Join us at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, California, September 23-26, 2024 for our 48th Annual Conference!
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Learn, Connect & Collaborate
This year’s theme, The Power of Together, highlights the strength and effectiveness that can result from collaboration, unity, and working collectively to improve care and conditions for long-term care consumers.
Connect with advocates from across the country to learn, network, and exchange ideas on long-term care issues, including current trends, best practices, and advocacy opportunities. By joining forces and combining the efforts of individuals and groups, our impact will result in achieving a higher quality of life for all long-term care residents.
Agenda & Sessions
Our exciting four-day agenda includes pre-conference meetings, networking receptions, can’t-miss plenaries, breakout sessions, optional intensives, and roundtable discussions.
Thursday Intensives
In-person attendees have the option to attend intensives, Thursday, September 26th from 9:00am-12:00pm. These 3-hour intensives, available for an extra charge, dive deeper into some of the most crucial long-term care issues, presented by experts in the field. The sessions will allow in-person participants to fully engage in skill building, group discussions, and practical exercises. Two topics are available:
Winning Strategies for Common Nursing Facility Problems – Eric Carlson and Gelila Selassie from Justice in Aging will lead a session focusing on the common problems that every resident and advocate have seen. Evictions. Meaningless care plans. Hospital dumping. Overuse of psychotropic medication. Unfair admission agreements. And the list goes on, unfortunately. For each problem, the session will explain the relevant law and explore advocacy strategies. The session will include role playing scenarios so that attendees are better able to recognize how these situations arise in their own work, and be better equipped to push back against a facility’s entrenched practices.
The Good, the Bad and the…WHAT? Volunteer Management for Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs – This 3-hour intensive, presented by State Ombudsmen and Ombudsman representatives from Alaska, Texas, and Pennsylvania, will provide an opportunity for Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs to concentrate on various aspects of volunteer management. This highly interactive session will cover topics such as the vetting process, realistic expectations of the job, and exploring why people leave the program. Participants will discuss recruitment ideas, consistent interaction and volunteer appreciation efforts.
Roundtable Discussions
Roundtable discussions, included free of charge with an in-person conference registration, provide participants with an opportunity to engage with other attendees regarding hot-button issues in long-term care. Roundtable discussions will occur during two one-hour sessions on Thursday morning – 9:00am – 10:00am and 10:30am – 11:30am. Participants can choose from the following topics:
- Advocating for financial transparency in nursing homes
- Strategies for promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in advocacy
- Celebrating state and federal advocacy initiatives
- Help us build a LTCOP playbook! Strategies for responding to common complaints
Virtual and Recorded Content
Not able to join us in-person? Don’t miss a minute of the conference. This year we are providing more access to the event than ever before with the option to participate online as we livestream all session content on Tuesday and Wednesday of the conference. Monday and Thursday programming is only available to in-person attendees.
Plus, recordings will be available to all registrants for 90 days after the conference. That is over 35 hours of content!
Conference Agenda
The agenda on Monday, September 23rd includes closed meetings. The conference kicks off at the Welcome Reception on that evening. Session programming on Tuesday and Wednesday is available to virtual attendees.
New State Ombudsman Orientation (Closed Meeting)
This is a closed meeting; only invited attendees may participate.
8:00 AM – 12:00 PMat Carmel I - 3rd floor
NASOP Meeting (Closed Meeting)
This is a closed meeting; only invited attendees may participate.
12:00 PM – 5:00 PMat Carmel II - 3rd floor
Consumer Voice Governing Board and Leadership Council Meetings (Closed Meetings)
This is a closed meeting; only members of the Consumer Voice Governing Board and Leadership Council may attend.
2:00 PM – 4:45 PMat Golden Gate Room - 25th floor
NALLTCO Meeting (Closed Meeting)
This is a closed meeting; only invited attendees may participate.
2:00 PM – 5:00 PMat Carmel II - 3rd floor
Consumer Voice Business and Membership Meeting (Open to all current Consumer Voice members)
All current Consumer Voice members are welcome to attend this meeting.
5:00 PM – 6:00 PMat Golden Gate Room - 25th floor
Welcome Reception
All attendees are invited to join us for networking and light hors d'oeuvres.
7:00 PM – 9:00 PMat 3rd Floor Foyer
Registration Open
Stop by the registration desk on the 3rd floor to check-in, pick up your name badge, and ask Consumer Voice staff any questions.
8:00 AM – 5:00 PMat 3rd Floor Foyer
Opening Remarks & Plenary
HYBRID
8:30 AM – 10:30 AMat Nikko Ballroom - 3rd floor
Coffee Break
IN-PERSON ONLY
10:30 AM – 11:00 AMat 3rd Floor Foyer
US Nursing Home Finances: Spending, Profitability and Capital Structure Creating Change Across Generations
11:00 AM – 12:15 PMat Nikko Ballroom - 3rd floor
For decades, the nursing home industry has argued that it cannot hire more staff and provide better care because funding is insufficient. This session will present the results of a study that reviewed, for the first time, the annual financial filings of U.S. nursing homes. Our findings indicate t...
