Sarah's Circle receives funding from Housing Production Trust Fund
On January 29th, Mayor Bowser announced 12 projects that will receive funding from the Housing Production Trust.  LeadingAge DC member, Sarah's Circle was selected as one of the 12 projects.  With the funding, Sarah's Circle will completely renovate its existing building and add an additional 15 units to the property.  This will enable them to serve more independent low-income seniors in DC.  Sarah’s Circle, a nonprofit located in the Adams Morgan community of Washington, DC, is an award-winning affordable housing residence and wellness center providing comprehensive programs and services for very low-income seniors.

New Five Star Reports
The updated reports just posted on CMS' website. Look for an email Friday or Monday with your individualized report.  A reminder, Members should visit the Quality Metrics training page to access on-demand training and materials on Nursing Home Quality Metrics, Home Health Quality Metrics, and interpreting your 5-Star Analysis reports.  If you are struggling to understand or download these reports email Christy Kramer at ckramer@leadingage.org and I will come to you or talk to you about the report!

Karyne Jones selected to serve on the LeadingAge Board of Directors
LeadingAge DC member, Karyne Jones is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc. (NCBA) and NCBA Housing Management and Development Corporation.  NCBA is one of the largest minority focused organizations in the country and is recognized as the national leader in senior housing, employment, health and advocacy on behalf of minority aged.  Karyne began her term on the LeadingAge Board in January of 2016.  Karyne will also continue her term on the LeadingAge DC Board.  Picture (from left to right):  Katie Sloan, President and CEO, LeadingAge, Steve Nash, outgoing board member of LeadingAge and LeadingAge DC Board Member, Karyne Jones, new board member of LeadingAge and LeadingAge DC Board Member.

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District of Columbia Update

• Health Care Decisions Act of 2015
  • The Health Care Decisions Act of 2015 will create a MOST program in DC.  On January 8th it was published in the DC Register and tramitted to Congress.  The Projected Law date is March 15, 2016
  • LeadingAge DC will be involved in developing training for the MOST
  • Read More
• LGBTQ Cultural Competency Continuing Education Amendment Act of 2015
  • This act will amend subsection B of the Health Occupations Revisions Act of 1985 and will require continuing- education requirements for the practice of any health occupation licensed, registered, or certified under this section to include 2 credits of instruction on cultural competency or specialized clinical training focusing on patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender 26 nonconforming, queer, or question their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression 27 (“LGBTQ”).
  • A first reading was conducted on January 5, 2016 and unanimously approved.  
• Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015
  • A second Public Hearing was conducted on January 14th at 10:00 am.  The purpose of this hearing was to receive testimony from national experts and D.C. government witnesses as to the benefits and drawbacks of the proposed legislation. 
  • A third Public Hearing will be open to anyone wishing to testify on February 11, 2016 at 4:00 pm.  Information on how to testify is available here.  
• Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable Act of 2015 
  • As introduced, this bill requires hospitals to provide patients or their legal guardian an opportunity to select a caregiver within twenty-four hours of admission to the hospital. The hospital must record the contact information for the caregiver and consult with the caregiver at least twenty-four hours before discharging the patient. Read More
• The Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults Amendment Act of 2015 Read More

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Federal Update

• CMS Call on the IMPACT Act
  • On Thursday, February 4 from 1:30 to 3 pm ET, CMS will host a call on the standardized assessment required in the IMPACT Act. The Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT Act of 2014) requires the reporting of standardized patient assessment data by Post-Acute Care (PAC) providers, including skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care hospitals.  To register for this call, visit MLN Connects Event Registration.  Space may be limited, register early
• New MedPac Recommendations
  • The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) met on January 14 and 15. Of particular interest to LeadingAge members were votes on recommendations for updating payments, along with discussions of the Medicare Advantage program and developing a unified payment system for post-acute care. All of the presentations are available. To learn more, click here. 
• CMS Infection Control Pilot
  • A new pilot program launched by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will place more emphasis on infection control in nursing homes starting in fiscal year 2016. The three-year infection control pilot program seeks to improve infection control and prevention assessments for nursing homes, hospitals and care transitions between the two. The program will begin with 10 pilot surveys conducted in nursing homes with an expansion in FY 2017 and FY 2018 impacting both nursing homes and hospitals.Read the CMS memo here

