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YOUR MESSAGE HERE!
For more information on how to sponsor an issue of The Gazette, contact rgelula@theconsumervoice.org or click here.

January 27, 2015

Free Advocacy Skills Training Webinar Series

Webinar #1
Strategizing and Crafting an Effective Advocacy Message
February 12, 2015 2-3:30 pm EST

In this first advocacy skills training webinar, we will use the subject of nursing home staffing to teach participants how to develop a strategy around an issue and then choose key points about the issue to create an effective advocacy message. We'll also address methods of tailoring those key points to a particular audience.  The session will include:

  • How to use a “strategy chart”
  • Identifying the right decision maker for your message
  • Describing why the issue is important to the decision maker
  • Supporting your message using data and real examples
  • Making the “ask”
Registration is first come, first served, so register now! To register, click here.

*While the webinars are free, your contribution of $10 or more - or your membership in Consumer Voice - will help support our Public Policy and Advocacy programs. You can join the Consumer Voice here  or make a contribution here.

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Your Car Can Help Promote Quality Care


Do you, a loved one or friend have a car that you or they would like to dispose of?  Now, Consumer Voice can help – and your used car can help Consumer Voice!  By working with our car disposal agency, Vehicle Donation to Any Charity (V-DAC), the proceeds from the sale of your car become a contribution to Consumer Voice.  V-DAC is a national service organization that manages the entire process.  They are A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau.  With one call, they arrange to pick up your car– even if it is not drivable – and they will get the best price for it.  They will ask you for the registration and title and they will give you a receipt – and they can help if you cannot find these documents.  When the car is sold, V-DAC lets us know how much was obtained and how much your gift to “NCCNHR” was.  We then send you a contribution receipt.   Note: We are actually registered with the service as “NCCNHR” so when asked which charity you would like to benefit, just say or type in “NCCNHR.”

Here is a link to our page on the V-DAC site http://v-dac.com/org?id=52-1122531 and you can get started there – or just call 877-999-8322 toll free.   And to discuss your donation with Consumer Voice, just write to us at info@theconsumervoice.org or call (202) 332-2275 x209.

By contributing your vehicle to Consumer Voice, you will be providing important support for all of our programs dedicated to achieving quality long-term care.  Thank you!

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Study Finds Possible Correlation Between Administrator's Education and Quality of Care

A report published in Health Care Management Review studied the association between long-term care administrator's education and quality of nursing home care.  "Quality of care and long-term care administrators' education: does it make a difference?" collected information from 3,941 administrators and matched it with quality indicators.  The study found statistically significant association between education level of administrators and all five quality indicators. The report concludes that promoting further educational attainment of individual administrators may influence quality of care.  Access the study here.

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Article Highlights Problems with Nursing Home Ratings

A recent article in the Asbury Park Press highlighted problems for consumers looking at nursing home ratings.  The article reviewed how nursing homes in New Jersey score when it comes to bed sores.  In New Jersey, for every 100 residents, on average, nearly eight have a pressure ulcer, or bedsore, according to 2014 federal inspection data from Medicaid and Medicare. Yet the federal government's own inspection reports show New Jersey nursing homes to be among the best in the nation. New Jersey State Long-Term Care Ombudsman James W. McCracken encourages consumers to not just rely on the ratings when choosing a facility but to "Visit the nursing home, visit more than once and visit at off times."  Consumer Voice's Director of Public Policy and Advocacy Robyn Grant was interviewed for the article and encouraged consumers to think of Nursing Home Compare only as a starting point when deciding on a facility.  Read the full article.

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CMS Issues Revision to Guidance on CPR in Nursing Homes


CMS has issued a revision to its memorandum on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in Nursing Homes. CMS revised the guidance to surveyors to clarify a facility's obligation to provide CPR.  The revised memorandum also states that staff must maintain current CPR certification for healthcare providers through CPR training that includes hands-on practice and in-person skills assessment.  Read the full revision.

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Toolkit Available for Conducting Culturally Competent Outreach to American Indian and Alaska Native Elders

With a grant from the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) Administration on Aging, The International Association for Indigenous Aging has been working for the last 18 months to help ACL’s Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program grantees identify strategies to effectively conduct outreach to American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) elders. This includes the creation of a “toolkit” that includes background information about conducting outreach in a culturally competent manner, as well as a series of tools.

