The 2018 AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo – Early Bird Savings Ends Next Week!

A stable workforce directly impacts the quality of care you provide at your centers.  That’s why this year’s convention includes devoted to workforce issues. You’ll find sessions on recruitment, retention, Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ), and more.  You’ll also share ideas and concerns with other long term and post-acute care professionals who understand exactly what you’re facing on a day-to-day basis.  You are sure to walk away with specific strategies and plans to help you create the strong workforce culture you need to succeed.

So don’t delay.  Get all the details and select the registration package that meets your needs.  Early bird savings ends July 20.

AHCA/NCAL Joins Letter to HHS on RAISE Family Caregivers Act Implementation

The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), along with 73 other national organizations, recently sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Azar regarding the enactment of the bipartisan Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act (P.L. 115-119). The organizations that signed onto the letter urged immediate and effective implementation of this law to help better recognize and support our country’s family caregivers.  AHCA/NCAL supported this legislation on the Hill, and when it was signed into law by the U.S. President earlier this year. The RAISE Family Caregivers Act requires the HHS Secretary to develop a strategy to support family caregivers. 

According to AARP, about 40 million family caregivers provide about $470 billion annually in unpaid care to their loved ones. About 3.7 million family caregivers provide care to a child under age 18 because of a medical, behavioral, or other condition or disability, and 6.5 million family caregivers assist both adults and children.

2018 ICF/IID Reports Now Available

AHCA's Research Department has released the following June 2018 updates for use by AHCA/NCAL members (Login Required):

LTC Stats: Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) Standard Health Survey Report, June 2018
LTC Stats: Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID), Facility and Resident Characteristics, June 2018

The standard health survey report includes Emergency Preparedness (E-tags) this year for the first time.

If you have any questions relating to these reports, which include important ICF/IID state and national data, please contact AHCA’s Research Director, Kiran Sreenivas.

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Grassroots Advocacy – Facility Visits Over Recess

Holly Jarek, AHCA's ID/DD Committee Chair, encourages AHCA's ID/DD providers to participate in our grassroots advocacy efforts in 2018.  AHCA would like to help you get facility tours and in-district meetings set up over future recess days.  Please provide your name, facility address, and email address and we will craft the invite and send it to you to send to the Congressional office.  The four brief steps for a successful facility tour visit can be found here.  Please feel free to contact Matthew Smyth and Dana Halvorson who can help you with all of the logistics.

U.S. Congressional Calendars

As you are planning your visits with members of Congress and their staff in Washington, D.C., or in your district, the Congressional calendars will be of assistance to you.  The U.S. House of Representatives calendar for the 115^th Congress, second session, can be found here.  The U.S. Senate schedule for 2018 can be found here​.

AHCA/NCAL Advocacy App

If you haven’t already heard about it, then we wanted to alert you to a great app that allows you to keep abreast of AHCA advocacy efforts.  Among other things, it provides important talking points, issue briefs and features that allow you to take action.  It will be useful not only to you, but serves as a great way for providers to weigh in.  You can get the app by clicking on the appropriate black box below.

 

Download our advocacy app!

   

VOR Corner

VOR is a national nonprofit organization advocating for high quality care and human rights for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). VOR empowers its members to make and protect quality of life choices for individuals with developmental disabilities.  Founded in 1983, VOR is a national 501(c)(3) organization governed by a volunteer board of directors and funded solely by dues and donations.  VOR represents primarily individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families/guardians.  VOR advocates that the final determination of what is appropriate depends on the unique abilities and needs of the individual and desires of the family and guardians.  More information about VOR can be found here.  For more information, contact info@vor.net or call them toll-free at 877-399-4867.

Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association (DDNA) and 2019 Annual Conference

As the premier resource for practicing I/DD nurses, DDNA is committed to providing quality education programs that include cutting edge content with practical application.  The DDNA 27^th Annual Education Conference will be held in New Orleans, LA, from June 7 – 10, 2019.  For more information about the DDNA conference or to become a member, visit their website at: DDNA.org.

We’ve Got You Covered! AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions Website

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) now offers a variety of comprehensive insurance programs to meet your business needs. Backed by the strength of our membership, AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions programs are designed with exclusive member savings and discounts for both the fully-insured or self-insured members.

The program offers health insurance options, group and voluntary benefit packages, an aggressive Stop-Loss insurance program as well as cloud based HR platforms that will help members achieve savings and greater efficiencies on HR services within your company, while also tracking and reporting on key Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements.  For more information, please contact AHCA’s Dave Kyllo at dkyllo@AHCA.org and visit the AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions website.  

AHCA’s State of the States Clearinghouse

AHCA members have access to key Medicaid and Medicare information through the State of the States Clearinghouse.  The AHCA State of the States Clearinghouse is a one stop shop for key Medicaid and Medicare information impacting the long term care profession.

This resource provides valuable data, including:

• Overview of the demographic landscape;
• State-specific nursing center occupancy and ownership breakouts; 
• Certificate of Need requirements for nursing centers and state licensure requirements; 
• State data on the cost of care for long term services and supports;  
• State data on the total number of Medicare enrollees; 
• Data on state Medicare Advantage plan enrollees and comparisons to the national average; 
• State and national Medicaid expenditure data;
• State Medicaid rates, costs and shortfalls;
• And other significant state-specific data related to payment structure, managed long term services and home and community based services coverage.

AHCA will continue to provide the most up-to-date information through the Clearinghouse and share new data/resources as they become available.  Also be sure to visit the AHCA Medicaid Page to learn more about the program and to access additional AHCA members-only Medicaid resources.

