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April 12, 2016
Call for Session Proposals for the 2016 Consumer Voice Annual Conference
We invite you to submit a proposal for a concurrent session at the 2016 Consumer Voice Annual Conference. Sessions that include more than one perspective or speakers from more than one program are encouraged.
Proposal Guidelines:
- The Conference will be November 2-5, 2016 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, VA. The bulk of workshops will be November 3-5.
- All proposals must include speaker names, contact info, and a short bio of credentials
- All speakers must register and pay the speaker rate by August 1, 2016.
- Travel expenses cannot be reimbursed.
- Speakers must provide electronic versions of any PowerPoint’s, reference materials, or handouts by October 15, 2016.
- Speakers are responsible for bringing handouts if any will be used. PowerPoint capability will be available in all workshop rooms (screen, projector, computer). If you require additional AV support, there may be an additional charge.
- Proposals may be submitted for more than one session, but you must submit a separate form for each proposal.
- Sessions are 90 minutes in length.
For more information and guidelines on submitting a proposal, click here.
All proposals must be received by May 6, 2016 to be considered.
Submit proposals as Word or PDF documents to the Consumer Voice at info@theconsumervoice.org.
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U.S. Senate Approves Older Americans Act Reauthorization; Bill Sent to President to Sign
Last week, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill to reauthorize the Older Americans Act. House-amended S. 192, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015, will now be sent to President Obama to sign. Reauthorization of the bill is long overdue; authorization expired in 2011.
Consumer Voice applauds the passage of the Reauthorization of OAA as it will help older adults age with independence and dignity in their homes and communities, and protect elders in long-term care facilities and other settings. The Older Americans Act (OAA), enacted in 1965, is the primary vehicle for services and funding in every state that support the dignity and welfare of individuals age 60 and older. These services include home-and-community based services; nutritional programs; health promotion and disease prevention activities for seniors; and programs that protect vulnerable seniors, such as the long-term care ombudsman program.
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is authorized under the Older Americans Act and administered at the state level. It provides residents of long-term care facilities with access to effective advocacy in order to ensure that they receive the quality of care and quality of life they deserve and are entitled to by law. House Bill S.192 strengthens and improves this program’s effectiveness in a number of important ways. It clarifies both organizational and individual conflicts of interest within the program; improves resident access to ombudsmen; better protects the confidentiality of ombudsman information; ensures that State Ombudsmen receive ongoing training; and permits ombudsmen, when feasible, to continue to serve residents transitioning from a long-term care facility to a home care setting. Furthermore, House Bill S.192 takes an important step toward better ensuring quality home care by directing the Assistant Secretary of Aging to develop a consumer-friendly tool, when possible, to assist older individuals and their families in choosing home and community-based services.
Thank you to all who advocated many times over the past five years to help achieve the passage of this important bill!
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National Healthcare Decisions Day is This Saturday; New Consumer Voice Resource Page
National Healthcare Decisions Day is this Saturday, April 16th! Please join Consumer Voice and Americans across the country in making future healthcare decisions known to family, friends and healthcare providers. Share your wishes and complete your advance directive, because your decisions matter! Learn more about National Healthcare Decisions Day and get information at www.nhdd.org. Follow the conversation on Twitter by using #NHDD and following @NHDD.
For information on advance care planning, visit Consumer Voice's resource page. Resources for ombudsman are available from NORC.
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It's National Volunteer Week
April 10-16 is National Volunteer Week. This week was established to recognize ways people give back to their communities and encourage individuals to take action to make change. Consumer Voice is so appreciative of its many volunteers who help us achieve our mission of quality care for all long-term care consumers. Our Governing Board, Leadership Council, office volunteers and many others support this important work.
Volunteers are the backbone of the long-term care ombudsman program in many states. With the help of volunteer ombudsmen, many long-term care ombudsman programs have a regular presence in facilities and stay in touch with residents. For information about volunteer management, visit the NORC website.
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NCEA Releases Report on State Elder Abuse Working Groups
The National Center on Elder Abuse has released a new publication entitled "State Elder Abuse Working Groups: A Review and Comparison of 15 State Working Groups." The report compares existing elder abuse working groups from 15 states based on their establishment, purpose and current status. The report was a collaboration between NCEA and Splaine Consulting. Read the Executive Summary here and the full report here.
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May is Older Americans Month
May is Older Americans Month, and this year’s OAM theme is “Blaze a Trail.” The Administration for Community Living will use May as an opportunity to raise awareness about important issues facing older adults. It will also highlight the ways that older Americans are advocating for themselves, their peers, and their communities. Materials are available at http://oam.acl.gov/. ACL is also interested in collecting the stories of older Americans who blaze trails themselves. Share how you innovate, reinvent, and make your mark in ways both big and small here.
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PHI Report on Poor Quality Nursing Home Jobs; Nursing Home Workers Fight to Raise Wages
PHI has released a report entitled "Raise the Floor: Quality Nursing Home Care Depends on Quality Jobs." The report reviews how nursing assistants in nursing homes do some of the most physically and emotionally draining direct-care work yet they are paid poorly, get limited training and are offered limited on-the-job support. Nursing assistants earn near poverty wages and often work erratic hours. Low wages can cause unstable staffing like turnover, short staffing and vacancies which can lead to poor care and higher injury rates.
The report offers reasons why nursing assistants are undervalued and underpaid such as little accountability for how nursing homes spend public funding, gender and racial discrimination, and the idea that nursing assistants are considered entry-level. As the population ages, there is a higher demand for nursing home care. The report calls for better pay, sufficient training, on-the-job support and opportunities for advancement in order to attract nursing assistants to the field and to avoid a care crisis. Read the full report here.
After recent laws in New York and California which established a $15 state minimum wage, nursing home workers across the country will be holding events to call for a $15 an hour wage. Last week, Pennsylvania nursing home workers won a $15 hourly wage through their union. Thousands of nursing home workers in more than 40 cities in 16 states will join actions this week as part of the Fight for $15. For more information, read the press release from SEIU.
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Spotlight on Educational Resources
The Consumer Voice and the National Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) 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:
Elder Abuse/Elder Justice- This NORC Issue page provides webinars, fact sheets, best practices and reports on elder abuse in nursing homes and assisted living.
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In this Issue
Call for Session Proposals for the 2016 Consumer Voice Annual Conference
U.S. Senate Approves Older Americans Act Reauthorization; Bill Sent to President to Sign
National Healthcare Decisions Day is This Saturday; New Consumer Voice Resource Page
It's National Volunteer Week
NCEA Releases Report on State Elder Abuse Working Groups
May is Older Americans Month
PHI Report on Poor Quality Nursing Home Jobs; Nursing Home Workers Fight to Raise Wages
Spotlight on Educational Resources
Combined Federal Campaign
#10552
Thank you for your support!
Residents' Rights Month 2016
Stay tuned for more information!
Calendar of Events
April 10-16: National Volunteer Week
April 11-12: 2016 American Socitety for Consultant Pharmacists Forum, Baltimore, MD
Saturday, April 16: National Healthcare Decisions Day
May: Older Americans Month
June 15: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
October: My Vote Matters, Residents' Rights Month 2016
November 2-5, 2016: Consumer Voice 40th Annual Conference, Arlington, VA
Join the conversation and follow us on social media!
Last Week's Most Popular Post:
Friday, April 8:
Yesterday, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill to reauthorize the Older Americans Act!
Last Week's Most Popular Tweet:
Wednesday, April 6:
CMS released Nursing Home Data Compendium which has data on Medicare & Medicaid-certified nursing homes & their residents
Long-Term Care Resources & News
Read past issues of The Voice here.
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