Through the Volunteer of the Year
(VOY), ID/DD Hero of the Year, Not for Profit (NFP) Program of the
Year and NFP Trustee awards programs, the American Health Care Association
and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) honor those individuals
who are dedicated to improving the quality of lives of residents and their
surrounding communities. The deadline
for AHCA receipt of all nominations is Friday, June
9, 2017. The nomination
applications can be found here.
Just as a reminder, whereas the Volunteers of
the Year nomination form MUST be submitted by a state affiliate organization,
the ID/DD Hero of the Year, the NFP Program of the Year and NFP Trustee nomination
forms can be member-submitted directly to AHCA electronically. All nominations must be typed and submitted
electronically this year. Faxed or
handwritten nominations are not accepted.
Honorees in each category will be recognized at AHCA/NCAL’s 68th
Annual Convention and Expo, October 16-18,
2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dirk
Anjewierden and Greg Elliot were announced as the 2017 Joe Warner Advocacy
Award honorees by AHCA/NCAL. Both Anjewierden and Elliot will accept their
awards at the 2017 AHCA/NCAL Congressional Briefing.
Dirk
Anjewierden is Executive Director of the Utah Health Care Association in Salt
Lake City and acts as the key advocate for both state and federal issues
affecting long term and post-acute care in the state.
Greg
Elliot is a Vice President at American Medical Facilities Management, based out
of West Virginia. Elliot is an integral supporter of skilled nursing and
assisted living providers both in West Virginia and in the nation’s capital.
Both
Anjewierden and Elliot will be honored at the AHCA/NCAL Congressional Briefing,
where attendees can also hear from key voices from Capitol Hill and prepare to
advocate in front of Members of Congress on behalf of the patients they serve.
AHCA/NCAL’s
Congressional Briefing will be held in Washington, D.C. on June 5th and 6th.
The early registration deadline is May 8th, but hotel rooms are already filling
fast. Attendees are encouraged to register soon and visit the AHCA/NCAL website for more information.
The
National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) recently revealed “Family is
Forever” as this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week®. The annual, national observance provides a
unique opportunity for residents, their loved ones, staff, volunteers, and
surrounding communities to celebrate the individuals served in assisted living
and learn more about this sector of long term care.
“Anyone
who has spent valuable time in an assisted living community has seen how staff
can come to think of their residents like family,” said NCAL Executive Director
Scott Tittle. “It takes a special person to work in our profession, and often,
caregivers form bonds that can never be broken.
This National Assisted Living Week, we want to recognize these amazing
individuals who give their heart and soul to their residents, as well as those
seniors and individuals with disabilities who leave a lasting imprint on their
caregivers.”
Established
by NCAL in 1995, National Assisted Living Week (NALW) will be held Sept. 10-16,
2017. This year’s theme is inspired by a
quote from the poet Maya Angelou: “Family isn’t always blood, it’s the people
in your life who want you in theirs: the ones who accept you for who you are,
the ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter
what.” Assisted living communities across the country are encouraged to
organize activities and events during NALW that celebrate these deep
connections between staff and residents.
The
“Family is Forever” logo is available for download to assisted living
communities, stakeholders, and members of the public on the NALW website. In the coming months, NCAL will issue a
planning guide and product catalog centered on ways to celebrate “Family is
Forever.” Please visit www.NALW.org for updated information and resources.
The
California Association of Health Facilities and the American Health Care
Association have put together a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) and Intermediate
Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
(ICF/IID) Emergency Preparedness CMS Final Rule summaries that can be found here. The rule
was released on Friday, September 16, 2016, and can be found here. Providers
will need to comply by November 2017.
Members impacted by the rule include SNFs, Nursing Facilities and
ICF/IIDs. This final rule is not applicable to Assisted Living
Providers.
Finally,
the AHCA Emergency Preparedness Final Rule Webinar Series that you might find
of assistance can be found here.
AHCA's Research Department has released
the following June 2016 updates for use by AHCA/NCAL members:
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.
Holly Jarek, AHCA's
ID/DD Committee Chair, encourages AHCA's ID/DD providers to participate in our grassroots
advocacy efforts in 2017. 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), during
AHCA’s ID/DD Residential Services Providers annual Hill Fly-In event.
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 115th Congress, first session, can be found here.
The tentative U.S. Senate schedule for 2017 can be found here.
