News In Brief - March 27, 2014

And the HUD saga continues…
According to Colleen Bloom at LeadingAge, the U.S. Court of Appeals has once again ruled in favor of the plaintiffs (and against HUD) in a case where some Project-Based Contract Administrators (PBCA) filed suit against HUD to protest the latest PBCA contract awards. Oregon is one of 42 states where the current PBCA, Oregon Housing and Community Services, has continued in that role until all lawsuits are resolved. At this point HUD can issue a new procurement or request a review or rehearing with the Court of Appeals. LeadingAge will keep us posted.

Oregon Patient Safety Commission issues 2014 recognition targets
Oregon nursing homes will meet the Oregon Patient Safety Commission recognition targets for 2014 if they submit just four adverse event reports to the commission and 1 of those four reports meet the commission’s quality benchmark. Facilities will exceed the target if they meet additional quality and timeliness criteria. These minimal recognition standards are designed to encourage more Oregon nursing homes to submit adverse event reports to the Commission, which in turn analyzes the data so information can be shared about how to prevent adverse events. LeadingAge Oregon members are strongly encouraged to learn more and begin reporting if you are not already doing so.

Oregon guardianship reform efforts moving forward
Work to bolster and reform Oregon’s guardianship resources and practices are moving forward on several fronts:

With the Legislature’s passage earlier this year of a law to establish a public guardianship program, additional volunteers with guardianship expertise are being sought for the Long-term Care Ombudsman Advisory Committee. The hiring process for the Public Guardian is expected to begin in May.

Multnomah County is piloting the Special Advocates for Vulnerable Oregonians (SAVO) program, with the goal of the program going statewide. Volunteer advocates are being trained to visit with guardians and their protected persons to make sure protected individuals’ needs are being met, and to see if the guardians need any information or assistance.

Training for lay fiduciaries, including guardians, as well as informational publications about guardianship are in development. These resources will be added to the guardianship resources section on the Aging and People with Disabilities’ website.

Have you added photos and information to your LeadingAge listing?
LeadingAge is preparing to launch a brand new Member Directory for its not-for-profit provider members, but is waiting until more members have updated their listings with photos, links and descriptions of their organization’s special features. If you need to update several communities, contact Alishia Parkhill at LeadingAge, [email protected], and she will provide information on how to do this easily. Access instructions on how to update your listing.

HUD housing members: Are you experiencing funding issues?
LeadingAge is beginning to hear stories of some HUD housing members having issues with funds being held up. If you are experiencing issues with Section 8, PRAC or Service Coordinator funding that should be coming from HUD, please contact Colleen Bloom, [email protected].

CMS posts MDS 3.0 training videos
The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) has posted links to training videos on MDS 3.0 Sections I, G, M and O. The videos are all viewable on YouTube. Access the videos.

Home care workforce expected to explode in next eight years
The number of home-based direct care workers may outnumber facility-based staff by nearly two to one within the next eight years, according to a new analysis by the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute. The organization projects home health sector growth at 50 percent by 2022, nearly five times the growth rate of all occupations nationwide. Read more on the website of Long-term Living magazine.

Have you registered for Annual Conference?
Don’t forget that registration is now open for our May 18-21 Annual Conference at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to sign up for our Sunday afternoon recreation options, including our annual Golf Tournament (all golfing abilities welcome!) and the Big Eddy rafting trip on the Deschutes. If you are wondering what the rafting trip is like…check out our Facebook page for a photo from a prior conference!

Business members: Space in our trade show is running out!
Business Associates, if you haven’t yet reserved your space in our Annual Conference trade show, you’ll want to do it soon, as the available spots are diminishing! We also have sponsorship opportunities so you can gain additional exposure. And don’t forget that you can combine your booth fees and sponsorships to reach our 2014 Corporate Partner level. Access the Exhibitor Brochure and Exhibitor online registration on our Annual Conference web page, and contact Karen Nichols, [email protected] if you’d like to discuss your options!

Deadlines for Annual Awards, Volunteers of the Year are fast approaching!

Have you sent in your nominations for the LeadingAge Oregon Unsung Hero, Caring Spirit and Innovative Program of the Year awards? We’re also looking for your 25-year Silver Star employee forms! Don’t forget that nominations are due Friday, April 4. Read more and access the online nomination forms.

Volunteer forms, photos and luncheon RSVPs are all due by Monday, April 7 for this year’s LeadingAge Oregon Volunteer Luncheon, which will be held on Tuesday, April 29 at Mennonite Village in Albany. The luncheon honors residents of LeadingAge Oregon member communities who volunteer in their senior living residence or surrounding communities. Contact Karen Nichols, [email protected], for more information.

AgeTech West

AgeTech West Call for Presentations now open
AgeTech West has released its Call for Presentations for the 2014 AgeTech West Conference, to be held November 17-18 at the Hyatt Olive 8 hotel in downtown Seattle. The conference will explore how technology can transform the aging services “user experience” for older adults and aging service providers alike. Read more and access the Call for Presentations on the AgeTech West website.