2010 Consumer Voice Annual Conference & Meeting

8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

New State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Orientation  (By Invitation Only)

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

NASOP Meeting (By Invitation Only)

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Registration

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

NASOP Meeting (Continued) (By Invitation Only)

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Citizen Advocacy Group (CAG) Meeting (By Invitation Only)

12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Pre-Conference Intensives

Empowered Decision Making for Those Without Capacity - Presenter: Viki Kind, Clincial Bioethicist, Kind Ethics

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• Helping Families/Caregivers Make the Difficult Decisions for Those Without Capacity PowerPoint, Viki Kind, Kind Ethics

When making decisions for those without capacity, how do we know what’s the right thing to do? Learn the decision-making pathway, tools and questions to use to give voice to those who cannot advocate for themselves. These tools can be used throughout organizations as standards for respecting and protecting diverse residents. This is not a one-size-fits-all solution but can be adapted based on a person’s level of incapacity and the situation. End-of-life decision making will also be addressed. Respect and compassion are the core values of  this process.

Financial Exploitation of Care Facility Residents: Tools for Prevention and Intervention - Iris Freeman, Adjunct Professor, Center for Elder Justice and Policy, William Mitchell College of Law

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• Identifying and Intervening in Financial Exploitation PowerPoint, Iris Freeman, Center for Elder Justice and Policy

This session presents a model protocol developed by the Center for Elder Justice and Policy in St. Paul, Minnesota, to help care facility staff prevent and detect financial exploitation of a resident and intervene effectively. Topics include behavioral definitions of exploitation, behavioral and environmental signs, strategies for prevention, action steps for facility staff, communication and documentation, working on financial issues with families and the roles and limitations of public agencies. This session is geared toward resident and family council leaders, administrative and social service staff in care facilities, long-term care ombudsmen and others working to combat elder financial exploitation.

3:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

First-Timers Orientation - Sponsored by the National Association of Local Long-Term Care Ombudsmen

4:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Welcome Remarks & Roll Call of States featuring Sarah F. Wells, Consumer Voice Executive Director, Norma H. Atteberry, Consumer Voice Governing Board President, and Robyn Grant, Consumer Voice Leadership Council Vice Chair

5:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Opening Plenary: Focus on Elder Justice: A Prosecutor’s Perspective on Building Partnerships to Stop Elder Abuse - Presenter: Paul Greenwood, LL.B, Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit, San Diego District Attorney's Office

One of the country’s leading prosecutors of elder abuse gives a passionate and practical overview of how to prosecute abuse of the elderly in long-term care. Paul Greenwood, LL.B, provides straightforward advice to ombudsmen and citizen advocates about overcoming barriers to partnering with law enforcement and tells how the Elder Justice Act will provide opportunities for research, advocacy and public education to aid prosecutors and advocates in addressing elder abuse.

Greenwood is a former English barrister and solicitor who has practiced law in England and the United States for more than 30 years. He moved to California in1991 and heads the Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit in the San Diego District Attorney’s Office — one of the few dedicated elder abuse units in the country. He has prosecuted more than 200 felony cases of physical and financial elder abuse, and he travels widely, educating the public to protect against elder abuse and training frontline law enforcers and prosecutors.

6:30 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.

Reception

7:15 p.m.

Dinner on Your Own

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Registration

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast & Group Meetings

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Plenary Session: Older Americans Act Reauthorization - Listening Session - Presenters: Joseph Rodrigues, California State LTC Ombudsman; President, National Association of State LTC Ombudsman Programs; Sara Clary, Director, Benefits Access Policy, National Council on Aging
Official Listeners: Debra Whitman, Staff Director, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging; Becky Kurtz, Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 2011 offers a prime opportunity to reshape and modernize aging services in this country. Since 1965, the Older Americans Act (OAA) has promoted the development of a comprehensive and coordinated service system which has contributed to enhancing the lives of older individuals, family caregivers and persons with disabilities. During this plenary session, Official Listeners from the Senate Special Committee on Aging and the Administration on Aging will share goals and processes related to Reauthorization including how advocates can be involved in the process. Panelists will share perspectives and recommendations. Following the panel recommendations, participants will be invited to present their views on the reauthorization of the OAA.