Articles and Resources of Interest

• AHCA/NCAL Announces 2018 Silver National Quality Award Recipients – ahcancal.org
• AHCA/NCAL Named a Top Workplace by the Washington Post – ahcancal.org
• Provider Magazine Wins Award – longtermcareleader.com
• Understanding Your Cyber Liability Risks in Long Term Care – longtermcareleader.com
• Decrease Your Odds of Getting the #1 Cited F Tag with AHCA/NCAL’s Highly Rated Infection Prevention and Control Training – longtermcareleader.com
• Specialized Training is an Effective Tool for Retaining Qualified Workers – longtermcareleader.com
• Be Survey Ready: Know Whether Your Emergency Preparedness Program Plan Crosswalks to CMS’ Guidelines – longtermcareleader.com
• Be Seen Where Health Care Professionals Go to Look for Work – longtermcareleader.com
• From Chaos to Focus: The Quality Initiative is Your Answer – longtermcareleader.com
• Vets’ Home Staffer Runs Half Marathon on Artificial Leg to Honor the Fallen – lebanonlocalnews.com
• Caregiver Shortages Exacerbated By Soaring Housing Prices – disabilityscoop.com
• Study: Most Kids Still Aren’t Screened For Developmental Delays – disabilityscoop.com

Legislative and Agency Corner

• DOJ Arrests in $2B Health Care Fraud Takedown – longtermcareleader.com
• AHCA Responds to Regulatory Concerns from State AGs – longtermcareleader.com
• Provider Reporting of Adverse Legal Actions – longtermcareleader.com
• Trump Administration Delays Special Ed Rule – disabilityscoop.com
• Feds Urge Steps To Make Group Homes Safer – disabilityscoop.com
• Straw Bans Face Opposition From Disability Advocates – disabilityscoop.com

AHCA/NCAL Learning Management Website

AHCA/NCAL has a comprehensive online Learning Management System to support the training needs of its members. The website, known as ahcancalED, contains a wealth of information including educational programs, webinars, instructional videos, training courses, and other tools. It is available free to AHCA/NCAL members.

"We created ahcancalED for our members who do not have the time or budget to develop the newest in-service training," said Dr. David Gifford, AHCA/NCAL Senior Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Affairs. "Our objective also was to provide the best and latest educational tools, especially as CMS increases its regulatory requirements about staff training and competency in a number of areas. ahcancalED is designed to help individuals in our profession do a better job of caring for patients and residents and advance in their careers."

The information on ahcancalED is structured to make the online learning experience engaging, meaningful, and interactive for users. The fresh graphics and clearly defined sections within the site make it easy for users to navigate and find the information they need. The site also allows users to track their own learning progress.

Teams of experts from around the country working with AHCA/NCAL staff helped to create the content. "We will constantly be adding new programs and materials so that we can keep the site fresh and dynamic," said Gifford. "We'll continue to look for new ways the site can grow and serve our members. It's a great value-added benefit and a tangible example of our commitment to enhancing quality."

ahcancalED can be accessed at https://educate.ahcancal.org/. Suggestions for content or other site enhancements can be submitted to the ahcancalED team at educate@ahca.org. AHCA/NCAL welcomes ideas that will help improve quality and strengthen the knowledge, skills and attitudes of staff in the long term and post-acute care community.

Webinars of Interest

Stay informed and tune in to ahcancalED for several pre-recorded and live webinars on topics impacting the long-term care profession. Webinars that might be of interest are noted below.  

• Patient-Driven Payment Model – An Overview, AHCA Priority Comments, and Outlook for the Final Rule
• International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI)
• Protecting your Tax Exempt Status....It's not just a legal issue
• The Value of Strong Relationships with the Medical Director and Medical Providers in Achieving Desired Clinical and Performance Outcomes

You also might be interested in an AADMD Virtual Grand Rounds Aging in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities webinar, which can be viewed here.  The ARC has also has webinars this year that might be of interest. 

From the Blog of Josh Linkner

Noted on the Josh Linkner blog, “To Josh Linkner, creativity and innovation are the lifeblood of all human progress. As such, he’s spent his career harnessing the power of creative disruption.  His journey has been non-traditional at every step. As the founder and CEO of four tech companies, Josh built his businesses from a blank page into a combined value of over $200 million. As a hyper-growth CEO of over 20 years, he’s used innovative approaches to topple competitors, fight through adversity, and achieve at the highest levels.”  The bio section of Linkner’s blog goes on to include that, “Josh is an internationally-recognized thought leader and top-rated keynote speaker on innovation, creativity, reinvention, and hyper-growth leadership. His keynotes are focused on not only inspiring audiences, but also sharing actionable strategies to drive meaningful outcomes.” 

Read some of Linkner’s blogs below.  In addition, you can view some of his keynote speaking addresses here.

• Inch-Wide, Mile-Deep
• The “Do Different”
• Your Second (and Most Important) Job
• The Three Levers of Productivity (#3 May Surprise You)
• How Cheating Led to a Creative Breakthrough
• Blimp Worthy
• Could Ford Have Dodged the F-150 Fiasco

National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) holds a monthly call or webinar concerning topics of interest to those who work in the field of aging and disability.  One of the past calls focused on resources for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and their caregivers.  Information about future calls, and audio recording of previous ones, can be found here.

Upcoming 2018/2019 Events

• AHCA/NCAL 69th Annual Convention and Exposition (San Diego, CA) – October 7-10, 2018
• A Day for ID/DD Providers at Convention (San Diego, CA) – October 9, 2018
• AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit (Tampa, FL) – March 18 – 20, 2019
• AHCA/NCAL Independent Owner Leadership Conference 2019 (Tampa, FL) – March 20 – 22, 2019    

2018 Health Care Observances

August 2018 marks, among other observances, National Immunization Awareness Month, Medic Alert Awareness Month, and Psoriasis Awareness Month.  The 2018 Healthcare Observances Calendar can be found here.