Pursuing Quality Long-Term Care

When a loved one enters long-term care, family members often find themselves stepping into a new and unexpected role: advocate. In this episode, Andrea DuBrow and Heather Tunis share their personal journeys from concerned family members to dedicated advocates for their loved ones in long-term care settings. Join us as we explore the vital role of family councils, the power of effective leadership, and the importance of advocacy in ensuring quality care. We also discuss strategies for building respectful and productive partnerships with staff and management, offering essential tips to help family members navigate the challenges of advocacy with confidence and purpose. Whether you're just beginning your advocacy journey or looking to strengthen your approach, this conversation provides invaluable guidance and information. Guests: Andrea DuBrow, Former Caregiver, Consumer Voice Leadership Council Member, Social Worker, Public Health Educator and Advocate; Heather Tunis, Family Care Manager, Management Consultant/Executive Coach, Long-Term Care Family Advocate

Consumer Voice's Public Policy Director, Sam Brooks, talks with Dr. Norma Coe, a professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Perleman School of Medicine, whose research on the minimum staffing rule in nursing homes found that the rule would save 13,000 resident lives annually. Sam and Dr. Coe will discuss the rule, its impact on residents, and the current barriers to its implementation. Guest: Dr. Norma Coe, Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Perleman School of Medicine

Currently, the reconciliation process is underway in Congress. At stake are hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, which would permanently alter the Medicaid program and have long-lasting and devastating impacts on tens of millions of Americans nationwide. In this episode, Consumer Voice's Public Policy Director, Sam Brooks, will discuss the reconciliation process with Nicole Jorwic and Gelila Selassie and what it will mean for Medicaid recipients, including nursing home residents and other consumers of long-term care supports and services. Additionally, this episode includes a call to action and lays out what you can do to help stop these catastrophic cuts to this essential healthcare program.

Although federal law and regulation prohibit the use of third party guarantees, some nursing homes may still attempt to get you to sign documents making you financially responsible for a nursing home stay. Join us for a conversation with experts Anna Anderson and Eric Carlson as they guide you through what you can do if a nursing home tries to hold you financially liable for someone else's nursing home stay. Guest: Eric Carlson, Director, Long-Term Services and Supports Advocacy, Justice in Aging; Anna Anderson, Staff Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

During this time of year nursing homes can expect to see an increase in people visiting their loved ones. This increase puts everyone at a higher risk of catching a cold or respiratory illnesses. Join us for a conversation as we dive into the latest CDC guidance on respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, for nursing home residents. We are joined by Dr. Erika Wallender from the CDC, and Lori Walsh, Consumer Voice Policy and Program Specialist, to discuss practical steps in reducing infection risks and best practices for staying safe during this upcoming respiratory season. We also remind residents and their families of their rights and protections while navigating life in a nursing home.

Election season is an exciting time that offers a renewed opportunity to shape public policy. For many long-term care residents, voting is a patriotic duty that has been respected and exercised over the course of their lifetime. Residents of long-term care have the same right to vote as everyone else. Join us for a conversation with Gwen Orlowski, Executive Director of Disability Rights New Jersey to discuss how residents and their families can ensure their voices are heard in the upcoming elections.

Guardianship is a tool intended to support individuals who have lost the capacity to make decisions for themselves. However, guardianship is an extreme step and can have a devastating impact on a person's well-being. In this episode, we will discuss guardianship over residents of long-term care facilities, less restrictive alternatives, and strategies for supporting residents under guardianship. Guests: Alison Hirschel, Director of the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative, and Emily Miller, Managing Attorney of the Crime Victims Legal Assistance Project of the Michigan Advocacy Program

Retaliation, and the fear of retaliation, can prevent residents and family members from raising their concerns about care and safety. It also has a chilling effect on the reporting of abuse or neglect in long-term care facilities, leaving many living in fear and without relief from harm. Retaliation can range from very subtle to obvious actions and it may be difficult to determine whether staff are retaliating or if a resident's needs are not being met for another reason, such as understaffing. Retaliation is never acceptable; it is a violation of the resident's rights. In this episode, join us for a conversation with an Ombudsman, a long-term care resident, and a gerontologist as we discuss how to identify retaliation, action steps to take when it does occur, and how to advocate to prevent retaliation from happening in the future. Guests: Tasha Erskine-Jackson, Regional Ombudsman, Connecticut Aging and Disability Services; Jeanette Martinez, Connecticut Long-Term Care Resident; and Eilon Caspi, Gerontologist and Dementia Behavior Specialist

In April 2024, a new federal rule requiring minimum staffing levels in nursing homes was released. This rule is an important step toward improving quality conditions in nursing homes and ensuring that residents receive the care they need. Listen in on a discussion between Consumer Voice's Lori Smetanka and Sam Brooks, who talk about the importance of the rule, what it says, and how we can start thinking about using it in advocating for quality care.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's (CMS) new minimum staffing standard requires facilities to provide 3.48 hours of care per resident per day. That translates into three hours and 29 minutes of care over 24 hours for each resident. This number is lower than what Consumer Voice and other consumer advocates, nursing professionals, and nursing home residents have been advocating for, for years. This number is lower than what studies have shown, for decades, will keep nursing home residents safe, but it will still raise staffing levels at many facilities. In this episode, you will hear an important conversation between four nursing home residents about their personal experiences with understaffing, their thoughts on the new minimum staffing standard released by CMS, and their plans for advocating for themselves and others moving forward. The residents in this conversation are all part of Consumer Voice's Consumer Advisory Council and we are grateful they made the time to share their thoughts with us. Special Guests: • Maurice Miller; Long-Term Care Resident in Maryland • Sharon Wallace, Long-Term Care Resident in New York • Cindy Napolitan Long-Term Care Resident in Texas • Margarite Grootjes, Long-Term Care Resident in Ohio