State-Level Initiatives to Improve Nursing Home Workforce Standards
11:00 AM – 12:15 PMat Carmel - 3rd floor
Policy experts from SEIU local unions describe and discuss recent innovative state-level initiatives that support the nursing home workforce and thereby improve quality of life for residents. The initiatives will include: 1) California legislation that ties payments to workforce standards and qua...
Ableism in Nursing Homes: What Do Disabled Residents Really Want
11:00 AM – 12:15 PMat Monterey I - 3rd floor
Hear directly from nursing home residents and disability leaders about ableism in nursing homes. Our session will explain how ableism has interacted with racism and classism in the development of nursing facilities. We will analyze critical moments in nursing home history, including the Olmstead ...
The Right to Live in the Community is a Civil Right
11:00 AM – 12:15 PMat Golden Gate Room - 25th floor
Many nursing facility residents want to and can live in their own communities with the same services and supports that they can receive in nursing facilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that states provide their programs and services in the most integrated settings and that mean...
Supporting LGBTQ+ Residents Through Volunteer Engagement
11:00 AM – 12:15 PMat Peninsula - 25th floor
Culturally responsive care within long-term care facilities is necessary to advance the needs and wishes of LGBTQ+ residents, including freedom from maltreatment. Volunteerism among diverse communities is vital to these objectives. SAGE and the National Center on Elder Abuse have developed a Volu...
Lunch on Your Own
IN-PERSON ONLY
12:15 PM – 1:45 PM
Looking Local: How St. Louis Created a LTC Taskforce and Tackled a Crisis
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM at Nikko Ballroom - 3rd floor
After the pandemic, St. Louis, fed up with poor care and short staffing, took action. With power players like SEIU and VOYCE, they formed a special aldermanic committee to overhaul the system. But as progress was in sight, Northview Village Nursing Home abruptly closed, displacing residents and s...
New Enforcement Approaches to Addressing Resident Harm Caused by Healthcare Fraud
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM at Carmel - 3rd floor
This presentation will discuss civil and criminal enforcement tools used by federal and state prosecutors to pursue healthcare fraud as well as innovative approaches to assure that patients and residents are not at continued risk of harm as part of a resolution of a healthcare fraud prosecution. ...
You Have to Be an Advocate! A Case Study of Family Council Advocacy
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM at Monterey I - 3rd floor
This session will discuss how family caregivers can be advocates for their loved ones, particularly in care settings. Strategies include having an active Family...
Long-Term Care Services Under Managed Care Plans: Opportunities for Improved Care and Resident Rights Pitfalls
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM at Peninsula - 25th floor
California has shifted responsibility for Medi-Cal beneficiaries in long term care to managed care plans, creating new opportunities for skilled nursing residents on Medicaid to access services often not provided by facilities, such as therapy and transportation. At the same time, skilled nursing...
LTC Ombudsman Program Management and Advocacy Through a DEIA Lens: Getting Started
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM at Peninsula - 25th floor
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are essential components for creating a foundation that ensures fair treatment and full participation of ...
Practical Strategies for Managing Behavioral Health Needs of Nursing Home Residents
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM at Nikko Ballroom - 3rd floor
Residents with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders continue to be admitted to nursing homes, yet staff often lack skills and confidence in meeting their needs. Ombudsmen are often called on by facility staff for input. This session will share strategies for effective assessment a...
Deer in the Headlights or Resident Advocate? Educating Law Enforcement About Residents’ Rights, Challenges, and Needs
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM at Carmel - 3rd floor
This presentation will discuss civil and criminal enforcement tools used by federal and state prosecutors to pursue healthcare fraud as well as innovative approaches to assure that patients and residents are not at continued risk of harm as part of a resolution of a healthcare fraud prosecution. ...
Evaluating Innovation in Nursing Home Systems to End Institutionalization: The EINSTEIN Option
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM at Monterey I - 3rd floor
The nursing home sector needs actionable, evidence-based solutions to become a top-quality model of person-centered residential long-term care
Tale of a Vulnerable Adult Task Force
3:30 PM – 4:45 PM at Golden Gate Room - 25th floor
For anyone who ever wished upon a state agency, the ultimate supergroup is joining forces to fight the maltreatment of vulnerable adults in long-term care settings. Learn how with coordinated efforts and unannounced well-planned joint visits, bad guys don’t stand a chance against this trife...
Resident Councils in LTC Facilities – Support & Advocacy!
