March 31, 2015

White House Conference on Aging Regional Forum in Phoenix

Earlier today, the White House Conference on Aging hosted a Regional Forum in Phoenix, Arizona to engage with older Americans, their caregivers, advocates, community leaders and others on the key issues affecting older Americans. The 2015 White House Conference on Aging will highlight the contributions of older adults today and help inform the landscape of aging policy for the future. The Phoenix Regional Forum is an important part of this dialogue.  A recording of the live webcast will be available on WHCOA's website and posted on the Consumer Voice website when available.

The WHCOA has also set up a mechanism on its website for individuals, organizations, coalitions and others to submit comments, share stories, and provide thoughts about the issues. Please visit the website here to learn more.

View a recording of the February 19th forum in Tampa, Florida here.

The next WHCOA event will be held April 2nd in Seattle, WA.

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Celebrating Our History and Honoring Our Gems

As Consumer Voice celebrates our 40th anniversary we want to take this opportunity to reflect on our past and recognize the individuals who shaped our organization. In honor of the 40-year ruby anniversary we will highlight Consumer Voice’s Gems which include key leaders, organizations, and special moments that have made a significant impact on our organization’s development, mission, and advocacy.

Our first Gem is Consumer Voice’s founder and friend,
Elma Holder.  

The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care was formed as NCCNHR (National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform) in 1975 due to public concern about substandard care in nursing homes and as a result of Elma’s work in two public interest organizations, Ralph Nader’s Retired Professional Action Group and The National Gray Panthers. While working with The Long-Term Care Action Project of the Gray Panthers, Elma organized a meeting of advocates from across the country to attend a conference in Washington, DC sponsored by the American Health Care Association. At that meeting, representatives of citizen action groups developed recommendations to improve nursing home conditions and shared them, as a united consumer voice, with nursing home providers during the conference.

Elma’s personal commitment to improving the quality of life and care of individuals living in nursing homes and her steadfast advocacy have shaped Consumer Voice and continue to inspire advocates and empower consumers across the country.

We invite you to join us in celebrating 40 years of making quality care matter by signing this e-card, sending a congratulatory message to info@theconsumervoice.org, and/or becoming a member.

Also, make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and visit our 40th Anniversary webpage for additional information and opportunities to celebrate with us.

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Introducing the New NORC Website

The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) is excited to announce the launch of our new and improved website!

The new site is found at our same url, www.ltcombudsman.org and provides ombudsmen with enhanced access to resources and information on the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and many issues Ombudsmen encounter in their advocacy work. The new NORC website features improved graphics, greater interactivity and easier site navigation.

Check out some of the great resources on the new NORC site:

• Specialized information for LTCOs for the Nursing Home, Assisted Living and Home and Community Based settings
• New Events page listing upcoming and archived trainings, webinars and conferences.
• Updated and enhanced Get Help page to locate ombudsmen, Citizen Advocacy Groups (CAGs) and other long-term care resources by state
• A New Ombudsman page designed to get new long-term care ombudsmen the resources needed to hit the ground running.

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Call for Applictions to the 2015-2016 Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program

The recruitment cycle has begun for the 2015-2016 Health and Aging Policy Fellows program.  The deadline to apply is April 15, 2015. The year-long Health and Aging Policy Fellows program offers a unique opportunity for professionals in health and aging to receive the experience and skills necessary to make a positive contribution to the development and implementation of health policies that affect older adults. For more information, visit www.healthandagingpolicy.org.

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Arkansas State Ombudsman, Kathie Gately, Talks about Importance of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

Arkansas State Ombudsman, Kathie Gately, along with other consumer advocates, spoke about  the importance of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in a KARK news story.  The news story also highlighted the work of Jeff Kelly Lowenstein with the Center for Public Integrity whose analysis of nation-wide staffing data showed widespread discrepancies in staffing levels reported by nursing homes.

Read the story: Part 1 and Part 2.

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Briefly Noted...

• The National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes has a new website: http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/National-Partnership-to-Improve-Dementia-Care-in-Nursing-Homes.html
• Amity Overall-Laib, Manager of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program & Policy for Consumer Voice, was quoted in an article in Public Source about cameras in nursing homes: http://publicsource.org/investigations/eye-inside-do-cameras-nursing-homes-protect-or-intrude#.VRq2OfnF-Sr.

