August 18, 2020

In this Issue:

1. CMS Resumes Routine Inspections for Nursing Homes
   
2. Facebook Live Tomorrow: Keeping Families Together/Bringing A Loved One Home
   
3. New Consumer Resources on Avoiding Drugs as Chemical Restraints
   
4. How to Participate in the Postcard Artwork Contest, Resident's Voice Challenge
   
5. New Film Raises Awareness About Resident-to-Resident Incidents
   

CMS Resumes Routine Inspections for Nursing Homes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a memo yesterday stating that they are resuming routine inspections for all Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home providers.  In response to COVID-19, CMS had suspended some routine inspections in order to prioritize infection control and Immediate Jeopardy.  The memo provides guidance to State Survey Agencies on resolving enforcement cases that were being held during the prioritization period.  It also provides information on revised survey prioritization.

Facebook Live Tomorrow: Keeping Families Together/Bringing a Loved One Home

Many families find themselves making difficult decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these decisions involve substantially changing their own living arrangements. In some cases, financial necessity may lead adult children to consider moving back home with their aging parents. In other situations, families may be struggling to decide if they should bring their loved one home from a nursing home. In both situations, there is a lot to consider. Is your family ready to set the boundaries necessary to live together in a multigenerational setting? If you are bringing your loved one home from a nursing home, is your home equipped and are you able to provide the level of care required for your family member? Have you considered the financial implications?

Join our conversation tomorrow at 2:00pm ET with Julie Schoen, Co-Director at the National Center on Elder Abuse, as we examine factors and implications these decisions will have on your family and insight on how to plan for these situations, and what you should be considering as you move forward.

Watch on Facebook Live! - Visit our Facebook page - facebook.com/theconsumervoice - at 2pm ET on August 19 to watch the discussion from there!

Let us know you'll be watching - RSVP to the discussion on Facebook and share with your family members and friends!

Don't have a Facebook? Register and watch the discussion on Zoom.

New Consumer Resources on Avoiding Drugs as Chemical Restraints
New resources are available as part of Consumer Voice's consumer education campaign - Avoiding Drugs as Chemical Restraints.

Avoiding Drugs as Chemical Restraints Fact Sheet
Everyone who enters a nursing home has a right to individualized, person-centered care. Some nursing facilities, however, are giving residents antipsychotic drugs, not to treat a medical diagnosis, such as Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder, but rather to control the resident’s behavior or for the staff’s convenience. When used this way, as a chemical restraint, these drugs pose special risks for older people and increase the risk of death in persons with dementia.

This fact sheet can be shared with consumers and family members to raise awareness about the signs of someone at risk for chemical restraints, sights that a resident may have been chemically restrained, resident rights, and what to do if you are concerned.

Know Your Drugs & Know Your Rights Pocket Guide
These consumer-friendly pocket guides provide a list of questions family members or residents can ask their care provider about medications that have been prescribed to them. The pocket guide also includes commonly used antipsychotic drugs that are often used as chemical restraints.
These expandable cards are sturdy and fit easily into wallets. You can purchase hard copies of the cards in the Consumer Voice store or view a PDF of the cards for free.

Pursuing Quality Long-Term Care Podcast
Join us as we talk with national experts and advocates about strategies you can use in the pursuit of quality long-term care.

The podcast is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, and on our website as a video recording. Each podcast is recorded live on Facebook.

See these resources and more on our website.

How to Participate in the Postcard Artwork Contest, Resident's Voice Challenge

1. Create Your Artwork

Residents of long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living, and independent living, and individuals receiving long-term services in their home or community are invited to create a piece of original artwork reflecting on this year's Residents' Rights Month theme, "Connection Matters."

Artwork can include original paintings, sketches, drawings or original photos.

2. Submit Your Artwork by September 1, 2020

Before submitting, be sure to read the full guidelines.

Email: info@theconsumervoice.org
Mail: 1001 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste. 632, Washington, DC 20036

If submitting by email, take a high-resolution photo and send it as an attachment. If any resident/consumer appears in the photo, they must complete the release form found on the Consumer Voice website. If submitting by mail, send your artwork in a sturdy envelope or mailing tube.

3. Artwork Selection

Consumer Voice will select some resident artwork to be featured on the Consumer Voice website and on postcards available in the Consumer Voice online store.

Contest participants will be notified if their artwork has been selected. Individuals whose artwork is selected will receive a set of postcards.

Questions? Email info@theconsumervoice.org

The Postcard Artwork Contest is a part of the 2020 Resident's Voice Challenge. The Challenge is an opportunity for individuals receiving long-term care to reflect on this year's Residents' Rights Month theme, Connection Matters.

Would you rather respond to the Challenge using a different medium? We also accept Resident's Voice Challenge entries in the form of essays, poems, word collages, songs, and videos reflecting on this year's theme.  See some of the entries we've already received.

Find more information about Residents' Rights Month, including full Challenge guidelines, at theconsumervoice.org/events/2020-residents-rights-month/residents-voice-challenge

New Film Raises Awareness About Resident-to-Resident Incidents
Terra Nova Films has produced a new film - Fighting for Dignity, directed by Eilon Caspi and Judy Berry - on resident-to-resident mistreatment in long-term care settings.  The film follows the experiences of three families whose loved ones were phsycially or sexually harmed in resident-to-resident incidents.  The film was created to raise policy makers' awareness of this issue and introduce a framework in order to recognize the consequences of these incidents, improve the safety of residents of long-term care, and offer a response to these incidents.  The film is accompanied by Powerpoint slides.  Learn more and watch the film on Terra Nova's website. Read the review in The Gerontologist.