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Break

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

The Resident Wants Marlboros... Who Should I Listen To? Advocating for Residents With a Legal Representative - Presenters: Aubrey Posey, Legal Advocate, Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program; Lashea Heidelberg, District Ombudsman Manager, East Central Florida Ombudsman Program; Steven Hitchcock, Attorney, Karol, Hausman, Sosnik & Finchum LLP

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• The Resident Wants Marlboros... Who Should I Listen To? PowerPoint

When legal representatives are involved in a resident’s care, advocating for the resident’s choices and least restrictive alternatives can be difficult. Although state laws regarding guardianship, powers of attorney and other legal representatives vary, all of them share the concept of least restrictive alternatives and the necessity to promote the highest quality of care and life for the resident. This presentation will provide advocates working with residents tools to help them in promoting the residents’ retained rights while respecting the legal representative’s powers and duties.

Inappropriate Use of Anti-Psychotics in Nursing Homes: Issues and Advocacy - Presenters: Karlin Mbah, Advocate, FRIA: The Voice and Resource for Quality Long-Term Care; Richard Mollot, Executive Director, Long Term Care Community Coalition; Toby Edelman, Senior Policy Attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc.

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• Inappropriate Use of Anti-Psychotics in Nursing Homes: Issues and Advocacy PowerPoint, Karlin Mbah, The Voice and Resource for Quality Long-Term Care; Richard Mollot, Long Term Care Community Coalition; Toby Edelman, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc.

The off-label use of antipsychotic medications (such as Haldol, Zyprexa, Risperdal and Seroquel) in elderly nursing home residents with dementia is a national concern, with research showing that they are not only ineffective in this population but also can cause severe side effects or death. Several pharmaceutical companies have been prosecuted for illegal promotion of antipsychotics as chemical restraints, and some states have taken steps to curb misuse. The panel will discuss the abuse of antipsychotics and strategies to create awareness of the problem and prevent misuse.

Disaster Preparedness: Planning to Improve Outcomes - Presenter: Norma Atteberry, RN, BS, Consumer Voice Governing Board President

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• Disaster Preparedness PowerPoint, Norma Atteberry, RN, BS

This session will review disasters that can affect long-term care facilities and the possibility of increased morbidity and mortality associated with poor planning and the execution of a disaster plan. The workshop will cover planning for resident-specific needs during a disaster, critical parts of an effective disaster plan for a facility and working with the community and state as facilities stay in place, evacuate and recover. The workshop also will look at dealing with a disaster from the medical director, facility administrator and consumer perspective.

Cross-Cultural Communications: Ombudsman Programs and Legal Services Programs - Presenters: Eric Carlson, Attorney, National Senior Citizens Law Center; Karen Boyles, Ombudsman Program Coordinator, Atlanta Legal Aid Society; Sherry Huff Culp, Executive Director, Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, Inc.

“Why won’t she represent my client?” thinks the long-term care ombudsman. Meanwhile, on the other end of the phone, the lawyer thinks, “Why doesn’t the ombudsman program give me anything I can work with?” During this session, the presenters will describe the long-term care cases that seem most appropriate for legal representation and facilitate a give-and-take to explore how lawyers and ombudsman programs can work together for clients’ best interests.

12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Boxed Lunch

12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

NALLTCO Membership Meeting

12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Family Council and Family Members Meeting 

Facilitator: Bill Lamb, Associate Director for Public Service, UNC Institute on Aging; Treasurer/Secretary, Consumer Voice Governing Board

This meeting provides an opportunity for family members and family council members to network with one another and share strategies, obstacles, successes and resources. The meeting is to stimulate family council development and encourage those who are involved in this often challenging and frustrating work. Family members and family council members are welcome to attend.

12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Roundtable Discussion on Care Setting Transitions and Home and Community-Based Care

Facilitator: Jessica Brill Ortiz, Program Manager, Consumer Voice

Join us for an informal facilitated conversation about transitions between care settings and home and community-based care. Come prepared to share experiences and insights on the topics. The roundtable space is limited, and registration is first come, first served; sign up to attend at the registration desk.

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Gay and Gray or Heading That Way - Presenter: Debi Lee, Lead Regional Ombudsman, Centralina Area Agency on Aging

The session focuses on efforts in North Carolina to bridge the gap between direct care workers and LGBT elders through relationship building, training and mutual support and advocacy. The session will discuss the specific efforts to build and sustain relationships with the LGBT community in Charlotte, North Carolina, by maintaining a presence at the LGBT Community Center, which holds a monthly “Progressive Dinner and Dialogue” series that brings DCWs and LGBT elders together to address concerns related to legal, housing, language, caregiving, finances, etc. It will also cover tools used during this series to generate dialogue as well as lessons learned and ideas for in-service facility staff trainings.