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Spotlight on Giving: Join the Consumer Voice

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

1. We are making progress in advocating for the rights and well-being of all long-term care consumers.  The source of our capabilities is the membership and support of people like you and many partner organizations.
2. 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.
3. Take advantage of special members-only offers, including discounts on purchases and a discounted registration for the annual Consumer Voice Conference.

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Spotlight on Educational Resources

The 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 website and the NORC website to explore all the available resources.  Take a look at this week's highlighted resource:

NORC Ombudsman Outlook  - The Ombudsman Outlook is a quarterly e-newsletter for ombudsmen designed to provide resources, tips and news about ombudsman programs and practices. Each issue contains information about new policies and how they apply to LTCO work; news from the network, featuring state and/or local LTCOPs; technical assistance on a hot topic that has come into NORC over the previous quarter; tips on ombudsman practice or skills; featured resources, and MORE!  Read the most recent issue here.  Subscribe to the Ombudsman Outlook by emailing ombudcenter@theconsumervoice.org.

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In this Issue

White House Conference on Aging Regional Forum in Phoenix

Celebrating Our History and Honoring Our Gems

Introducing the New NORC Website

Call for Applications for 2015-2016 Health and Policy Fellows Program

Arkansas State Ombudsman, Kathie Gately, Talks About Importance of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

Briefly Noted...

Spotlight on Giving: Join the Consumer Voice

Spotlight on Educational Resources

Now Accepting Entries to the 2015 Resident's Voice Challenge!

In celebration of Residents' Rights Month 2015, residents are encouraged to participate in the Resident's Voice Challenge by submitting essays, poems, artwork, drawings, or videos related to the theme for Residents' Rights Month 2015 "CARE Matters".  Click here for Resident's Voice submission guidelines.

• Residents and consumers are asked to submit 40 words of wisdom to coincide with the celebration of Consumer Voice’s 40th anniversary.  Some entries may appear in our “40 Words of Wisdom” book (on sale this summer). (Have more - or less - to say? No problem! We will accept submissions of any length.)
• Possible types of entries include: essays; poems or songs; artwork, drawings or photos; word collage; or video/audio recordings. Need some inspiration? Click here for examples of past entries.
• Submissions are due by May 15, 2015.
• Use this flyer to spread the word!

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!

Calendar of Events

Tuesday, April 7: The POLST Paradigm in Nursing Homes, 3:00pm ET, Nursing Home Social Work Webinar Series

Thursday, April 9: Looking at Power Issues from 2 Perspectives: a Utility and the American Red Cross, 2:30pm ET, ADA National Network Learning Session

April 20-22: HealthCare Chaplaincy Network's Caring for the Human Spirit Conference, Orlando, FL

Wednesday, April 22: Supervising Social Work Field Students in Nursing Homes, 3:30pm ET, Nursing Home Social Work Webinar Series

Wednesday April 29: 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, May 5: Achieving Cultural Competence for the Younger Adult in the Long-Term Care Setting - Part One, 2:00pm ET, Nusing Home Social Work Webinar Series

Wednesday, June 10: Achieving Cultural Competence for the Younger Adult in the Long Term Care Setting - Part Two, 3:00pm ET, Nursing Home Social Work Webinar Series

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

October: Residents' Rights Month, CARE Matters

November 5-7, 2015: Consumer Voice 39th Annual Conference, Crystal City, Virginia

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.  

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

Join the conversation and follow us on social media!

Last Week's Most Popular Post:

Tuesday, March 24:
Help stop legislation that will keep nursing home residents from filing suit for poor care, neglect or abuse.

Last Week's Most Popular Tweet:

Tuesday, March 24:
Support #SGR repeal? 1st remove the "standards of care" provision so nursing home residents can file negligence suits

Long-Term Care Resources & News

• "Nursing-home owner, fundraiser met twice" Arkansas Online, March 25, 2015
• "House provision offers doctors more protection against malpractice suits," The New York Times, March 30, 2015

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, click here or contact Richard Gelula at rgelula@theconsumervoice.org