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM at Peninsula - 25th floor
Join us to learn about resident councils in long term care facilities, and how these can be supported and promoted to engage residents and foster advocacy efforts! We will explore a recently developed Resident Council Toolkit that includes brief videos and is available online at no charge. An int...
Evening Event
IN-PERSON ONLY
7:00 PM – 10:30 PM at Nikko Ballroom - 3rd floor
Registration Open
IN-PERSON ONLY
8:00 AM – 5:30 PM at 3rd Floor Foyer
Plenary
HYBRID
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM at Nikko Ballroom - 3rd floor
Coffee Break
IN-PERSON ONLY
10:30 AM – 10:30 AM at 3rd Floor Foyer
Healthcare Decision-Making for Unrepresented Residents: Balancing Constitutional Rights with Practical Considerations
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM at Carmel - 3rd floor
Tens of thousands of nursing home residents are "unrepresented," meaning they lack the capacity for decision-making and have no representative/surrogate to provide informed consent for health care decisions. And yet, decisions are made for them routinely, often illegally. This session will explor...
Making the Road by Walking; How Elevating and Centering LTC Residents’ Voices Can Transform LTC Advocacy
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM at Monterey I - 3rd floor
In this session, New Jersey nursing home residents and the NJ LTCO Director of Community Engagement will describe New Jersey’s journey to truly elevate and center nursing home residents in LTC advocacy and teach you how you can begin to incorporate these community engagement/grassroots orga...
Protecting and Enforcing the Legal Rights of Nursing Facility Residents
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM at Golden Gate Room - 25th floor
The workshop will teach the audience how to use advocacy and litigation to enforce a resident’s rights under federal and state laws. The basis of the workshop will be case studies focused on four resident’s rights: (1) the right to be free of neglect, (2) the right to be free of chemi...
The Impact of COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: A Series of Evaluations by HHS-OIG
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM at Peninsula - 25th floor
COVID-19 was devastating for nursing home residents and highlighted longstanding issues with staffing and infection control in nursing homes. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) cond...
Luncheon
Virtual Attendees: Session will begin live streaming at 12:45pm
12:00 PM – 2:15 PM at Nikko Ballroom - 3rd floor
Emerging Advocacy in Medicaid-Funded Assisted Living
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM at Carmel - 3rd floor
Medicaid assisted living policy is, well, a mess – an odd combination of Medicaid HCBS funding, nascent federal regulations, poorly verified state promises, and federal and state agencies unprepared to meaningfully address relevant issues. The session will include emerging federal advocacy,...
Cleaning House: How Nursing Home Advocates Can Work Collaboratively with State Medicaid Oversight Agencies
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM at Carmel - 3rd floor
This session will explore how nursing home advocates, including state Long Term Care Ombudsmen (LTCOs), can collaborate with their state Medicaid oversight agencies to improve quality of care and combat fraud, waste, and abuse in nursing homes. In New Jersey, the State Long Term Care Ombudsman an...
Demystifying the Scary Subpoena and Other Court Encounters for Ombudsman Programs
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM at Golden Gate Room - 25th floor
Have you ever gotten a subpoena and panicked? Have you been asked to testify at a hearing and gotten cold sweats? Long Term Care Ombudsman are often asked to engage in advocacy for residents that crosses into the realm of legal practice, which can be uncomfortable and confusing. This session is a...
Building Community – What Is Person-Directed Living
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM at Peninsula - 25th floor
Join spirited and passionate change-makers dedicated to improving the culture of long-term care homes and building community. Learn how to start a culture change movement in your state or even in one home. We will be discussing the artifacts of culture change and how to empower residents. We will...
Registration Open
IN-PERSON ONLY
8:30 AM – 12:00 PM at 3rd Floor Foyer
Intensive - The Good, the Bad, and the... WHAT? Volunteer Management for Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Peninsula - 25th floor
This 3-hour intensive, presented by State Ombudsmen and Ombudsman representatives from Alaska, Texas, and Pennsylvania, will provide an opportunity for Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs to concentrate on various aspects of volunteer management. This highly interactive session will cover topics su...
Intensive - Winning Strategies in Common Nursing Facility Problems
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Golden Gate Room - 25th floor
This session will focus on the common problems that every resident and advocate has seen. Evictions. Meaningless care plans. Hospital dumping. Overuse of psychotropic medication. Unfair admission agreements. And the list goes on, unfortunately. For each problem, the session will explain the relev...
Roundtable - Advocating for financial transparency in nursing homes
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM at Carmel - 3rd floor
Roundtable discussions, open to all in-person registrants, provide participants with an opportunity to engage with other attendees regarding hot-button issues in long-term care.
The discussion in the Carmel room at 9am will focus on: advocating for financial transparency in nursing h...
