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April 11, 2017
Webinar on Revised Federal Nursing Home Regulations - Part III
The Consumer Voice, Justice in Aging, and Center for Medicare Advocacy are continuing to examine the revised federal nursing home regulations the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released on October 4, 2016. Join Part III of the webinar series on Thursday, April 27th at 2:00pm ET. In this webinar, we will take a closer look at the following sections of the revised regulations:
- Return to the Facility
- Grievances
- Resident & Family Councils
- Quality of Care
Join this webinar to hear experts from all three organizations discuss changes in the regulations and their impact on the care delivered to consumers.
Presenters:
Eric Carlson, Directing Attorney, Justice in Aging
Toby Edelman, Senior Policy Attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy
Lori Smetanka, Executive Director, Consumer Voice
Register now.
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Tell Congress to Just Say No
Members of Congress are on recess and back in their districts – which is a perfect time for them to hear directly from you, their constituents. Please contact your members with a simple message – Just Say No:
- NO to continued efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The first version of the bill to replace the Affordable Care Act - the American Health Care Act - would have made massive cuts to Medicaid. These cuts would have had a devastating effect on nursing home residents, other long-term care consumers and their families. Fortunately, this bill failed, but another version is already in the works. And based on reports about the negotiations, this one is likely to be worse than the first.
- NO to H.R. 1215. This bill would significantly strip away an individual’s rights to justice through the courts in the event they are harmed or killed by a health care provider, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Long-term care consumers need the justice provided by courts in cases where health care providers have committed abuse, neglect, or medical malpractice. Without the courts, long-term care consumers have no other available remedy to compensate them and their families for the horrific pain and suffering they have endured. Court cases also serve as a deterrent to poor care.
Ask your members of Congress to say no:
- At a town hall meeting. You can find information about meetings in your members’ districts by going to: https://townhallproject.com.
- With a phone call. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. The switchboard will connect you to your Representative or Senators. If you don’t know who your members of Congress are, you can find out by going to http://votesmart.org/.
There is a lot at stake for long-term care consumers. Your advocacy matters.
For more information on Medicaid, visit our website here. Read our fact sheet on H.R. 1215, as well as our webpage on preserving access to civil justice for long-term care consumers.
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AARP Issues Bulletin on Misuse of Antipsychotic Drugs
The AARP Bulletin has published an article on the overuse of psychotropic drugs in nursing facilities. AARP Foundation attorneys are addressing the unlawful use of these drugs. Psychotropic drugs have been used off-label with residents whom care providers see as disruptive or at risk of harming themselves; and, all too often, the drugs are given as a convenience at understaffed nursing homes. These drugs, however, place nursing home residents at increased risk of injury, harm, and even death. Read the AARP bulletin here.
Consumer Voice is working to end the misuse of antipyschotic drugs as chemical restraints. For more information on the issue, visit our website.
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Materials Available from Webinar on LTCOP Rule - Complaint Investigations and Abuse Reporting
Materials are now available from last week's webinar from NORC on the LTCOP Rule: Supporting Person-Centered Advocacy - Complaint Investigations and Abuse Reporting. The first webinar in a two-part series on the LTCOP Rule covered the complaint process responsibilities, the primary role and duties of the Ombudsman program and the goal of resolving complaints to the reisdent's satisfaction. Access the webinar materials here.
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WEAAD "Finish the Sentence" Campaign
In preparation for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15), the National Center on Elder Abuse and Ageless Alliance has launched the "Finish the Sentence" campaign. The campaign asks advocates, family members and others to finish the sentence "We build strong supports for elders by...", take a photo of yourself with your answer, and share it on social media. For more information on how to take part in the campaign, click here. For tools and tips on how to promote WEAAD, click here.
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Nursing Home Trainings on Antibiotic Stewardship
The Quality Innovation Network National Coordinating Center (QIN NCC) has developed six nursing home training sessions on implementing antibiotic stewardship and managing C. difficile infections. The training sessions include important concepts and practices that promote team communication, antibiotic stewardship and C. difficile prevention. Nursing contact hours or a certificate of completion is available after completing each one of the six sessions before September 30, 2019. Click here to access the sessions.
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NCEA Brief on Decision-Making Ability and Risk of Elder Mistreatment
The National Center on Elder Abuse has released a new Research to Practice brief entitled "Decision-Making Ability and Risk of Elder Mistreatment." The brief discusses how changes in brain, cognition and social functioning impact decision-making ability of older people and how impaired decision-making ability can lead to an increased risk of elder mistreatment. The brief provides information on what to do if you notice changes in an older person's decision-making ability and how to reduce risk of abuse and exploitation. Read the brief here.
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New Toolkit Helps Reframe Ageism Narrative
A coalition of eight aging organizations has developed a new toolkit designed to help aging advocates change the ageism narrative. "Gaining Momentum" seeks to reverse ageist assumptions about older adults and reframe the public view of elders. The toolkit provides reports and briefs on reframing aging and ageism as well as guides for reframing communications about ageing. Access the toolkit here.
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Spotlight on 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:
Abuse and Neglect - This fact sheet from Consumer Voice provides tips for identifying and reporting abuse and neglect.
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In this Issue
Webinar on Revised Federal Nursing Home Regulations - Part III
Tell Congress to Just Say No
AARP Issues Bulletin on Misuse of Antipyschotic Drugs
Materials Available from Webinar on LTCOP Rule - Complaint Investigations and Abuse Reporting
WEAAD "Finish the Sentence" Campaign
Nursing Home Trainings on Antibiotic Stewardship
NCEA Brief on Decision-Making Ability and Risk of Elder Mistreatment
New Toolkit Helps Reframe Ageism Narrative
Spotlight on Resources
Combined Federal Campaign
#10552
Thank you for your support!
Join the Resident's Voice Challenge!
For this year’s Resident’s Voice Challenge, residents and long-term care consumers are encouraged to display their writing or artistic skills by submitting essays, poems, artwork, drawings, or videos related to the theme for Residents' Rights Month 2017 "It’s All About Me: My Life, My Care, My Choices."
Find more information and prompt questions here. Submissions are due June 23, 2017.
Save the Date:
Consumer Voice 41st Annual Conference
November 5-8, 2017
Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
Arlington, Virginia
Calendar of Events
Tuesday, April 25: LTCOP Rule: Identifying and Addressing Individual Conflicts of Interest, 3:00pm ET, Part II of webinar series from NORC (Note: You only need to register once in order to attend both webinars.)
Thursday, April 27: A Deeper Dive into the Revised Federal Nursing Home Regulations - Part III, 2:00pm ET, Webinar from Consumer Voice, Justice in Aging and Center for Medicare Advocacy
November 5-8, 2017: Consumer Voice 41st Annual Conference, Arlington, VA
Join the conversation and follow us on social media!
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Tuesday, April 4:
Join us for Residents' Rights Month 2017!
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Thursday, April 4:
Join us in October for Residents' Rights Month! This year, we're focusing on respect and dignity of all residents.
Long-Term Care Resources & News
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