AHCA/NCAL’s ID/DD Hill Fly-in Event Set for March 6, 2019

AHCA/NCAL’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) Residential Services Providers will be in Washington, D.C., for AHCA/NCAL’s annual Hill Fly-In event on Wednesday, March 6, 2019. Participants will hear from Congressional speakers and others.  The event runs from 8 am – 10:15 am ET.  After the morning event is over, the ID/DD providers will head to Capitol Hill to discuss critical issues, including Medicaid. 

If you have any questions relating to this event or would like to attend (it is free to attend, and breakfast and lunch are provided), please don’t hesitate to contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson.  

Final Reminder on the 2019 Quality Award Application Deadline that is Tomorrow!

The 2019 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award application deadline is this Thursday, January 31.  Don't miss out on the opportunity to be recognized for your commitment to quality care with this national honor.  The deadline to apply is quickly approaching on January 31, 2019 at 8 p.m. EST!  Log on to the Quality Award portal to submit today.  For more information on the Quality Award Program, visit www.ahcancal.org/qualityaward or email our staff at qualityaward@ahca.org.   

Importance of Practicing Your Emergency Preparedness Plan

On January 28, 2019, McKnight’s released an article entitled, “‘This could have been a nightmare’ - evacuation plan succeeds during LTC facility’s gas disaster.” According to the article, St. Clare Newport in Rhode Island successfully evacuated all 87 of its residents last week when it lost its heat amid a regional gas outage, during single digit temperatures.  The continuing care retirement community had prepared for such circumstances previously, running drills twice a year.  You can read the full story here.

In addition to planning for natural disasters, staff and facilities must be prepared for other emergencies, such as pandemics, influenza, active shooters and more.  All emergency situations must be handled swiftly, diligently and with the utmost care for staff and patients.  AHCA/NCAL has a dedicated website page with emergency preparedness resources that we believe you will find of assistance.  The page, which can be found here, includes resources by state to information on the CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule that was released in 2016.  If you have any questions on the work AHCA/NCAL is doing around emergency preparedness, please contact AHCA’s Erin Prendergast for SNF and AL focuses and AHCA’s Dana Halvorson for ICF/IID related questions.

‘Live Soulfully’ Announced as 2019 Theme for National Skilled Nursing Care Week

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) recently announced “Live Soulfully” as the 2019 theme for National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW), which will be held May 12-18.  The theme “Live Soulfully” will celebrate skilled nursing centers, and their residents and staff, by showcasing how they achieve happy minds and healthy souls.  Whether it’s planting, cooking, reading or listening to music, these centers pay it forward by helping individuals find happiness to improve quality of life.  Centers will be encouraged to participate by hosting activities that display how they “Live Soulfully” and share their stories and experiences on social media. 

“Each and every person in our profession makes an impact on the lives of our residents,” said AHCA/NCAL President and CEO Mark Parkinson. “National Skilled Nursing Care Week celebrates our centers and caregivers for their tireless everyday work caring for others.”

Established by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) in 1967, NSNCW, formerly known as National Nursing Home Week, recognizes the essential role of skilled nursing care centers in caring for America’s frail, elderly, and disabled.  Skilled nursing care centers and members of the public can download NSNCW promotional materials at www.ahcancal.org/NSNCW and are encouraged to share activities, ideas, and experiences for the observance on social media using the hashtag, #NSNCW.  AHCA will issue a planning guide and product catalog in late February.  For more information on National Skilled Nursing Care Week, visit www.ahcancal.org/NSNCW​.

Long Term Care Sector Addresses Caregiver Shortage with Innovative Workforce Resource Center

Finding a qualified workforce is one of the largest challenges facing long term care providers. The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) recently unveiled new resources to help members attract and retain qualified caregivers in the more than 13,700 member centers nationwide. 

The online Workforce Resource Center includes resources and tools for AHCA/NCAL members to learn more about effective strategies for recruiting, retention and staff development.  The association also announced a partnership with PHI, a leading provider of workforce training programs.  PHI offers a range of services that help providers attract quality workers, promote excellent care, reduce turnover and achieve cost efficiencies. AHCA/NCAL and PHI will provide coaching, training and consulting to help long term care providers deliver quality care. 

“Our members have been clear that staffing is one of their biggest challenges,” said Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “The tools we’ve developed, and our partnership with the premier organization in long term care training and development, will provide valuable resources for our members.” 

The health care system has experienced a shortage of trained caregivers for critical roles for some time. The federal government estimates nearly 27 million people will need some kind of long term care by 2050, magnifying the workforce shortage that already exists. 

“AHCA/NCAL will continue to develop workforce resources that help our members maintain the high quality of care they provide for America’s seniors and people with disabilities,” said Parkinson.  

ICF/IID Reports

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 2019.  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-Halladay (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.