The First 48 Hours: Helping Residents Receive a Good Start - Presenter: Barbara Frank, B&F Consulting

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• The First 24 Hours PowerPoint Presentation

The first 24-48 hours of a new resident’s stay in a care setting can make a critical difference in their long-term well-being, whether they are there for a short stay or for the rest of their lives. This session will explore how long-term care ombudsmen can support residents and families during this initial period, as they learn how the care setting works and the care staff learns about them. It will also facilitate sharing among participants about how to work collaboratively with care providers to maintain residents’ normal daily rhythms and thereby prevent problems from occurring.
 
Building a Grassroots Movement: Engaging Family Caregivers and Older Adults in the Campaign for Better Care - Presenters: Cecili Thompson Williams, Outreach Director, Campaign for Better Care, National Partnership for Women and Families; Heather Bruemmer, Executive Director, Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care; A.J. Nino Amato, President/Executive Director, Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• Campaign for Better Care PowerPoint, Cecili Thompson Williams, Campaign for Better Care

Grassroots mobilization is a central element of the Campaign for Better Care and key to meeting the Campaign’s goals of improving health care delivery for vulnerable older adults with multiple chronic conditions and building a sustained movement of organized activists for social change. This workshop will highlight the strategies being used – online and on-the-ground – to build a lasting consumer voice of older adults and their families to advocate for better care. It will also engage attendees in innovative campaign brainstorming to identify creative new strategies and techniques to engage consumers in advocacy efforts.

Are you an Owl or Shark? Conflict Management Skills for Ombudsmen - Presenter: Cindy Kincaid, Regional Ombudsman, Centralina Area Agency on Aging

When working to develop conflict management skills for ombudsmen, are you an owl or shark? This session will help ombudsmen determine conflict management styles and then learn ways to work with other styles to successfully resolve conflict. Gain a better understanding of the steps to resolve conflict. What to do when all those involved want something different.

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Break

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Strategies to Increase Consumer Involvement in the use of Civil Monetary Penalties to Improve Nursing Home Care and Quality of Life - Presenters: Richard Mollot, Executive Director, Long Term Care Community Coalition; Arlene Germain, Massachusetts Advocates for Nursing Home Reform; Kim McRae, Living the Good Life, Georgia Culture Change Coalition; Diane Menio, Executive Director, CARIE

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• Strategies to Increase Consumer Involvement in the use of Civil Monetary Penalties to Improve Nursing Home Care and Quality of Life PowerPoint Presentation, Richard Mollot, Executive Director, Long Term Care Community Coalition; Arlene Germain, Massachusetts Advocates for Nursing Home Reform; Kim McRae, Living the Good Life, Georgia Culture Change Coalition; Diane Menio, Executive Director, CARIE

Learn more about how to encourage and work with your state to use funds from Civil Monetary Penalties (CMPs) to support innovative quality of life and care in your state’s nursing homes. CMPs present an underutilized resource for states to improve the quality of nursing home life. This session presents findings from a year-long project working with ombudsmen, consumers and advocates in four states to foster consumer involvement in states’ funding processes to increase funding of culture change initiatives and related activities. Learn about the strategies these consumers used. Use them in your state. At the end of the session, each participant will be asked to develop at least one goal to improve their state CMP funding process and at least one strategy for achieving that goal.
 
Synchronicity Among Local and State Ombudsmen (Note: This session will be videotaped.) - Presenters: Patty Ducayet, Texas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Texas Department of Aging & Disability Services; Suzanna Swanson, LMSW, Director, Dallas County Ombudsman Program, The Senior Source

Synchronizing our messages increases our impact. The Texas Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program will share experiences and examples of how a local and state ombudsman accomplished milestones together. This session will help ombudsmen explore how their communications can further shared program goals. Table top examples will facilitate small group discussion.

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• Table Top Exercise

• Synchronicity Among Local and State Ombudsmen PowerPoint Presentation, Patty Ducayet, Texas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Texas Department of Aging & Disability Services; Suzanna Swanson, LMSW, Director, Dallas County Ombudsman Program, The Senior Source

• Synchronicity Among Local and State Ombudsmen 2nd PowerPoint Presentation, Patty Ducayet, Texas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Texas Department of Aging & Disability Services; Suzanna Swanson, LMSW, Director, Dallas County Ombudsman Program, The Senior Source

• Older Americans Act Reauthorization Listening Forum Testimony by Patty Ducayet, Texas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman

• Older Americans Act Reauthorization Listening Forum Written Testimony by Ruth Hancock, Certified Volunteer Ombudsman

