February 28, 2014
In This Issue
*NASUAD Announces Call for Sessions for 30th Annual HCBS Conference
*Confluence Wins Awards for Designing NASUAD and HCBS Websites
*ACL: Improvements to Subscriber Preferences
*ACL: Webinar: Impact of the Affordable Care Act
*BJS: Report on Crimes Against Persons with Disabilities
*CMS: Application of Long Term Care Related Asset and Income Rules to MAGI Individuals
*FEMA: Disability Inclusive Independent Study Course Training
*NIA: Fact Sheets on Ways to Improve Cardiovascular Health
*NIA: Researchers Seek Volunteers for Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Update
*Congressional Recess
*Webinar: Higher Order Control of Mobility in Aging and Dementia
*IOM: Preventing Psychological Disorders in Service Members and their Families
*Consumer Voice : Clearinghouse for Long Term Care Information
*Consumer Voice: Fact Sheets on Financial Exploitation in Assisted Living and Nursing Homes
*Consumer Voice: Webinar: Medicare Observation Status and Improvement Standard in Skilled Nursing Care Facilities
*NRCNA: Webinar: Reducing Sodium in Home Delivered and Congregate Meals
*4th National Conference on Employment and Education Law
*NASDDDS: Reinventing Quality Conference
*NCPC: Safety in the Golden Years
*Just for Fun!
*Job Announcements
*Friday Updates Archive


Save the Date! 

30th Annual National HCBS Conference

September 15-18, 2014 

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From NASUAD  

NASUAD Announces Call for Sessions for 30th Annual HCBS Conference

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) announced the Call For Sessions for the 30th Annual National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference on September 15-18, 2014 in Arlington, VA. The conference offers a blend of policy, program and practice issues for professionals interested in home and community-based waivers and services for all ages and abilities. Last year's conference had a strong presence from the agencies of the US Department of Health and Human Services including Administration for Community Living (ACL) and Administration on Aging (AoA). Proposals are currently being accepted for workshops and the due date is March 31, 2014.

Confluence Wins Awards for Designing NASUAD and HCBS Websites

Confluence Corporation won the Best in Class Award from the Interactive Media Awards (IMA) for the newly designed and National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD.org) and HCBS Clearinghouse websites (HCBS.org). The Best in Class award is the highest honor bestowed by the Interactive Media Awards and represents the very best in planning, execution and overall professionalism. In order to win this award level, the site had to successfully pass through the comprehensive judging process, achieving very high marks in each of the judging criteria - an achievement only a fraction of sites in the IMA competition earn each year. 

 

Click here for more information on the award.

From the Administration
Administration for Community Living
Improvements to Subscriber
Preferences
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has announced improvements to their email news distribution: ACL Updates to replace ACL News & Info. These changes are designed to help subscribers get the information they want and decide when they want it. Subscribers can utilize the Manage Preferences tab to select a variety of formats including new blog posts by Administrator Kathy Greenlee, upcoming webinars, funding opportunities, open comment periods on proposed federal policies, and more. Subscribers can also select a range of topics such as aging and/or disability, and the frequency they prefer. Areas of interest include long-term services and supports, consumer rights and protections, funding opportunities, and statistics and data.  ACL Updates will hit the highlights and link subscribers to the website for more details. Subscribers can also view the monthly ACL Newsletter that will explore specific topics of importance to ACL's work in more depth.
 

Contact aclinfo@acl.hhs.gov for any problems updating subscriber profile or feedback.

Webinar: Making MLTSS More Consumer Focused 
On Tuesday, March 4, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) will hold a webinar on Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) and the impact on older adults and people with disabilities.

The webinar will showcase a new interactive web-based tool that combines a checklist for assessing and shaping MLTSS with examples of practices, policies or contract language that implement the criteria. The tool, created by Community Catalyst, is supported by a grant from The SCAN Foundation.    

 

Click here to register for the webinar. 

Bureau of Justice Statistics

BJS Releases Report on Crimes Against Persons with Disabilities

On February 25, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) released its annual report documenting the number on nonfatal violent crimes that were committed against persons with disabilities in 2012. The report found an estimate 1.3 million violent crimes were committed against people with disabilities in the U.S. in 2012. These findings are based on BJS's National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which classifies an individual's disability according to six limitations: hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care and independent living. An estimated 14 percent of the U.S. household population age 12 or older had one or more disabilities.

Click here to read the report.

Click here for statistical tables from this report. 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Guidance Letter State Medicaid Directors of Rules to MAGI Individuals

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a guidance letter to states about the application of liens, adjustments and recoveries, transfer-of-asset rules, and post eligibility income rules to individuals who are eligible for Medicaid under Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) eligibility rules and receive coverage for long-term services and supports.