The toolkit includes a comprehensive manual that provides a demographic overview of AIANs and a description of how the Indian health system works with Medicare, as well as profiles of various geographic regions and large tribal groupings. The manual also provides tips for culturally appropriate outreach as well as a discussion about outreach methods. In addition, the toolkit includes a set of resources including: fact sheets, newsletter article templates, brochures and more. To view the toolkit,  click here.

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Help Wanted!

The Consumer Voice is currently working on a project to identify ways in which the nursing home transition process can be improved for individuals moving out of the nursing home and back into the community.  A key part of this project entails interviewing former nursing home residents from across the country who have transitioned (either successfully or unsuccessfully) out of a facility about their experiences and recommendations. We will use this information to: (1) publish a national report which will describe consumer recommendations for improved nursing home transitions and recommend policy actions based on consumer input; (2) develop a “How To” guide that will provide suggestions to state advocates for implementing the report’s recommendations; and (3) empower individuals with disabilities and older adults who want to transition out of a nursing home to be self-advocates by creating a Transition Checklist that will highlight steps residents can take to better ensure a successful transition.
 
Consumers will be interviewed by phone, and the call will last approximately 30 minutes.  Individuals’ names will remain confidential unless permission is given for release.   
 
Please help us identify former nursing home residents who are willing to be interviewed!  If you know individuals who have moved out of a nursing home and into the community, put us in contact  with them!  All you have to do is provide us with their name and contact information, and we’ll take it from there. Please let them know that we will be contacting them.

For more information or to provide us with the names of people we can interview, email acelentano@theconsumervoice.org or call  Amanda at 202-332-2275, ext 221.

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Older Americans Act Reauthorization Moves Forward in Senate

S. 192, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015, is already moving forward within the U.S. Senate. This bill, which was introduced last week by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Burr (R-NC) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), will be considered in the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee tomorrow, January 28th, beginning at 9:30 am ET. S. 192 would update and strengthen the current Older Americans Act (OAA) law and includes provisions that would aid long-term care consumers; it must pass out of committee before it can be considered by the full Senate. We need help from individuals with senators serving on the HELP Committee to urge their members to support this critical legislation in tomorrow's markup. Click here to enter in your zip code; if your senator serves on the HELP Committee, a draft message will be provided for you to send to your member in support of S. 192. If your senator does not serve on this committee, we will have an action available shortly for all individuals to urge their senators to support the bill. The Consumer Voice also has issued a letter of support for S. 192, which can be read here. In addition, you can view tomorrow's HELP Committee hearing here: http://www.help.senate.gov/.

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Consumer Voice Signs Onto Statement with Aging Organization Partners for House Hearing on Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate

Last week, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), the economic growth formula that the Medicare program uses to determine physician payment rates. This formula, when initially created, worked well to determine these payment rates as Medicare expenditures did not exceed the target established in the formula. However, every year since 2002, the use of the SGR formula has mandated cuts to Medicare physician payments, and Congress has passed temporary fixes to keep any cuts from going through. The hearing held last week explored permanent fixes to the current formula. Consumer Voice signed onto a statement with other organizations that advocate for older adults in support of permanently fixing the flawed formula but also stating opposition to any proposed fix that may increase overall health care costs for Medicare beneficiaries, jeopardize benefeciairies' access to care, or worsen beneficiaries' economic circumstances. This letter of support also asked for the permanent extension of the exceptions process for Medicare outpatient therapy caps and the permanent extension of funding for Aging Disability Resource Centers. To read the statement, click here.

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In this Issue

Free Advocacy Skills Training Webinar Series

Your Car Can Help Promote Quality Care

Study Finds Possible Correlation Between Administrator's Education and Quality of Care

Article Highlights Problems with Nursing Home Ratings

CMS Issues Revision to Guidance on CPR in Nursing Homes

Toolkit Available for Conducting Culturally Competent Outreach to American Indian and Alaska Native Elders

Help Wanted!

