News In Brief - May 29, 2014

Thanks for a great Annual Conference!
Thank you to all of the provider and business members who joined us at our Annual Conference at Eagle Crest Resort last week! So much great learning, sharing and having fun together, it truly is the highlight of our year. We posted many photos from the conference on our Facebook page, take a look (you don’t have to be a Facebook member to view them!)

Who will you put forward for LeadingAge Oregon Leadership Academy 2014-2015?
It’s that time of year when we turn our attention to recruiting the next LeadingAge Oregon Leadership Academy class! Please take a look around your community or company and see if you have staff who would benefit from a year-long program dedicated to honing leadership skills and creating connections with emerging leaders from other organizations. Staff at provider and business member organizations are eligible. Applications are due July 15, and class members will be selected and notified by the end of July. Read more in the application, which is posted on our Leadership Academy web page.

Guardianships, medication diversion among topics at Elder Abuse Summit
Have you registered to attend the June 10 Elder Abuse Awareness & Prevention Summit? Staff members at senior care and housing organizations are in a position to be among the first to recognize, prevent or respond to elder abuse in all its forms. This year’s summit, to be held at the Holiday Inn in Wilsonville, will focus on financial exploitation and will include the following topics:

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum will deliver the keynote address. Cost to attend is just $35; the summit is sponsored by OHCA and LeadingAge Oregon. Read more. Register to attend.

Free learning event to focus on coordinating care across settings
Acumentra Health is sponsoring a free learning program on Thursday, June 26 for nursing homes, hospitals and other care providers to learn how to better coordinate care across different settings. “Integrating Care in Oregon Communities: Innovations for Improving Patient Care Across Settings” will focus on CPT transition codes; data; care coordination and patient activation. The full-day program will be held at the Center for Meeting & Learning at Lane Community College in Eugene. Learn more. Register.

CMS revises guidance on undercooked eggs in nursing homes
Nursing facilities should use pasteurized shell eggs or liquid pasteurized eggs to eliminate the risk of residents contracting salmonella, according to new CMS guidance. According to the guidance, nursing homes can honor resident choice for soft-cooked or sunny side up eggs by using pasteurized eggs. Unpasteurized shell eggs for individual consumption must be cooked until egg and white are firm. The use of risk agreements regarding the eating of undercooked, unpasteurized eggs is prohibited. Read more.

10 Powerful Senior Living Statistics updated
A blog post entitled 10 Powerful Senior Living Statistics was so popular when LeadingAge partner Glynn Devins posted it in 2011, they decided to follow up with new statistics for 2014. This year’s numbers reveal, among other things, that satisfaction levels at senior living communities remain strong, and providers would be wise not to ignore mobile website traffic. Take a look at the new numbers.

Do you need a license to play music in your community?
The answer to that question may be yes. Discussion on the LeadingAge listservs about this issue is increasing again, as members are being contacted by one or more of the three entities that hold copyrights for music: BMI, SESAC or ASCAP. The copyright holders are asking that LeadingAge members apply and pay for a license to play music in their communities. Read a discussion of this issue by Steve Maag at LeadingAge.

Cedar Sinai Park joins with eight other nonprofits to assist affordable housing residents
The CEOs of nine nonprofit agencies in the Portland area, including LeadingAge Oregon member Cedar Sinai Park, met last week to formally sign the paperwork to become a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) for the purpose of helping older adults and those with disabilities living in affordable housing. The nine organizations will develop a home and community-based system for residents in 11 affordable housing buildings in Portland. The project will begin providing services in July. Kudos to David Fuks and his visionary staff and board for making this innovative program a reality. Read more.

AgeTech West

There’s still time to submit a presentation proposal for AgeTech West conference
Time is running out to submit a presentation proposal for the 2014 AgeTech West conference, which will be held at the Hyatt Olive 8 in Seattle November 17-18. The Call for Presentations deadline is June 15. AgeTech West is seeking proposals for concurrent sessions that provide the latest technology-enabled care experiences, guidance and opportunities for West Coast aging services leaders. Read more about the conference. Access the presentation proposal form (right column of web page).