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Long-Term Care ConsumersFamily MembersAdvocates
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Specialized Information for:
Long-Term Care ConsumersFamily MembersAdvocates
June 20, 2017
Tell your Senator to say “NO” to Medicaid cuts and caps and protect the care of all those needing long-term care.
June 19, 2017
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are requesting comments on several items.
June 15, 2017
WEAAD serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders.
June 12, 2017
The House of Representatives will be voting on legislation, H.R. 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act, which will significantly strip away an individual’s right to justice through the courts in the event they are harmed or killed by a health care provider.
June 09, 2017
Consumer Voice recognizes people who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to improving the lives of long-term care consumers. Nominate an advocate now!
June 06, 2017
After publishing a final rule banning pre-dispute arbitration agreements for nursing home residents and family members, CMS is issuing new proposed rules that rescind resident protections against these unfair provisions.
May 30, 2017
The webinar from the Alliance for Health Reform looks at where Medicaid stands - from the AHCA to state waivers.
May 30, 2017
A recent story in NPR covers several states’ attempts to fight involuntary discharge in nursing homes.
May 26, 2017
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has provided an update on the Special Focus Facility Initiative.
May 24, 2017
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced an extension of the transition period for complying with the HCBS Final Rule.
May 09, 2017
During these past few months, there has been an unprecedented assault on the policies that support access to quality long-term care and protect the rights of long-term care consumers. We are fighting back.
May 09, 2017
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a Toolkit to Reduce CAUTI and Other HAIs in Long-Term Care Facilities. Consumer Voice was a partner on this project.
April 25, 2017
All long-term care consumers are invited to get creative and share their thoughts on this year’s Residents’ Rights Month theme - “It’s All About Me: My Life, My Care, My Choices.”
April 23, 2017
Consumer Voice needs your stories about why Medicaid is so important to you and your family.
April 12, 2017
Consumer Voice, with the Long Term Care Community Coalition, Center for Medicare Advocacy, and California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, issued a joint statement in response to the recent reports exposing abuse and neglect in nursing homes across the country.
March 31, 2017
The revised federal nursing home regulations are here to stay.
March 28, 2017
The theme for Residents’ Rights Month 2017 is “It’s All About Me: My Life, My Care, My Choices.”
March 15, 2017
Consumer Voice, Justice in Aging, and the Center for Medicare Advocacy have released a new issue brief in their series on the revised federal nursing home regulations.
March 13, 2017
Medicaid is a lifeline for nursing home residents and other long-term care consumers. Tell your members of congress to oppose per capita caps!
March 10, 2017
The American Health Care Act is harmful for long-term care consumers and those who care for them.
March 03, 2017
Protect consumers’ rights to hold providers accountable. Groups, sign on to letter opposing H.R. 1215.
March 03, 2017
Consumer Voice sent a letter to Senator Al Franken in support of his reintroduction of the Arbitration Fairness Act.
February 24, 2017
Consumer Voice, along with the National Center on Elder Abuse and the National Organization for Victim Assistance, have issued a statement in light of the recent CNN investigation on sexual abuse.
February 23, 2017
Consumer Voice is outraged and horrified in response to the findings of the CNN investigative report on sexual abuse in nursing homes, “Sick, Dying and Raped in America’s Nursing Homes.”
February 21, 2017
Consumer Voice, along with the Center for Medicare Advocacy and Justice in Aging, has released a new issue brief in their issue brief series, “A Closer Look at the Revised Nursing Facility Regulations.”
February 17, 2017
Congress is planning to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with major changes to Medicaid. Tell your members of Congress NO!
February 14, 2017
ACL’s Becky Kurtz has written an article in the Society of Certified Senior Advisors Journal on the long-term care ombudsman program.
February 08, 2017
New fact sheets include information on involuntary transfer and discharge and unnecessary drugs and antipsychotic medications.
January 27, 2017
Consumer Voice and its whole network will be tweeting to fight the repeal of the revised federal nursing home regulations.