 

The vast majority of people in need of Medicaid-covered LTSS will qualify under eligibility categories related to age or disability. The MAGI rules do not apply to these categories, and states generally are not required to offer LTSS in the Alternative Benefit Plans (ABPs) that are available to MAGI individuals.

 

However, some people who need LTSS may qualify for Medicaid under MAGI rules. In particular, MAGI individuals who are medically frail or otherwise meet one of  the benefit plan exceptions listed in 42 C.F.R. 440.315 must be offered the option of a benefit  plan that includes Medicaid state plan services. For most adult beneficiaries receiving state plan services, medically necessary nursing facility and home health services must be covered.  Additionally, some states have chosen to include LTSS in their ABPs.

 

Click here to view the guidance letter. 

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA Launches Disability Inclusive Independent Study Course Training 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Office of Disability Integration and Coordination has launched an online training course entitled, Independent Study Course, IS-368: Including People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs in Disaster Operations. The purpose of this course is to increase awareness and understanding of the need for full inclusion of disaster survivors and FEMA staff who are people with disabilities and people with access and functional needs. The course provides an overview of disabilities and access and functional needs and explains how disaster staff can apply inclusive practices in their disaster assignments.

 

At the completion of this course, participants should be able to:

  • Explain the importance of including people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in disaster operations at the JFO and field locations.
  • Describe how JFO and field staff can support and include people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in disaster operations.
  • Describe the history of the treatment of and services for people with disabilities.
  • Identify laws that provide the legal foundation for issues related to people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.
  • Describe the function of the Disability Integration Advisor.

The course is designed for all personnel involved in disaster operations at the Joint Field Office (JFO) and in other disaster facilities and activities.

 

Click here to take the course.

National Institute on Aging

NIA Releases Fact Sheets on Ways to Improve Cardiovascular Health

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) released two fact sheets entitled, Heart Health and High Blood Pressure, to help community members learn ways to improve cardiovascular health. These fact sheets offer information and tips for older adults such as quitting smoking, keeping a healthy weight, and getting more physically active. Older adults can start making changes to enhance heart health and control blood pressure. The fact sheets are available in English and Spanish.  

 

Click here to view NIA's website for more aging-related resources.

Call the NIA Information Center at 1-800-222-2225 (TTY: 1-800-222-4225).

Researchers Seek Volunteers for Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Update

Volunteers are needed for the following clinical trials and studies recently added to the National Institute on Aging (NIA) listing. Volunteers should contact the study coordinator in their area to learn about participating. A few examples of ongoing studies include:

  • Intranasal Insulin in the Fight Against Forgetfulness
  • Effects of a Lutein Supplement on Cognitive Function
  • PET Imaging for Predicting Progression to Alzheimer's 
  • Olfactory Deficits and Donepezil Treatment in Cognitively Impaired Older Adults
  • Genetic Characterization of Movement Disorders

Click here to sign up with the Alzheimer's Prevention Registry.

Click here for more information about the Alzheimer's Prevention Registry.
Click here for more information about these and other Alzheimer's clinical trials.  

Contact the NIA Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center at 1-800-438-4380 or adear@nia.nih.gov

Contact 1-888-786-7259 for information and updates about participating in future Alzheimer's prevention trials. Anyone age 18 and older can join. 

From Congress

Congressional Recess

The House and Senate are in recess this week.

From Other Organizations

Copper Ridge Institute

Webinar: Higher Order Control of Mobility in Aging and Dementia
The Copper Ridge Institute in affiliation with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is holding a webinar entitled, Higher Order Control of Mobility in Aging and Dementia on March 5, 2014, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The webinar will
discuss mobility impairments in older adults and persons with dementia. Continuing education credit is available for many professionals.

 

 

At the end of the webinar, the participants will be able to:  

  • Discuss the epidemiology and public health consequences of mobility impairments in older adults
  • Identify cognitive and brain predictors of mobility decline and disability in older adults.
  • Discuss cognitive remediation of mobility in older adults

 

Click here to register for single viewing.

Click here to register for multiple viewing.

Click here to register to attend in-person, free of charge, at the campus in Sykesville, Maryland. Please send your name and contact information

Institute of Medicine

Preventing Psychological Disorders in Service Members and their Families
The Institute of Medicine has published a report entitled, Preventing Psychological Disorders in Service Members and Their Families: An Assessment of Programs. The report focuses on the efforts of the Department of Defense (DOD) to prevent psychological disorders among active-duty service members and their families. The report also assesses the evidence base for DOD's existing prevention programs and makes recommendations about program development and implementation.
 
