new policy brief by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found family members or friends caring for aging or disabled individuals in California are under financial and emotional strain and are likely to experience larger burdens due to recent cuts to in-state support for home and community-based care services.

The brief looked at the state’s estimated six million informal caregivers and found higher levels of psychological distress and negative health behaviors. The authors, using data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), found California caregivers provide an average of 20 hours of care per week for a friend or relative.

The study also found:

• More than two-thirds of caregivers have full- or part-time jobs; nearly one quarter are low-income.
• About a third of caregivers who live with care recipients spend an average of 36 hours on caregiving; this is almost as much time as a full-time job.
  
• Only 7.4 percent of informal caregivers reported being paid for the help they provide.

The brief noted recent cuts to California's In-Home Supportive Services program and the scheduled December 1 elimination of the Adult Day Health Care program may create more burdens on informal caregivers. Read the policy brief: Stressed and Strapped: Caregivers in California for more information.

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Webinar Series for State Advocates on HCBS

The Friday Morning Collaborative, a coalition of national aging and disability organizations working together to protect and strengthen Medicaid home and community-based services, is hosting a series of ongoing webinars to provide information and resources to state advocates. The next webinar will be Friday, October 7, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET, and is on the Balancing Incentive Payments Program.

The Affordable Care Act provides $3 billion in new resources to assist states with transforming their long-term services and supports systems to improve access to home and community-based services. Effective October 1, 2011, eligible states can submit applications for the Balancing Incentive Payments Program. During this webinar, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services staff will provide details about this new opportunity and the application process. Researchers will also share recent findings on state service systems that underscore opportunities for system change within the context of challenging state budgets.

Webinar speakers include:

• Anne Montgomery (Invited) (Senate Special Committee on Aging –Senator Kohl)
• Effie George (CMS, Disabled and Elderly Health Programs)
• David Braddock (Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities, University of Colorado)
• Enid Kasner (AARP Public Policy Institute)

Space is limited. The webinar will also be recorded and made available following the event. Register online.

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Flu Season to Begin in October

The 2011-12 flu season will start in October and can last for more than six months says the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, the best prevention to getting the flu is to get a vaccination.

The CDC website has information available on the importance of getting vaccinated as well information on the types of flu for the 2011-12 flu season. Also available online are posters and other resource materials and activities individuals and organizations can use to spread the word about getting a flu vaccination. View the CDC Seasonal Flu web page.

More information about the 2011-12 flu season is also available at http://www.flu.gov/.

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About The Gazette

The Gazette is a weekly e-newsletter, published by the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care and the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center. If you do not wish to continue receiving this publication, please unsubscribe. Your contributions and comments are welcome and should be sent to rlivesay@theconsumervoice.org. Copyright © 2011.

The Consumer Voice is the leading national voice representing consumers in issues related to long-term care, helping to ensure that consumers are empowered to advocate for themselves. We are a primary source of information and tools for consumers, families, caregivers, advocates and ombudsmen to help ensure quality care for the individual. The Consumer Voice's mission is to represent consumers at the national level for quality long-term care, services and supports.