Pursuing Quality Long-Term Care

Before COVID-19, Mary Daniel would head to the long-term care facility where her husband resided every day after work, and spend the evening with him. When facilities were locked down in March, family members were not allowed in, and residents were left without many of the essential supports that family members provided. In this episode we will hear Mary’s story about how she advocated to be reuni...

When facilities tell residents and their families that they are "not a good fit" or encourage antipsychotic medications, often families feel pressured and aren't sure how to advocate for their loved ones. In this conversation, we first hear from Kathy, a family member who went through this experience with her mother. We then speak with Tony Chicotel from California Advocates for Nursing Home Refor...

In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), this webinar from the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) discussed how to identify and respond to signs of trauma and potential abuse or neglect and support residents as Ombudsman programs resume in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Laura Mosqueda, a national and international expert on elder abuse and n...

In this conversation with Consumer Voice learn about how residents, families, and advocates can use guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to facilitate in-person visitation. While the new guidance expands visitation, many residents and families still have questions and concerns. After providing a brief overview of the CMS guidance, we discuss several of the most common...

When the needs of residents living with dementia are met, incidences of resident stress are significantly reduced. Practicing person-centered approaches and interventions increase the likelihood that the message being communicated by the resident will be heard and addressed, leading to better outcomes and more satisfaction for the individual. Join our conversation with Dr. Jonathan Evans as we tal...

On March 13, 2021, it will be one year since the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an order preventing everyone but essential healthcare workers from entering facilities. To date, despite some loosening of visitation restrictions, tens of thousands of residents have still not seen their families and loved ones in person. Chronic short-staffing of nursing homes that plagued facil...

In March of 2020, as COVID-19 was spreading through nursing homes at alarming rates, nursing home doors were closed to outside visitors, keeping out families, friends and other members of the community. At the same time, most residents were required to stay in their rooms, doors often shut, having little contact with others. A survey of nursing home residents by Altarum provides a look at the impa...

Residents of nursing homes have rights that are guaranteed by the federal Nursing Home Reform Law. The law requires nursing homes to “promote and protect the rights of each resident” and stresses individual dignity and self-determination. A person living in a long-term care facility maintains the same rights as an individual in the larger community. Under the federal Older Americans Act (OAA) ever...

Too often, caregivers are ill-equipped to address the needs of persons living with dementia, especially those related to behavioral health. In this episode we are sharing with you a presentation held at the 2020 Consumer Voice Virtual Conference. Listen as we explore strategies, effective treatments, and support for residents and families who often need help understanding their rights and how to g...

Everyone living in a long-term care facility deserves good care that meets their needs and takes into account their likes, dislikes, preferences, and goals. But what does that mean? And how do we achieve it? Today we're talking with Sonya Barsness, a Masters-prepared Gerontologist, about a philosophy that honors the needs, preferences, and goals of elders by emphasizing choice, self-determination,...

Even before COVID-19, families have played a key role in advocating for their loved ones in nursing homes. Many family's jobs got harder when facilities shut down visitation in March, but even as visitation slowly opens back up, many are still struggling with how best to advocate for their family members. Something that is important to remember is that, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, residents...

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted residents of long-term care facilities and their families. In March, the federal government and most state governments ordered long-term care facilities – nursing homes and assisted living facilities – to ban all but essential healthcare workers from entering the facility. That has meant no access to family members, friends, the long-term care Ombud...

Every resident in long-term care is entitled to quality, individualized care. But what does quality care look like? What are the warning signs of poor care? What red flags should you be looking for in a facility? And what can you do when you see them? Join us for a conversation with Eden Ruiz-Lopez, Assistant Deputy Director at the National Center on Elder Abuse, as we discuss putting a stop to po...

Many families find themselves making difficult decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these decisions involve substantially changing their own living arrangements. In some cases, financial necessity may lead adult children to consider moving back home with their aging parents. In other situations, families may be struggling to decide if they should bring their loved one home from a nursin...

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in families unable to visit their loved ones living in long-term care facilities. For many residents and families, particularly some living with dementia, virtual forms of communication, such as video conferencing or phone calls have not been successful. How can families successfully communicate with their loved ones with dementia from a distance? How can staff b...

Everyone who enters a long-term care facility deserves quality, person-centered care. Too many residents, however, are being given off-label antipsychotic drugs to control challenging behaviors or for caregiver convenience. When used this way, these drugs are chemical restraints. In this discussion with Kelly Bagby of AARP Foundation Litigation we’ll talk about why the off-label use of antipsychot...