January 19, 2017
Family caregivers testified at a Senate Forum on Health Care, Medicare, and Medicaid.
December 22, 2016
This summary presents an overview of key changes in the revised federal nursing home regulations for the sections on Resident Assessment (§483.20) – Training Requirements (§483.95). It is designed to highlight what is different between the prior rule and the final rule and includes only those parts of the rule that went into effect in Phase 1 on November 28, 2016.
December 20, 2016
Consumer Voice and Justice in Aging have released a new fact sheet entitled “Why the Recently-Revised Nursing Home Regulations are Vital for Nursing Home Residents.”
December 20, 2016
Congressional Leaders have promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This could harm nursing home residents and other long-term care consumers. Tell your Senators and Representative NO!
December 05, 2016
Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy and Justice in Aging have released a new fact sheet providing a closer look at the revised nursing facility regulations on assessment, care planning and discharge planning.
November 23, 2016
Consumer Voice and Justice in Aging created guides on how the HCBS rules can be used to improve services for older persons.
November 15, 2016
This new resource from Consumer Voice and NCEA provides an overview of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
November 08, 2016
Consumer Voice has released a new report on why nursing home residents may suffer harm when their nursing home closes and how to reduce such harm.
October 12, 2016
This informative webinar gives consumers, family and advocates the tools to obtain quality long-term services and supports.
September 30, 2016
After recommendations from Consumer Voice, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has prohibited pre-dispute arbitration agreements in nursing home contracts as a part of the newly released federal nursing facility regulations.
September 15, 2016
Consumer Voice sent comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in support of the Special Focus Facility program.
September 09, 2016
Consumer Voice has been highlighted in the September issue of the Philanthropy Journal News, a publication of NC State University.
August 24, 2016
CFPB’s report found that strong collaboration among community stakeholders can effectively protect older adults from financial exploitation.
August 23, 2016
The Administration for Community Living’s Administration on Aging awarded grants to 13 states to address abuse of older adults and people with disabilities.
August 22, 2016
Help people living in nursing facilities and other institutional settings move back into the community!
August 18, 2016
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has created placemats with simple tips for avoiding common predatory consumer scams.
August 17, 2016
An infographic created by the Health Professionals Press shows the factors that lead to bullying and how to prevent it.
August 16, 2016
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services updated the Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Quality Ratings to incorporate new measures that look at successful discharges, emergency visits, and re-hospitalizations.
August 05, 2016
Thank you to all the individuals and organizations who signed onto our letter to CMS calling for the agency to ban pre-dispute arbitration clauses in nursing home agreements once and for all.
July 28, 2016
Tell CMS to ban pre-dispute arbitration clauses in nursing home agreements once and for all!
July 11, 2016
Join us for a series of three webinars on a wide range of long-term care issues featuring expert speakers.
June 29, 2016
Resources on prevention, detection and reporting financial exploitation in nursing homes and assisted living.
June 21, 2016
Take action to ensure older people and people with disabilities get support navigating their Medicare benefits.
June 15, 2016
WEADD is an opportunity to share information and spread awareness about abuse, neglect, and exploitation in later life. Check out the new elder abuse issue page for further resources.
June 13, 2016
Information regarding the recent reauthorization of the Older Americans Act is now available on the ACL website.
June 08, 2016
Consumer Voice is saddened by the passing of long-time member and former Consumer Voice Board Member Lou O’Reilly.
June 03, 2016
Consumer Voice recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to improving the lives of long-term care consumers. Submit your nominations now!
May 26, 2016
Join the Resident’s Voice Challenge and share why you should be the “Resident President.”
May 23, 2016
What is an ombudsman? Ombudsmen advocate for residents’ rights and quality care; educate consumers and providers; resolve residents’ complaints; and provide information.
May 16, 2016
Hurricane Preparedness Week is a time to prepare for a potential land-fall tropical storm or hurricane. If you live in an area prone to these types of storms or even areas threatened by dangerous flooding or destructive winds, it’s important to take this time to prepare for a dangerous weather event.
