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January 30, 2024
In this Issue:
- ACL Names New Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging
- Materials Available from Webinar on Using Data to Protect Nursing Home Residents
- Resource Highlight: Nursing Home Discharges Fact Sheet
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ACL Names New Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has named Kari Benson as the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging. Edwin Walker previously held this position and will remain as a senior advisor to assist the transition until he retires in March. Edwin has been a steadfast advocate for older Americans for more than 30 years. In 2023, he received the Cernoria Johnson Memorial Advocacy Award from Consumer Voice for his exemplary work.
Kari Benson has spent her career working in the aging network. She has previously worked in several roles within the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA), including managing the Older Americans Act senior nutrition and healthy aging programs, coordinating the state plan on aging, and overseeing HCBS quality improvement and assurance initiatives. In 2016, Kari became the director the the DHS Aging and Adult Services Division and Executive Director of the MBA. In these roles, she oversaw federal-and state-funded HCBS and Older Americans Act programs including the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
For more information from Edwin and Kari, read ACL's blog post.
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Materials Available from Webinar on Using Data to Protect Nursing Home Residents
Too often state and federal regulators fail to use data to protect nursing home residents from poor care and unscrupulous providers. From ownership, to staffing, to finances, regulators sit upon a trove of nursing home data that could be used to not only hold facilities accountable for poor care, but also help prevent catastrophic harm before it happens. During this webinar, experts discussed the various data sources that can be used proactively to help protect residents.
Watch the recording and get materials.
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Resource Highlight: Nursing Home Discharges Fact Sheet
 Federal laws and regulations provide protections from inappropriate discharge for nursing home residents. These protections are important because discharges that violate residents’ rights can be unsafe, harmful, and traumatic. View and share our fact sheet, created in conjunction with the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC), for information about residents' rights and how to resolve involuntary discharges successfully.
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