Older Americans Act Reauthorization Moves Forward in Senate

Consumer Voice Signs Onto Statement with Aging Organization Partners for House Hearing on Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate


4.1 It CAN Be Done!

As part of our nursing home staffing campaign, Better Staffing: The Key to Better Care, Consumer Voice is advocating for a minimum of 4.1 hours of nursing care per resident per day.  To show your support of this campaign, individuals can send us a photo with the slogan "4.1 - It CAN Be Done" by tweeting us pictures @ConsumerVoices, posting on our Facebook or emailing your photos to info@theconsumervoice.org.  Get the word out and encourage consumers to participate by sending in their photos too! 

You can join the Better Staffing: The Key to Better Care campaign, learn more about the campaign's goals, access the campaign advocacy toolkit, and take action at: www.theconsumervoice.org/betterstaffing


Calendar of Events

Thursday, February 5: Forming the Relationship with Your Client: Client communication, interview skills, and confidentiality/mandatory reporting concerns, 2:00pm EST, Module Two of a five-part webinar series

Thursday, February 12: How to Craft an Effective Advocacy Message, Advocacy skills training webinar from the Consumer Voice

Thursday, April 30: Delivering Your Message in Person: The Nuts and Bolts of Meeting with a Key Decision Maker, Advocacy skills training webinar from the Consumer Voice

Tuesday, June 30: Delivering Your Message: Utilizing Both Traditional Approaches and Social Media, Advocacy skills training webinar from the Consumer Voice

Thursday, August 27: How to Grow, Support, and Activate Your Network, Advocacy skills training webinar from the Consumer Voice


Now is a Great Time to Join the Consumer Voice

Here are a few reasons why you should join as a member:

  1. Most organizations are raising their membership fees, but we have either kept ours very low or we have reduced them for seniors and for long-term care professionals.  We want you to join us!
  2. We are enhancing our benefits and will make special members-only offers throughout the year.
  3. We also have special offers for only a small added contribution.
But most of all, we are making progress in advocating for the rights and well-being of all long-term care consumers.  This is occurring despite great political and economic pressures.  The source of our capabilities is the membership and support of people like you and many partner organizations.

By purchasing a membership now, you support Consumer Voice and the movement advocating for the rights and well-being of everyone who now or in the future depends upon long-term care.

Support Consumer Voice While You Shop Online

When you shop with AmazonSmile, part of your purchase is contributed to Consumer Voice. Shop now by clicking this link or going to smile.amazon.com and input "NCCNHR" as your charity of choice.


Did You Know?

If you make a tribute contribution in honor of an individual or organization, or in memory of a person, we will send the appropriate contact an acknowledgment recognizing your contribution (but not the amount).  All you have to do is supply their mailing address.  And you will also receive a donation receipt, too.


A Gift of Stock is a Win-Win for the Donor and for Consumer Voice

It is great when the value of an asset increases, but when such assets are owned outside of a retirement plan people are subject to capital gains tax on the asset’s appreciation or increase in value.  Making a gift of the asset – often a stock or other security – to Consumer Voice eliminates the capital gains tax on the holding.  Additionally, the gift may be recognized as a charitable donation and may result in a tax deduction for the full appreciated value of the asset. 

So, the donor wins in two ways – by avoiding capital gains tax and receiving a charitable gift deduction.  And Consumer Voice wins by obtaining your contribution and using it to support our programs of long-term care advocacy and education. If you would like to make a gift of stock or other security, contact rgelula@theconsumervoice.org.


Join the conversation and follow us on social media!

Last Week's Most Popular Post:

Wednesday, January 21:
Progress is under way! Bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Older Americans Act has already been introduced in the new 114th Congress.

Last Week's Most Popular Tweet:

Wednesday, January 21
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Our press release on how S.192, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act, would aid long-term care consumers.


Long-Term Care Resources & News


Read past issues of The Gazette here.


Sponsor the Gazette - Consumer Voice is now accepting sponsorship for each weekly issue of The Gazette.  As a benefit of sponsorship, the contributor may honor, remember, or thank an individual or organization.  For more information, contact Richard Gelula at rgelula@theconsumervoice.org

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 below. Your contributions and comments are welcome and should be sent to info@theconsumervoice.org. Copyright © 2015.

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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.


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