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April 5, 2022
In this Issue:
- Consumer Voice Emphasizes Resident Experience During Meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary
- New Podcast Episode: A Deeper Look at Nursing Home Reforms
- Residents' Rights Month 2022: Inspiring Unity within Our Community
- Materials Available from Technical Assistance Talk on Resident Councils
- ACL Celebrating 10 Years
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Consumer Voice Emphasizes Resident Experience During Meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary
Consumer Voice Executive Director Lori Smetanka attended a roundtable discussion with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and other consumer advocacy and provider groups last week. The meeting centered around implementing key nursing home reform measures within a year. The reforms were announced by the Biden Administration in February. Secretary Becerra emphasized during the meeting that the Administration was serious about pursuing the reforms. Staffing and transparency issues took centerstage during the discussion. Consumer Voice's Lori Smetanka emphasized the resident experience and resident care during her remarks.
For more information, read the article in McKnight's.
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New Podcast Episode: A Deeper Look at Nursing Home Reforms
A new episode of the Pursuing Quality Long-Term Care podcast is available. In this episode, we take a deeper look at the Biden Administration's nursing home reforms, announced on February 28, 2022. These reforms include the most significant improvements to nursing homes in decades. Consumer Voice's Sam Brooks and Jocelyn Bogdan break down the five categories of the reforms and explain why these reforms are so important for nursing home residents.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and our website.
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Residents' Rights Month 2022: Inspiring Unity within Our Community
 October is Residents’ Rights Month, an annual event designated by Consumer Voice to honor residents living in all long-term care facilities and those receiving care in their home or community. It is an opportunity to focus on and celebrate the dignity and rights of every individual receiving long-term services and supports.
Being a part of a community is essential to our well-being. Throughout the pandemic, residents of long-term care facilities were disconnected from the resident and staff communities within their facilities when activities and group dining were limited. Residents were also disconnected from the broader local community when visitation was restricted, and many residents were unable to leave their facilities to participate in outside activities. This year's Residents’ Rights Month theme - Inspiring Unity within Our Community - emphasizes the importance of fostering meaningful community within the facility and encouraging residents’ connection to their local community.
Visit our Residents' Rights Month webpage for promotional materials. Check back often as the page will continue to be updated with resources and activities.
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CMS Announces New Funding to Expand HCBS Through Money Follows the Person
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced more than $110 million to expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) through Medicaid's Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. First authorized in 2005, MFP has provided states with $4.06 billion to support people who choose to transition out of institutions and back into their homes and communities. The new funding makes individual awards of up to $5 million available for more than 20 states and territories not currently participating in MFP. These funds will support initial planning and implementation to get the state/territory programs off the ground, which would ensure more people with Medicaid can receive high-quality, cost-effective, person-centered services in a setting they choose.
Read the press release.
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Materials Available from Technical Assistance Talk on Resident Councils
The recording and materials are available from the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) Technical Assistance (TA) Talk on resident councils. To increase direct access to TA and peer support, NORC hosts quarterly live technical assistance dialogues. Speakers on March 30th included Stephanie Wheeler, Alaska State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; Patty Ducayet, Texas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; and Melissa Tye Whitaker, Managing Local Ombudsman, Amarillo, Texas.
Get the materials.
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ACL Celebrating 10 Years
Save the date for Tuesday, April 26th at 2:00pm ET for a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Administration for Community Living (ACL). The event will celebrate the last decade's achievements, explore current opportunities and what ACL is doing to take advantage of them, and will look ahead at what's needed to achieve ACL's vision: community living as the expectation for all people, true inclusion and integration of older adults and people with disabilities in our communities, and the aging and disability networks working together to advance both.
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