May 13, 2016
Residents have the right to retain possession of their personal belongings and are entitled to a safe environment free of theft and loss. This Consumer Voice fact sheet provides preventative measures and remedies for a resident’s deprivation of their personal effects.
May 05, 2016
CMS published guidance to surveyors clarifying federal requirements for providing services to justice-involved individuals (e.g. those on probation or parole) in skilled nursing facilities.
May 04, 2016
CV in the News! - More nursing homes are including individualized menus for the specific preference of their residents.
May 04, 2016
CMS announced a final rule to update health care facilities’ fire protection guidelines to improve protections for all Medicare beneficiaries in facilities.
May 03, 2016
Department of Justice report finds that South Dakota is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead v. L.C. ruling.
April 28, 2016
CMS has added six new quality measures to the consumer-based Nursing Home Compare website. For the first time, CMS has included three quality measures that are not based solely on data that are self-reported by nursing homes.
April 27, 2016
HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) has released a report entitled “Understanding Unlicensed Care Homes.”
April 19, 2016
The New York Times series on arbitration, authored by Jessica Silver-Greenberg, Michael Corkery, and Robert Gebeloff, is a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting
April 15, 2016
National Healthcare Decisions Day Is Tomorrow April 16. Join Consumer Voice and Americans across the country in making future healthcare decisions known to family, friends and healthcare providers.
April 11, 2016
We invite you to submit a proposal for a concurrent session at the 2016 Consumer Voice Annual Conference. Sessions that include more than one perspective or speakers from more than one program are encouraged.
April 08, 2016
Yesterday, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill to reauthorize the Older Americans Act! House-amended S. 192, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015, will now be sent to President Obama to sign.
April 07, 2016
The Department of Labor has developed a user-friendly guide entitled “Paying Minimum Wage and Overtime to Home Care Workers: A Guide for Consumers and their Families to the Fair Labor Standards Act.”
April 07, 2016
NCEA has released a report entitled “State Elder Abuse Working Groups: A Review and Comparison of 15 State Working Groups”, which compares existing elder abuse working groups from 15 states based on their establishment, purpose, and current status.
March 31, 2016
On March 30, 2016, the Department of Justice announced the launch of 10 regional Elder Justice Task Forces. These teams will bring together federal, state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, and agencies that provide services to the elderly to coordinate and enhance efforts to pursue nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care.
March 22, 2016
CMS issued a memorandum related to Electronic Staffing Data Submission (Payroll-Based Journal – PBJ).
March 22, 2016
The House passed the Older Americans Act! The Reauthorization bill will help older adults age with independence and dignity in their homes and communities, and protect elders in long-term care facilities and other settings.
March 21, 2016
UPDATE: The Older Americans Act has passed in the House!
The bill will reauthorize the Older Americans Act. Authorization expired on 2011 and reauthorization is long overdue.
March 15, 2016
A new podcast series, sponsored by the National Academy of Medicine, will review the 2015 Institute of Medicine report “Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life.”
March 08, 2016
Laurie Kash’s experience with her mother’s poor care at a nursing home led her to take her case the New York State Comptroller’s Office. The Office performed a subsequent audit that called for improvements in the enforcement of nursing home violations in New York.
February 25, 2016
On Thursday, February 25, NPR’s Morning Edition included a story about nursing home evictions, including cases when facilities refuse to take back residents who were hospitalized. Consumer Voice’s Robyn Grant, Director of Public Policy & Advocacy, was interviewed for the story.
February 25, 2016
Looking for information on transfer, discharge or transitions from a nursing home? Visit the new issue page for resources including reports, tips, and fact sheets.
February 18, 2016
Consumer Voice is pleased to announce Lori Smetanka, JD, as the Executive Director of Consumer Voice and Amity Overall Laib as Director of the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center.
February 03, 2016
This webinar, hosted by Consumer Voice in collaboration with the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), discusses resident-to-resident mistreatment and how to prevent and respond to these incidents.