Roundtable - Help Us Build a LTCOP Playbook! Strategies for responding to common complaints
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM at Monterey I - 3rd floor
Roundtable discussions, open to all in-person registrants, provide participants with an opportunity to engage with other attendees regarding hot-button issues in long-term care.
The discussion in the Monterey I room at 9am will focus on: building a long-term care Ombudsman program pl...
Roundtable - Strategies for promoting diversity, equity, inclusiveness, and accessibility in advocacy
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM at Carmel - 3rd floor
Roundtable discussions, open to all in-person registrants, provide participants with an opportunity to engage with other attendees regarding hot-button issues in long-term care.
The discussion in the Carmel room at 10:30am will focus on: strategies for promoting diversity, equity, in...
Roundtable - Celebrating state and federal advocacy initiatives
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM at Monterey I - 3rd floor
Roundtable discussions, open to all in-person registrants, provide participants with an opportunity to engage with other attendees regarding hot-button issues in long-term care.
The discussion in the Carmel room at 10:30am will focus on: strategies for promoting diversity, equity, in...
Hotel Nikko
222 Mason St San Francisco, California, 94102
Join us at Hotel Nikko, a 2023 TripAdvisor “Travelers Choice Hotel.” The Japanese-inspired luxury hotel is perfectly situated in the heart of San Francisco. Boasting a walk score of 100, Hotel Nikko is just steps from Union Square shops and restaurants and walking distance to North America’s first and largest Chinatown. The hotel is known for its upscale atmosphere and luxury onsite amenities like its impressive glass-enclosed pool, rooftop terrace, comfortable lobby and meetings spaces, and culinary gem, Restaurant Anzu.
A room block has been reserved at the hotel with a room rate of $239/night plus taxes and fees (the hotel’s resort fee is waived for all rooms reserved in our block). Rooms are available in the block through August 31, 2024 or when the room block is full, whichever happens first.
We recommend you reserve your room as soon as possible.
Join Us in San Francisco
Iconic sites and world-class culture, join us in the City by the Bay.
It may measure less than 50 square miles and have a population that doesn’t even crack a million, but San Francisco justly ranks as one of the greatest cities in the world. Famous for grand-dame Victorians, cable cars, a dynamic waterfront, and a soaring golden bridge, this city truly has it all.
THINGS TO DO
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Trend-defining cuisine ranging from Michelin-starred dining to outrageous food trucks.
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World-renowned symphony, ballet, theater, and opera. Boundless outdoor adventures.
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San Francisco justifiably stands out as one of the ultimate must-visit cities on any traveler’s wish list, and September is widely regarded as the best time of year for a visit.
DIAMOND
PEARL
EMERALD
SAPPHIRE
RUBY
Discounts for Members and Groups
Individuals receiving long-term care are eligible for free registration. Email info@theconsumervoice.org for more information.
Discount for Consumer Voice Members
Consumer Voice Members are able to register for the conference at a reduced rate.
If you are an active member, simply choose the Consumer Voice Member ticket type on the registration form.
If you would like to add or renew your membership at the time of registration, choose the Consumer Voice Member ticket type then add-on a membership.
If you are unsure about your membership status, email csteier@theconsumervoice.org before registering.
Discount for Groups of 5+
Groups of 5 or more individuals are able to register for the conference at a reduced rate. To register as a group, email the names of the individuals in your group to csteier@theconsumervoice.org before registering.
FAQs
How much of the conference is available to virtual attendees?
All plenaries and breakout sessions on Tuesday, September 24th and Wednesday, September 25th will be livestreamed and recorded. Conference events on Monday and Thursday are available to in-person attendees only.
Will sessions be recorded?
All plenaries and breakout sessions will be livestreamed and recorded. All conference attendees can watch recordings for 90 days after the conference.
How do I participate in the conference virtually?
Virtual registrants will receive instructions for how to log into the virtual conference platform, Whova, via email prior to the conference.
When is the first event of the conference?
Closed pre-conference meetings begin Monday, September 23rd. All in-person attendees are invited to attend the Welcome Reception on the evening of Monday, September 23rd. For virtual attendees, livestreaming begins on Tuesday, September 24th.
Can I pay by check?
Yes. Register online and select the option to pay via invoice. You will be emailed an invoice, and payment can be made by mailed checks. Checks can be made out to Consumer Voice and mailed to 1025 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste. 1000, Washington, DC 20036. Payment must be received before the first day of the conference.
How do I cancel my registration?
All cancellation requests for registration must be made in writing to aona@theconsumervoice.org. The cancellation policy applies to all cancellation requests, regardless of the reason for the request. A refund, minus a $100.00 processing fee, will be made for each request dated prior to September 13, 2024. No refunds will be issued after September 13th.
What are other conference policies?
View conference policies regarding payments, virtual attendance, cancellations and refunds, and use of photos and recordings.
