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May 9, 2023
In this Issue:
- 80% of Voters Support Minimum Staffing Standards in Nursing Homes
- Updated Nursing Home Visitation Guidance from CMS
- New Podcast Episode on Long-Term Care Facilities that Weathered the Storm of COVID-19 and the Staffing Crises
- CFPB Webinar Series on Building Elder Fraud Prevention and Abuse Networks
- Remembering Vic Rosenthal
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80% of Voters Support Minimum Staffing Standards in Nursing Homes
According to a recent poll, 80% of U.S. registered voters supported candidates who support requiring minimum staffing standards in nursing homes. Eighty-nine percent of Democrats and 74% of Republicans said they were more likely to vote for candidates who backed minimum staffing standards. The poll conducted by Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research and released by AARP also found wide support for candidates who back proposals that support family caregivers and help seniors live in their own homes. Seventy-eight percent of voters are current, past, or future family caregivers, and over 70% of voters across the political spectrum said they would be more likely to support a candidate who backed proposals for family caregivers such as a tax credit or paid family leave. Eighty-nine percent of Democrats and 72% of Replublicans support expanding services to help seniors stay out of the nursing home by living at home
Read the Study
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Updated Nursing Home Visitation Guidance from CMS
On May 8, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released updated nursing home visition guidance. The guidance notes that while the Public Health Emergency (PHE) is ending on May 11, 2023, CMS still expects all nursing homes to adhere to infection control procedures.
Additional updates include:
- Facilities should post visual alerts in the facility alerting the public to infection control procedures and practices.
- Indoor visitation should occur in the residents room during a COVID-19 outbreak.
- Facilities must continue to follow CDC recommendations regarding infection control procedures.
Importantly, the guidance continues to state there are no current COVID-19 scernarios that would permit a facility to prohibit a resident to have visitors at anytime.
Additionally, on May 11, 2023, the COVID-19 outbreak testing requirement will no longer be in effect. Under that guidance, facilities were required to follow a certain testing protocol when a COVID-19 outbreak occurred. The updated guidance requires nursing homes to conduct COVID-19 testing in compliance with CDC recommendations.
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New Podcast Episode on Long-Term Care Facilities Weathered the Storm of COVID-19 and the Staffing Crises
A new episode of the Pursuing Quality Long-Term Care podcast is available on Sharing Lessons from Successes: Long-Term Care Facilities that Weathered the Storm of COVID-19 and the Staffing Crises. In this episode of the podcast, Consumer Voice Executive Director, Lori Smetanka, talks with David Farrell, a licensed nursing home administrator who has spent his entire career in the long-term care profession, about the long-term care facilities that had better outcomes than their peers, or as David notes, facilities that “weathered the storm of COVID-19 and staffing crises.”
David and his colleagues did a deep dive into those facilities that were outliers or stood out from their peers with regard to COVID-19 infections and staffing shortages, to try to determine what was happening that we could learn from, and hopefully replicate.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Facebook or our website.
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CFPB Webinar Series on Building Elder Fraud Prevention and Response Networks
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is observing Older Americans Month by offering a series of four webinars on building elder fraud prevention and response networks.
- How to Plan an Elder Justice Network Convening; May 10, 2:00 – 3:30 ET
- Who’s Who in Elder Justice Networks; May 17, 2:00 – 3:30 ET
- Age-Friendly Banking and Opportunities for Collaboration; May 24, 2:00 – 3:15 ET.
- Financial Caregiving and Long-Term Services and Supports; June 1, 2:00 – 3:15 ET
Register Now
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Remembering Vic Rosenthal
Consumer Voice is saddened by the passing of former Consumer Voice (formerly NCCNHR) Board Member Vic Rosenthal. Vic started his career as a VISTA volunteer tasked to organize a local ombudsman program in Ohio. Vic moved to NYC where he was the lead staff for the Coalition of Institutionalized Aged and Disabled (CIAD), a resident group. Geoff Lieberman, who worked with him at CIAD and then became CIAD’s leader said, “Vic started out with a fiery idealism, a relentless sense of purpose, and a gift for inspiring and empowering people. We are lucky he never changed. Those qualities remained with him to the very end of a storied career.”
Vic always ensured that residents’ voices were front and center. He helped residents organize resident councils, city and state-wide conferences, and testify before the state legislature. This led to several important achievements by and for residents, including an increase in residents’ Personal Needs Allowance and stronger resident rights protections. Many CIAD residents have served on Consumer Voice's Board over several decades. He participated in the project on the Consumer Perspective on Quality Care, leading New York residents in sharing their point of view, with the Institute of Medicine, as the groundwork for the Nursing Home Reform Law’s emphasis on residents’ rights and quality of life.
NCCNHR founder Elma Holder said, "Vic was so special in many ways. But, one thing is true, his contributions to NCCNHR, are immeasurable. He enriched our organization from the day he started bringing residents to our annual meetings. He skillfully shared, nurtured and promoted the New York residents so that they, and other strong resident groups from Minnesota and Washington became our solid power base. People could count on our advocacy messages and policies because of the residents home with us. Vic was a stellar advocate on our Board Directors for several years.” He was a roll-up-his-sleeves Board Member, stuffing envelopes, organizing groups to spend thousands on a t-shirt at the auction, making sure residents always had a seat at the table and a microphone available.
Vic moved to Minnesota where he worked with the MN Board on Aging to enact legislation for people to have their end of life wishes honored. He then led the MN Senior Federation, and then Jewish Community Action, a social justice advocacy organization. Most recently Vic developed a multicultural coalition of aging communities to provide input on services to seniors. He is survived by his wife Chris, sons Ben (Megan) and Aaron (Florencia) and two grandchildren, Harper and Henry.
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