Click here to read the report findings.
National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care
Consumer Voice Clearinghouse
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care has developed a clearinghouse for long-term care information geared toward promoting effective advocacy of consumer-directed care. The Clearinghouse is a one-stop-shop of information that includes a variety of types of resources such as best practices and fact sheets, reports and briefs, state and federal legislation, presentations, research and statistics, training materials and presentations. These resources cover a wide range of long-term care issues (for example, abuse, consumer's rights, ombudsman program), particularly for those who wish to advocate for consumers. After registering, the Clearinghouse is free to use and includes nearly 1000 resources from the Consumer Voice and National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) as well as a multitude of resources from other organizations. New resources are also being added every day.

Click here to register and start using the Clearinghouse.
Click here to watch the video tutorial and learn more about the Clearinghouse.
New Consumer Fact Sheets Available
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care released new fact sheets to discuss the prevention, detection and reporting of financial exploitation in assisted living and nursing homes. There are separate fact sheets for residents in assisted living and nursing homes and their family members. The consumer fact sheets provide an overview of residents' rights and facility responsibilities related to resident finances, tips for protecting themselves and how to report incidents of financial abuse. The fact sheets for family and friends of residents also review residents' rights and facility responsibilities, highlight warning signs and how to report incidents of financial exploitation.

 

Click here to view the facts sheets on financial exploitation.

Webinar: Medicare Observation Status and Improvement Standard in Skilled Nursing Care Facilities
On Thursday, March 13, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care will hold a webinar entitled, Medicare Observation Status and Improvement Standard in Skilled Nursing Facilities: What Advocates and Consumers Need to Know. The webinar will discuss how to overcome two obstacles to coverage - observation status and the myth of medical improvement. 

Observation status occurs when hospitals label patients as "outpatient" when they are hospitalized, often for multiple days, depriving patients of the three-day inpatient status that is necessary for Medicare coverage in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). This webinar will help community members learn how to advocate effectively for Medicare beneficiaries, and where advocates and consumers can get help.

 

Cost:

$50.00 Registration for Live Webinar (includes mp3 recording) $15.00 Webinar recording only (mp3, by email).

Click here to register for the webinar.
National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging
Webinar: 

Reducing Sodium in Home Delivered and Congregate Meals

The National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging (NRC) is holding a webinar entitled, Million Hearts for Millions of Meals: Reducing Sodium in Home Delivered and Congregate Meals on March 13, 2014, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. The webinar will show how sodium reduction, meeting national recommendations for sodium intake in home delivered and congregate meal settings, and successful implementation of sodium reduction strategies in the Meals on Wheels program can contribute to preventing a million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. The webinar will also include a discussion around working with food distributors on sodium reduction.

 

Click here to register for the webinar.

Events

4th National Conference on Employment and Education Law Impacting Persons with Disabilities

The American Bar Association is holding the 4th National Conference on Employment and Education Law Impacting Persons with Disabilities on April 9, 2014 in Los Angeles, CA. The Conference will recognize the key leadership role that the legal profession plays in eliminating these barriers and ensuring that persons with disabilities have full and equal opportunity and access to participate wholly in society.  Attorneys at law firms, corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits will learn about the federal and state legal requirements, recent legal developments, and emerging trends in education and employment for persons with disabilities, as well as acquire skills, strategies, and best practices for trying cases. 

 

Click here to register and learn more.

Reinventing Quality Conference 

The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) is holding the 2014 Reinventing Quality Conference from August 3-5 in Baltimore, MD. The goal of the Reinventing Quality Conference is to provide information, new ideas and active discussion about the point of view of people with disabilities and their families, and supports that improve opportunities for citizenship and the quality of life for all people with disabilities. Reinventing Quality is a biennial conference showcasing best-practices in supports and services for people with disabilities geared towards educating disability professionals, people with disabilities, family members, advocates, and state and federal officials.

 

Click here to register and learn more.

Safety in the Golden Years Online Conference

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), in association with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, is holding a free one-day virtual event entitled, Safety in the Golden Years on April 10, 2014. This event will bring together leaders and experts to help seniors, relatives, caregivers and community to recognize elder abuse in all its forms and more importantly, prevent it.

 

Click here to register for the conference.
Click here for a marketing kit to advertise this event.

Just for Fun!
Village for People with Dementia in the Netherlands

In the small town of Weesp, Holland, a dementia-focused living center called De Hogeweyk, aka Dementiavillage, is serving as a model for the rest of the world. De Hogeweyk are self-contained "villages" where people with dementia shop, cook, and live together safely. Read the article here.

Job Announcements
LeadingAge: Policy Research Associate
LeadingAge's Center for Applied Research is seeking a Policy Research Associate to design and execute applied research projects on long-term care and supportive services for older adults to include public policy linkages and collaboration on translational activities. The position requires Masters level training in gerontology, public policy, public health, social work or related field with at least 3 years experience designing and conducting applied research or policy analysis projects, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Proposal preparation experience is also preferred. 

 


Click here to apply for the position.

Friday Update Archive

 

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