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Education and Resources

Active Shooter Webinar

• Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, 2-3 p.m. EST
• Recent events have triggered safety and security concerns across the nation. Unfortunately, the risk of an armed intruder or active shooter is a real documented threat to both the staff and residents of long-term care communities. The response to an active shooter is not the same in every setting; aging services providers can’t tell staff to leave the residents behind to fend for themselves, nor can they set policy to make staff stay and risk their own safety.This webinar will highlight the necessary steps to protect your staff and those you serve.
  • Recognize the mentality, actions and intentions of armed intruders or active shooters in a long-term care setting.
  • Discuss policies, procedures and training to help your staff prepare for and quickly respond when someone poses a threat to residents.
  • Learn practical decision making techniques and personnel protocols that can save lives during an active shooter incident.

  Steve Wilder, President & COO, Sorensen, Wilder & Associates

• Register Here 

Local and National Regulatory Update

• Friday, February 26, 2016, 9:30 - 12:00 pm
• Where: LeadingAge, 2519 Connecticut Avenue, NW
• Description: A local and national update will be provided on skilled nursing, assisted living, home and community-based services and housing.  Speakers include:
  • Sharon Mebane, Department of Health
  • Dr. Sharon Lewis ), Department of Health
  • Carmen Johnson, Department of Health
  • Laura Newland, Interim Executive Director, DC Office on Aging
  • Barbara Gay, Vice President for Public Policy Communication, LeadingAge
  • Peter Notarstefano, Director, Home and Community-Based Services, LeadingAge
  • Colleen Bloom, Associate Director, Housing Operations, LeadingAge
• Register here
• CEUs:  This program is pending approval for 2.5 hours of NAB CE.

Governance Symposium

• Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2016
• Hosted by LeadingAge Maryland at Broadmead.
• More information to come

LeadingAge DC Capitol Hill Visit with Eleanor Holmes Norton's Office

• Join your fellow LeadingAge DC members and advocate for your residents, staff, and organization.  
• Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2016.  Exact time to be determined
• Member only event (you do not need to participate in PEAK to attend the Hill visit)

PEAK Leadership Summit

• Date: March 14 - 16, 2016
• Location: Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
• Register here

Advancing Resident-Centered Care: Leadership Intensive 

• Save the Date: April 5, 2016
• Description: Take Resident-Centered Care to the next level with this day long training for mid-level employees and above.  Back by popular demand, Jim Kinsey of Planetree, will work with participants on Empowering Staff, Engaging Community, Activating Residents, Listening to the Community and more.
• Target Audience: Mid-level leaders and above
• CEs: LeadingAge DC will apply for CEs for Social Workers, Nurses and Nursing Home Administrators
• More Information to come

Quickcasts 
QuickCasts are short on-demand presentations designed to provide members with a substantive overview of a particular topic or issue. View the most recent QuickCasts below, or you can check out the full QuickCast list.

• QuickCast: Getting the Most Out of CAHPS
  • In this 8-minute educational video, Julie Rentsch, CAHPS Survey Administrator with the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, discusses the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey for home health and hospice, a requirement from CMS to assist consumers in making informed decisions and encourage improvements in quality of care, the Quickcast describes “Patient Survey Star Ratings” and offers tips for LeadingAge members on ways to improve CAHPS ratings and response rates.
• QuickCast:Why Home Health Workers Leave Their Jobs
  • In this 12-minute educational video, Natasha Bryant, managing director and senior research associate at LeadingAge discusses the key predictors, underlying factors, and the direct and indirect effects of job satisfaction and other variables on a home health worker’s intention to leave their job.
• QuickCast: What LeadingAge Members Need to Know about LGBT Aging
  • In this 13-minute educational video, Tim R. Johnston, manager of education and training with SAGE, discusses the terms and historical context for why LGBT inclusion is important as well as best practices, training opportunities and resources so that LeadingAge members can create an inclusive environment for their residents, clients, participants and staff.
• QuickCast: Trends in Medicare Certified Home Health
  • In this 14-minute educational video, Peter Notarstefano, director of home and community-based services at LeadingAge, discusses the trends in the field of Medicare Certified Home Health Services in order to help members that operate home health agencies or plan to expand into home health better understand the current competitive and dynamic environment that not-for-profit home health agencies will need to confront in order to succeed.

 

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