• Older Americans Act Reauthorization Listening Forum Testimony by Suzanna Swanson, LMSW, Managing Local Ombudsman, Dallas County

Protecting Residents’ Rights Through Litigation - Presenters: Steven Levin, JD, Founding Partner, Levin & Perconti; Wendy Meltzer, Executive Director, Illinois Citizens for Better Care, Consumer Voice Leadership Council

When nursing home residents are injured or killed as a result of a nursing home or staff member’s negligent conduct, it may be necessary to seek legal action to compensate victims and their families. Litigation sends a message to negligent owners that poor care will not be tolerated. Steven Levin, who has represented Illinois advocates and families for more than 25 years, and long-time Illinois consumer advocate Wendy Meltzer discuss how advocates and attorneys can work together for change.
 
Nursing Home Transition - MDS 3.0 Section Q - Presenters: Becky Kurtz, JD, Director of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services; John Sorensen, Project Officer & Outreach Coordinator, Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Center for Medicaid, CHIP, and Survey & Certification

Nursing home transition is getting a new focus with the implementation of the MDS version 3.0 and Section Q, which requires facilities to ask if a resident would like information about transitioning out of the facility. What should happen if a resident indicates s/he wants to move? Who is responsible for providing information and assistance? What is the role of the ombudsman and to what extent do they follow the resident into another setting? Engage in dialogue with CMS and AoA on these important issues.

5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Dinner on Your Own

5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

OmbudsManager’s Users Group Meeting
This meeting is for users of the OmbudsManager data entry system to engage in dialogue with Harmony Information Systems and members of the OmbudsManager Users Group. Light refreshmetns will be served.

7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Evening Social Event & Auction

7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Registration

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Breakfast

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Assisted Living Consumer Alliance Meeting

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Plenary: Coming in 2011: Nursing Home Transparency and Improvements - Presenters: Cynthia Graunke, Director, Division of Nursing Homes, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Ed Mortimore, Technical Director, Division of Nursing Homes, CMS

In a few short months, consumers will see the first results of the nursing home transparency provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including significant new information on Nursing Home Compare; new state complaint procedure requirements; criminal background checks on workers; and changes in civil monetary penalties. Steps to implement ACA provisions that will become effective in 2012 and 2013 — including public reporting of nursing home owners and operators and comparative staffing information — are also under way. Federal officials at the center of implementing nursing home transparency and improvement will talk about what you can expect and listen to your views on how to make the law effective and transparency meaningful to consumers.

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Break

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Helping Difficult Clients - Presenters: David Godfrey, JD, Staff Attorney, American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging; Troy Johnson, MSW, Director of Programs and Services, Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, Inc.; Sherry Huff Culp, CSW, Executive Director, Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, Inc.

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• Helping Difficult Clients PowerPoint, David Godfrey, JD; Troy Johnson, MSW; Sherry Huff Culp, CSW

• Listening Self-Evaluation Handout

The most difficult clients are frequently those who need help the most. This program will help identify and offer strategies for working with the four most common causes of difficult behavior and the four most common behaviors of difficult clients. The workshop will be helpful for beginner to intermediate practitioners and for those who train new staff.

Ombudsman Programs Empower Residents Through Multi-Facility Council Meetings - Presenters: Natalie Clanzy, District Ombudsman Manager, Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program; Brian Lee, Florida State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; Diane Carpenter, Regional Ombudsman, Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program; Carol Weideman, Statistics, Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program; Lori Walsh, Ombudsman Coordinator, CARIE

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations: 

• The Resident Council President Workshop PowerPoint, Lori Walsh, CARIE

• Ombudsman Program Empower Residents Through Multi-Facility PowerPoint, Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

This session focuses on innovative approaches to linking residents of different facilities together and providing them with a venue to share ideas, discuss concerns and resolve problems. Florida’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and the Philadelphia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program have been successful in hosting a series of countywide meetings and workshops for resident council representatives. Attend this session if you are interested in learning how to implement similar events in your community.

Quality of Care is Essential - Quality of Life is Critical - Presenters: Kathie Gately, BSW, Arkansas State Ombudsman, Division of Aging & Adult Services; Teresa Stricker, Nevada State Ombudsman, Aging & Disability Services Division

Session Handouts & PowerPoint Presentations:

• Quality of Care is Essential - Quality of LIfe is Critical PowerPoint, Kathie Gately, Arkansas State Ombusman; Teresa Stricker, Nevada State Ombudsman

Take advantage of this excellent opportunity to enhance your knowledge of “Geriatric Failure to Thrive Syndrome.” Participants will hear state-of-the-art information about this little discussed topic and will participate in interactive dialogue with the presenters. Learn how proper assessment and culture change can help residents diagnosed with this syndrome. Hear about specific case studies that will enhance participant’s insight, knowledge and sensitivity to this issue. This session is intended for all participants.

