Tribal Partnerships for LTSS Care

Upcoming webinar: Wednesday, July 27 — Register Now
Tribal Nursing Homes: A Seat at the Table

Long-Term Services and Supports
Technical assistance for culturally competent care

July 2016

LTSS Training and Technical Assistance Center

Visit the online LTSS TA Center for videos, best practices, toolkits, a resource library, and a step-by-step planning roadmap.

How much do you know about Medicaid and long-term care?

There is an informative 10-question quiz about Medicaid and long-term care on the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation website. LTSS stakeholders, even readers of this newsletter, may find it challenging to answer all of the questions correctly!

Quiz questions range from basic-level items (“True or False: The Medicaid program is the same in all states”) to trickier questions about Medicaid growth rates compared to health insurance premium increases.

Many resources about facts and trends related to Medicaid and its role in supporting long-term services and supports is provided at the end of the quiz and can also be found in the site’s Medicaid section.

Try it! You might learn something new!

Take the quiz.


		Resources on the LTSS TA Center

		Medicaid is the principal funder of LTSS programs in Indian Country. The LTSS TA Center has state-specific details, including a map providing essential information, such as Medicaid waivers and reimbursement rates and a list of 1915(c) Medicaid waivers by state.

		The LTSS TA Center’s LTSS Financing area delivers even more information about the payers of tribal LTSS programs. There are sections on working with states, 100% FMAP for LTSS, reimbursement rates, and planning and development grants. For those programs just starting, there is a step-by-step financial planning overview that covers budgets, performance targets, payer mix, break-even points, and cost considerations.

		Take a video tour of the TA Center’s financing section.

Helping elders cope with the heat

Phew! It’s July, and the sun is beating down in many tribal areas. Elders don’t adjust as well as younger people to sudden changes in temperature. What’s more, elders and people with chronic medical conditions are more likely to be taking prescription medicines that worsen the impact of extreme heat by inhibiting perspiration or impairing the body’s ability to regulate temperature. The CDC website contains detailed information about preventing heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The agency’s number one protective factor: spend as much time as possible in air-conditioned locations during periods of extreme heat, and don’t rely on fans as primary cooling devices. Cooler, safer locations in your community might include shopping malls, tribal community centers, or air-conditioned shelters. Protect the elders in your community by checking on them regularly and encouraging them to:

	•		Drink more water than usual; don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink
	•		Follow local news for health and safety updates
	•		Avoid using stoves or ovens, which can heat up a house
	•		Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing
	•		Take cool showers or baths

Finally, always seek medical care immediately when an elder displays symptoms of heat-related illness.

Technology for caregivers

"I don’t know if our pharmacy has an app. It would be good for them to let us know. A lot things, I think, we are just not aware of." —Lex, age 20s; caring for her father, age 50s

A new report by AARP Project Catalyst and HITLAB, Caregivers & Technology: What They Want and Need, reveals that a majority of the nation’s 40 million family caregivers are interested in technology to support their caregiving tasks, but few are using it at this time. Caregivers are most interested in technologies that:

	•		Describe current societal and demographic trends affecting caregiving
	•		Discuss potential effects of caregiving on caregivers
	•		List characteristics of effective caregiver interventions

Most of those surveyed reported comfort using a variety of technologies—from computers to mobile phones. Information for the report was collected from a nationally representative sample of 1,028 caregivers who completed online surveys from October to December 2015. Fifteen respondents also agreed to in-home interviews.

In addition to information about technology needs and desires, the report provides a comprehensive look at current U.S. caregiver demographics and the tasks they perform.

Hopi stories of resilience

A 2015 digital story training workshop by doctoral candidate Darold H. Joseph, in collaboration with the Hopi Health and Human Services Department and the Office of Hopi Special Needs, spurred the creation of several inspiring videos created by Hopi individuals with disabilities. In Hak Navasngwu, Kush Hintak Katsi (Take Good Care of Yourself, You Don’t Know What’s Going to Happen), Shawn Namoki, Sr., describes what happened when he lost his arm in an automobile crash, and how he has persevered and thrived.

Newsletter receives award

On June 7, 2016, this LTSS newsletter was honored by the National Association of Government Communicators with a first place Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Award to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Indian Health Service, and Administration on Aging, and contractor Kauffman & Associates, Inc. The e-newsletter circulates to 15,000 long-term care stakeholders and is designed to drive traffic to the LTSS Technical Assistance Center.

Join the Conversation on LinkedIn

Want to learn more about or discuss LTSS in Indian Country? Looking to connect with others working in the same field? Join the Tribal Affairs Group on LinkedIn and join the conversation.

Upcoming Webinar

Tribal Nursing Homes: A Seat at the Table

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Learn how to manage meetings with regulatory agencies to achieve desired outcomes. Presenters will roleplay as nursing home staff, elders, administrators, and tribal leaders to show you how to effectively communicate, negotiate challenges, and initiate change. Participants will be invited to interact throughout the webinar.

Learn More

Please note your
location's call-in time:
8 a.m. Hawaii
10 a.m. Alaska
11 a.m. Pacific
11 a.m. Arizona
12 p.m. Mountain
1 p.m. Central
2 p.m. Eastern

Presenters:

		Deborah J. Dyjak, R.N., B.S.N., M.S. Geriatric Nurse Leadership Academy Fellow; Archie Hendricks, Sr. Skilled Nursing Facility; Tohono O'odham Nursing Care Authority; Education Coordinator; Arizona Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program

		Leiza Johnson, R.N., B.S.N. Mountain Pacific Quality Health, Alaska Office, a CMS Quality Improvement Organization

		Val Kreil Administrator Utuqqanaat Inaat Skilled Nursing Facility

		Mellisa Heflin Elders Outreach Coordinator Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

		Joseph Ray Executive Director Native American Independent Living

Video Tour: Funding Information on the LTSS TA Center

On the LTSS TA Center, you can find information about financing your tribal LTSS program, from possible funding sources to planning steps to guidance on working with your state for LTSS reimbursement. Watch our short video tour of the financing section to learn what kind of information is available and how to find what you need to know.

Take the video tour of the financing section (3:22).

Send Us Your News

Do you have news to share about LTSS in Indian Country? Send it to ltss@kauffmaninc.com, and we’ll include it in a newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too.

About the Newsletter

Long-Term Services and Supports Solutions is published monthly by the Tribal Affairs Division of CMS to share information, funding opportunities, and resources with LTSS planners, tribal leaders, and supporters.