January 12, 2021

In this Issue:

1. CDC Toolkit for Long-Term Care Facilities on COVID-19 Vaccinations; Answers to Common Questions from Residents, Family, and Staff
   
2. CMS Revises Guidance About Infection Control Surveys
   
3. Lawsuit Alleges New Hampshire Denying Home and Community-Based Care to Older Adults and Individuals with Disabilities
   
4. Elder Justice Network Locator Map Includes Elder Abuse Teams Nationwide
   
5. New Consumer Voice Governing Board and Leadership Council Members
   

CDC Toolkit for Long-Term Care Facilities on COVID-19 Vaccinations; Answers to Common Questions from Residents, Family, and Staff

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created a toolkit for long-term care facilities about the COVID-19 vaccine.  This toolkit provides long-term care facility administrators and clinical leadership with information and resources to help build vaccine confidence among healthcare personnel and residents. The toolkit provides information on preparing staff and residents for COVID-19 vaccinations, information on vaccine safety monitoring, tracking, and reporting in facilities, FAQs about COVID-19 vaccination in long-term care facilities, and additional resources for facilities.  The CDC highlights long-term care facilities' roles in providing trusted information and ensuring high COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the facility's area.

The CDC also created fact sheets answering common questions about COVID-19 vaccines for long-term care residents and their loved ones and for long-term care facility staff.

Find the toolkit and fact sheets on the CDC's website.

CMS Revises Guidance About Infection Control Surveys

On January 4, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revised a June 1, 2020 memo to State Survey Agency Directors regarding survey activities and issued a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the resumption of survey activities (QSO-20-31-ALL). There are two major changes in the memo. The first is revision of the criteria triggering Focused Infection Control (FIC) surveys. The second is that during any FIC survey, surveyors must look into situations where residents have experienced a significant decline.

Read Consumer Voice's summary of the revised guidance on our website.

Lawsuit Alleges New Hampshire Denying Home and Community-Based Care to Older Adults and Individuals with Disabilities
In New Hampshire, a lawsuit was filed alleging that the state has failed to properly administer its Choices for Independence (CFI) Medicaid waiver to older adults and persons with disabilities.  New Hampshire Legal Assistance, Disability Rights Center – New Hampshire, AARP Foundation, and the Manchester office of Nixon Peabody LLP represent older adults and persons with disabilities enrolled in the CFI program who filed a lawsuit in federal court yesterday on behalf of themselves and other CFI participants. The suit alleges that New Hampshire’s failure to deliver CFI services places the individuals at risk of unnecessary and dangerous institutionalization in nursing facilities.

New Hampshire’s CFI Waiver is designed to provide assistance to qualified people who choose to continue living in their homes and to avoid the need for nursing facility placements. However, the lawsuit alleges, the state is currently operating the CFI program in a manner that systematically deprives CFI participants of the home and community-based care that they are entitled to under the provisions of the waiver program.

For more information, read the press release from AARP New Hampshire.

Elder Justice Network Locator Map Includes Elder Abuse Teams Nationwide

The Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative includes 300 elder abuse teams on its Elder Justice Network Locator map.  The Elder Justice Initiative is promoting The Elder Justice Network Locator Map in an effort to shine a light on elder justice teams across the country and foster collaboration. Networks interested in being included in the Locator may submit their network name, type of network (MDT, FAST, Task Force, etc.), address, phone number, web and/or email address to Talitha.J.Guinn-Shaver@usdoj.gov.

See the Elder Justice Network Locator Map.

New Consumer Voice Governing Board and Leadership Council Members
Consumer Voice is pleased to announce new members of our Governing Board and Leadership Council. Each member serves for three years.

We welcome new members to the Governing Board:

Michael Bonamarte
Levin & Perconti
Chicago, IL

Cristina Flores
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA

Cynthia Rudder
Policy Expert and Consultant
New York, NY

Lori Walsh
CARIE
Philadelphia, PA

See the full Consumer Voice Governing Board.

We welcome new members to the Leadership Council:

Katharine Bradley
Our Mother's Voice
Lugoff, SC

Stephanie Curtis
Long-term care consumer
Minnesota

Jamie Freschi
Fresch Start Consulting
Paris, TN

Dakima Jackson
Michigan Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Lansing, MI

Bill Lamb
Friends of Residents in Long Term Care
Raleigh, NC

Gwen Orlowski
Disability Rights New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ

See the full Leadership Council.