“The Strongest Message Possible”— The Story Behind the $677 Million Skilled Healthcare Nurse Staffing Verdict - Presenters: Michael D. Thamer, JD, Trinity Institute; Christopher J. Healey, JD, Luce Forward; Melanie Harrington, PhD, Trinity Institute

The legal team that successfully sued Skilled Healthcare for understaffing 22 of its California nursing homes will describe the evidence that led a jury to render one of the largest damage awards in history against a nursing home chain. Lawyers and researchers discuss why they brought the suit as a class action, how they collected and presented evidence about the corporation’s failure to meet minimum staffing requirements and what motivated jurors to send what one called “the strongest message possible” in a case that defined minimum staffing as a resident’s right. The ruling also requires the company’s California facilities to comply with state nurse staffing standards for the next two years with a third party monitoring their performance.

12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Lunch on Your Own

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Resident Dialogue with CMS and AoA (By Invitation Only)

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Innovative Collaborations to Improve Nursing Home Life for Residents, Family and Staff - Presenters: Karlin Mbah, Family Council Coordinator/Policy Advocate, FRIA: The Voice and Resource for Quality Long Term Care; Claire Curry, Legal Director; Legal Justice Center; Jonathan Evans, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Trinity Mission Health and Rehabilitation; Zelda McGruder, LPN, Trinity Mission Health and Rehabilitation; Luv Berkley, Unit Manager, Trinity Mission Health and Rehabilitation; Latisha Ayres, CNA, Trinity Mission Health and Rehabilitation; Brittany Burgess, CNA, Trinity Mission Health and Rehabilitation; Sheila Faulkner, CNA, Trinity Mission Health and Rehabilitation; Melva Proctor, CNA, Trinity Mission Health and Rehabilitation

Panelists from Virginia and New York will present two promising models for changing nursing homes through collaborations between direct care workers, community advocates, family councils and, in the case of New York, the union. Hear certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and licensed practical nurses share their experiences of leading a Virginia quality improvement pilot project, which is based on empowerment of CNAs at Trinity Mission and creation of a more supportive work place. The medical director and the chairperson of the citizen advocacy group, which helped to design, fund and implement the project will also share their perspectives. The goal of “VA Gold” project is to improve quality of care by reducing CNA turnover.

The presenter from New York will describe a collaborative project between FRIA, family councils and 1199 SEIU Labor/Management Project. That project plans to foster person-centered care by using focus groups of formal and informal caregivers to hear what dignity means for residents and for staff. Two positive outcomes the focus groups are expected to produce are improved job satisfaction for CNAs and creation of a required CNA in-service training on person-centered care. Key points in project planning and development as well as tips for partnering with direct care staff, unions and professional organizations will be discussed.

Outreach to Home and Community-Based Services - Presenters: - Louise Ryan, Washington State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; Rose Floyd, King County Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Solid Ground; Leanna Gorski, Administrative Ombudsman, Solid Ground; Mary Fogh, Volunteer Coordinator, Solid Ground

Washington has long promoted home and community-based services (HCBS). As nursing home beds have declined, alternatives such as home care, assisted living and adult family homes multiplied at a speed that lead to poor care, weak standards and enforcement. A recent expose in the Seattle Times entitled “Seniors for Sale” highlighted the challenges that rapid HCBS expansion presents. This session will look at and provide practical systems advocacy tips to get ahead of the curve on HCBS. The King County Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program will present on successful strategies they use to conduct outreach to the 1100 adult family homes in their county.

Nursing Home Transparency - Tracing the Chain of Corporate Responsibility - Presenters: Nathan P. Carter, Attorney, Colling, Gilbert, Wright & Carter

Two events in 2007 put energy behind the drive for nursing home transparency — the takeover of the country’s largest nursing home chain, ManorCare, by the multinational private equity firm, the Carlyle Group, and a New York Times investigation that exposed the complex ownership and operating structures that insulate nursing homes from accountability. Several plaintiff lawyers with experience representing families against corporate chain nursing homes, including Orlando lawyer Nathan Carter, worked behind the scenes to help the Times unravel the complex system. In this session, Carter will talk about the current status of nursing home ownership, reasons behind the complexity, the implications for the delivery of care and how the new nursing home transparency law can help to improve corporate responsibility.