January 11, 2016
Consumer Voice has launched petition asking the U.S. Congress to pass the Arbitration Fairness Act (H.R. 2087; S. 1133), legislation that would ban the use of pre-dispute, forced arbitration agreements in consumer contracts. These are agreements that residents or their loved ones must sign when entering into a nursing home or assisted living facility. We need your help! Please to sign on to this petition to urge your members of Congress to end this unfair practice and restore the rights of consumers once and for all.
January 06, 2016
On January 14th, Consumer Voice provided comments on a proposed rule to revise the federal requirements for discharge planning. This proposed rule was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and concerns discharge planning requirements for hospitals, critical access hospitals and home health agencies. Click below to learn more and read our comments.
January 04, 2016
A final report on the 2015 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) - summarizing the July conference and the events leading up to it - is now accessible online.
December 22, 2015
On December 18th, 2015, the U.S. Congress approved the FY 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill, legislation that will continue the funding of federal programs through Fiscal Year 2016. This bill, which has since been signed into law, will increase funding for elder justice programs as well as Alzheimer’s research in the coming year.
November 24, 2015
A recent article in The New York Times highlighted the rise of small residential homes, like Green House, as an alternative to nursing homes. Consumer Voice Interim Executive Director Lori Smetanka was interviewed for the article.
November 23, 2015
A provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (signed by President Obama on November 2nd) will increase the amounts of federal fines that nursing facilities may be required to pay for violating the Nursing Home Reform Law.
November 20, 2015
This Consumer Voice webinar was held in collaboration with the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA ) on November 19th, 2015 in order to provide a basic framework to help long-term care residents, their family members, and other advocates identify quality care and potential issues. Click below for further information and to view this webinar.
November 18, 2015
Consumer Voice and the National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (NASOP) sent a letter to the Senate and House Subcommittees on Labor/HHS/Education requesting to focus on residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities and those who have been victims of elder abuse, when determining appropriate funding levels for the remainder of fiscal year 2016.
November 13, 2015
Consumer Voice has submitted comments on proposed voluntary Adult Protective Services (APS) guidelines developed by the Administration for Community Living.
October 23, 2015
Consumer Voice has joined Alzheimer’s Association’s Alzheimer’s Workplace Alliance (AWA).
October 20, 2015
Consumer Voice, along with the National Center on Elder Abuse, have created a new brochure entitled “Put a STOP to Poor Care.” This helpful brochure for residents, family members, facility staff and advocates includes indicators of quality care, warning signs, red flags of potential abuse, and advocacy tips to address concerns.
October 16, 2015
Consumer Voice, along with 38 other national advocacy organizations, sent a letter to CMS on Wednesday, October 14th, asking the agency to ban the use of pre-dispute, forced arbitration agreements in nursing home contracts as part of its revisions to the federal nursing home regulations.
October 16, 2015
On Wednesday, October 14th, Consumer Voice and members of the Consumer Voice network submitted final comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on proposed changes to the federal nursing home regulations. Click below to learn more & read our final comments.
September 11, 2015
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that the agency will be extending the comment period 30 days for the proposed nursing home regulations. Individuals and organizations will now have until October 14th at 5 PM ET to submit their comments to CMS on the proposed rule.
August 11, 2015
The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has released a new report by Charlene Harrington and Helen Carrillo of the University of California San Francisco analyzing nursing home data from 2009 to 2014, including rates of facility deficiencies and staffing levels. Click below to learn more.
July 21, 2015
Exciting news! The Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015, S. 192 passed out of the U.S. Senate on on July 16th, 2015! Thanks to all of you who contacted your Senators asking them to support the bill - you helped make this success happen! Click above to learn more.
July 21, 2015
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has officially published its proposed revisions to the current regulations (also known as the Requirements of Participation) for nursing homes participating in the Medicare and/or Medicaid programs. Click below to learn more and read Consumer Voice’s initial statement on the proposed rule.
June 15, 2015
Consumer Voice has submitted a response to several discussion questions posed by the 2015 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) in their policy brief on Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS). Consumer Voice responded by making five recommendations to complement the WHCOA’s brief on the topic.