ICF/IID Emergency Preparedness CMS Final Rule Summary

The California Association of Health Facilities and AHCA have put together an Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) Emergency Preparedness CMS Final Rule summary that can be found here.  The rule was released on Friday, September 16, 2016, and can be found here.  Members impacted by the rule include Skilled Nursing Facilities, Nursing Facilities and ICFs/IID.  This final rule is not applicable to Assisted Living Providers.

ICF/IID Reports

AHCA's Research Department has released the following June 2016 updates for use by AHCA/NCAL members:

• LTC Stats: Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) Standard Health Survey Report, June 2016
• LTC Stats: Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID), June 2016

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

November is National Family Caregivers Month

This month is National Family Caregivers Month.  According to a blog posting by the AARP chief advocacy and engagement officer, Nancy LeaMond, “National Family Caregivers Month is a time to recognize the 40 million Americans who take care of a loved one.”  She goes on to note that “together, family caregivers spend 37 billion hours each year providing unpaid assistance to their loved ones — a contribution valued at $470 billion.  They help with bathing and dressing, driving to appointments, preparing meals, managing medications, handling finances and so much more.”  You can read the full blog posting here.  The theme for National Family Caregivers Month November 2016 is “Take Care to Give Care,” which you can find here.

Thank You for Supporting a Day for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) Residential Services Providers at Convention

AHCA/NCAL’s constituency education program for ID/DD providers was held last month in Nashville, TN, and was packed with motivational and educational speakers. The keynote speaker, John O’Leary (pictured), was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, he created a massive explosion in his garage and was burned on 100% of his body. Given less than 1% chance of survival, John is proof of the power of the human spirit. Using his fire story as a backdrop, John inspired participants to take back their life, see the abundant possibility within their professional and personal challenges, and change the world. Participants also had the opportunity to hear from other top-notch speakers. To learn more about this day, which will be held again next year at the AHCA/NCAL Convention in Las Vegas, please don’t hesitate to contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson.

Congrats to Our AHCA/NCAL 2016 Award Recipients

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) honored the recipients for the 2016 AHCA/NCAL Awards program last month.  Each year, AHCA/NCAL recognizes the men and women who selflessly care for individuals in long term and post-acute care centers, ID/DD residences, and assisted living communities.  Honorees demonstrate selflessness, compassion, and strive to enhance the lives of the elderly and intellectually or developmentally disabled in their communities.

The 2016 AHCA/NCAL Awards recipients are:

• Hero of the Year- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: John Lair, New Hope Services a division of Medicalodges, Inc., Pittsburg, KS
• Not for Profit Program of the Year: Chaparral House, Berkeley, CA
• Not for Profit Trustee Award: Robert Martin, Madison County Nursing Home, Canton, MS
• Adult Volunteer of the Year: Randy McQueen, Mercy Living Plus, Oelwein, IA
• Group Volunteer of the Year: Adopt A Senior, Jackson, NJ
• Young Adult Volunteer of the Year: Zach Severson, Good Samaritan Society, Canton, SD

The Hero of the Year award recognizes an individual who works or volunteers in an ICF/IID facility or HCBS Waiver Homes and has shown commitment and dedication to serving people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.  The Not for Profit Program of the Year award highlights a specific program that adds value to the care of individuals within a community.  The NFP Trustee of the Year Award recognizes the vital role played by members of the Board of Trustees in not for profit nursing centers.  The Volunteer of the Year program seeks to honor a young adult (under 19), an adult, and a group organization that have served in a volunteer capacity for more than one year and have made a positive contribution to residents and staff of a care center.

Award recipients were honored at the AHCA/NCAL 67th Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee on October 19, 2016.

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 2016.  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.

AHCA’s ID/DD Committee members, Renee Naylor (pictured to the left) and Kelly Head (pictured to the right), met with Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5) last year, during AHCA’s ID/DD Residential Services Providers annual Hill Fly-In event. 

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 114^th Congress, second session, can be found here.  The U.S. Senate schedule for 2016 can be found here. The dates in blue reference the times the U.S. Senate is in session.  The red dates represent when the U.S. Senate is in recess.