Guardianship Issues - Presenters: - Diane Menio, Executive Director, CARIE; Lori Walsh, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Coordinator, CARIE; Erica Wood, Assistant Director, ABA Commission on Law & Aging

This session will examine the use of guardianship in long-term care settings. Information will be presented largely via case study. Cases will be reviewed that point to concerns of beneficence versus autonomy and independence. Other cases will raise concerns about using guardianship as a form of “collections,” essentially using guardianship to access finances for payment of services and move Medicaid applications more quickly rather than using other less intrusive methods. Guardianship is a drastic measure that strips the individual of all rights. The presenters will discuss advocacy strategies and will facilitate discussion with participants.

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Break

4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Annual Business Meeting for Membership

6:30 p.m.

Dinner on Your Own

6:30 p.m.

Governing Board & Leadership Council Meetings

7:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Registration

8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Breakfast

8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Awards Ceremony

2010 Janet Tulloch Memorial Advocacy Award - Barbara Frank
The award was established in 2000 after the death of Janet Tulloch, a nursing home resident, author, committed advocate and long-time member of the Consumer Voice’s Board of Directors. It honors a citizen advocate who has worked directly with and for residents to improve the lives of long-term-care residents.

Cernoria Johnson Memorial Advocacy Award - Becky Kurtz
Cernoria McGowan Johnson (1909 -1990) set up the national program of Nursing Home Ombudsman in 1974. The award in her honor is presented each year to someone whose work has had national impact or is a model for national excellence and who exemplifies accomplishment in his or her chosen field. 

Elma Holder Founder’s Award - Charlene Harrington
Established in 2002 as a lifetime achievement award to honor a person whose life work exemplifies leadership in the field of long-term-care reform, the award is also a tribute to Elma Holder, the Consumer Voice’s founder and friend. Elma’s personal commitment, integrity and vision shaped the organization and quality of care and life in long-term care. 

Howard Hinds Memorial Award - Eileen Bennett and Helen Stanton
The Hinds Award was established in 2005 in memory of the late Howard Hinds, a Tennessee District Long Term-Care Ombudsman. Howard was a true champion for residents and for the ombudsman program as well as a passionate advocate on national issues. The award honors an individual who has effectively advocated for residents on the local level. 

Toby S. Edelman Legal Justice Award - Alison Hirschel
This award was created in 2009 to honor those who, working through or with the legal system, go to extraordinary lengths to achieve justice for long term-care consumers. It is named in honor of Toby Edelman of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, whose work for more than 30 years has influenced and shaped long term-care law, policy and enforcement. 

Policy Leadership Award - Marie-Therese Connolly
The Consumer Voice's Policy Leadership Award recognizes an individual who has provided exemplary leadership in the public policy field in advancing quality of care and quality of life for residents receiving long-term care services.

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Closing Plenary: Advocating for Access and Quality in the “Non-Nursing Home Setting” - Presenters: Charlene Harrington, PhD, RN, University of California/San Francisco; Anne Montgomery, Senior Policy Advisor, Senate Special Committee on Aging; Louise Ryan, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; JoAnn Lamphere, Director, State Government Relations, Health & Long-Term Care Team, AARP

Thanks to Medicaid’s institutional bias, publicly supported alternatives to nursing homes have grown piecemeal and at a snail’s pace for decades. Under the Affordable Care Act, “non-nursing home settings” are expected to come into their own with expanded public financing for innovations in care coordination; more flexibility and financing for home and community-based services; incentives to move residents out of nursing homes; and a new voluntary public insurance program for long-term care, the CLASS Act. Panelists discuss expanding opportunities to receive long-term care outside nursing homes, what advocates need to know about state planning to implement new provisions and the need for transparency and public oversight in home and community-based services.

11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Closing Remarks featuring Sarah Wells and John Weir, President, Consumer Voice Governing Board

11:45 a.m.

Conference Concludes

The Consumer Voice is pleased to announce the 2010 award recipients:

2010 Janet Tulloch Memorial Advocacy Award: Barbara Frank
2010 Howard Hinds Memorial Advocacy Award: Eileen Bennett and Helen Stanton
2010 Elma Holder Founder's Award: Charlene Harrington
2010 Cernoria Johnson Memorial Advocacy Award: Becky Kurtz
2010 Policy Leadership Award: Marie-Therese Connolly
2010 Toby S. Edelman Legal Justice Award: Alison Hirschel