Every April, organizations across the country take the time to celebrate and thank their volunteers. Volunteers are the backbone of many Long-term Care Ombudsman Programs (LTCOP). With the help of volunteers, the Ombudsman program can have a regular presence in facilities and stay in touch with residents. Volunteers lend their time, talent, and voice to make a difference in their communities and the LTCOP could not be its best without the volunteers who help carry out the mission of advocating for long-term care residents. In this episode, the National Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) talks to a certified volunteer from New Jersey about her experience and dedicated advocacy. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) also joins to honor the over 4,000 people who serve as Long-Term Care Ombudsman volunteers. These specially trained volunteers visit nursing homes and residential care communities to advocate with and for the residents living there. By visiting on a regular basis, volunteers get to know residents and gain their trust to better assist them in resolving issues or complaints to help ensure they receive quality long-term care. Guests: Beverley Laubert, National Ombudsman Program Coordinator, Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, Administration for Community Living; Pat Murphy, Certified Volunteer Advocate, New Jersey Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

Since the pandemic began, there has been significant efforts by advocates to create better laws and regulations to protect nursing home residents. The pandemic and its devastating impact on nursing home residents has resulted in many states passing new laws or creating new regulations regarding a variety of areas, including staffing, transparency, and the nursing home workforce. On this episode, you will hear from two advocates that have been successful in getting new laws and regulations passed and promulgated. Tony Chicotel, Senior Staff Attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform and Pam Walz, Supervising Attorney at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, will discuss recent legislative and regulatory victories and how they helped ensure they were implemented.

Often the conversation about addressing the chronic poor care that exists in far too many of today's nursing homes is framed around new laws or regulations. Yet, there are steps that can be taken now - using existing federal and state legal authority - to improve care and conditions in our country's nursing homes. In our conversation, we will discuss four levers of opportunity for increasing quality and accountability in nursing homes with the author of "Using What We Have: How Existing Legal Authorities Can Help Fix America's Nursing Home Crisis." Special Guest: Nina Kohn, J.D., the Solomon Center Distinguished Scholar in Elder Law at Yale Law School, the David M. Levy Professor of Law at Syracuse University College of Law, and a leading authority in elder law and the civil rights of older persons.

Family caregivers have always played an integral role in promoting and achieving quality care for their loved ones living in a long-term care facility. The importance of the informal care and support provided by family members for a resident's physical, mental, and emotional well-being became abundantly clear during the pandemic when those essential supports were taken away during the pandemic. Yet, advocacy and engagement by family members benefits not only their own loved ones, but ultimately all residents in a long-term care facility. In our conversation with Marcella Goheen, a family member and advocate, we discuss how families can individually and collectively, through family councils, be a strong voice for quality and for change in nursing homes.

M.T. Connolly is a writer, lawyer, researcher, policy-shaper, and leading national expert on elder justice. In her new book, The Measure of Our Age: Navigating Care, Safety, Money, and Meaning Later in Life, M.T. discusses the challenges of aging, how things go wrong, and presents powerful tools we can use to forge better long lives for ourselves, our families, and our communities. In this episode, join our discussion with MT Connolly as we talk about the challenges of aging well, ageism, and advocacy for a better long-term care system.

For decades Consumer Voice has designated October as Residents' Rights Month. This month is an opportunity to recognize the value of each resident and the importance of treating every resident with dignity and respect. This year's theme, Amplify Our Voices, highlights residents coming together to make their voices heard. In this episode, join us as we speak with two resident advocates. Floyd Hartley is a former nursing home resident who now lives in the community and works as an advocate for all residents including those transitioning out of facilities. We also spoke with Cindy Napolitan, a current nursing home resident that has lived in two different nursing homes for over six years and has advocated for herself and others at the local, state, and federal level during that time. Floyd and Cindy discuss how they work to improve conditions for nursing home residents. Their constant effort and advocacy illustrate how residents can use their own voices to make systematic change for consumers in long-term care facilities.

Residents' Rights Month is celebrated every October and this year's theme, Amplify Our Voices, emphasizes a community of long-term care residents coming together to make their voices heard. As we lead into Residents' Rights Month, Consumer Voice spoke with two State Ombudsmen, Kelly Richards (Illinois) and Mairead Painter (Connecticut), who shared their experiences of amplifying the voices of long-term care consumers in their advocacy work. In this episode, Kelly and Mairead discuss a variety of ways that long-term care consumers in their states have advocated to make positive change, including using the media, working with legislators, and sharing their personal experiences and stories. Kelly and Mairead also talked about actions Ombudsman program representatives can take to incorporate the voices of residents in their advocacy.

When a person enters a nursing home, one of the first things they usually do is sign their admissions contract. Typically, these contracts contain pre-dispute arbitration agreements. These agreements take away your right to hold your nursing home accountable in court for any potential negligence or wrongdoing. “Pre-dispute” arbitration agreements require you to give up this right before the harm even occurs so you will never have the chance to decide if going to court is the right option for you. Nursing home residents have the right to refuse pre-dispute arbitration. In this episode, Consumer Voice's Jocelyn Bogdan speaks with Victoria Schall, an experienced trial attorney in the field of elder law, about why nursing home residents should not sign pre-dispute arbitration agreements, what rights residents have regarding these agreements, and what arbitration may look like for residents who have already signed their contracts.

Few lawsuits make it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, one brought by the family of Gorgi Talevski did just that -- and they won! The Talevski case decision is important in that it addresses the rights of nursing home residents, their ability to sue a state run (publicly owned) nursing home, and addresses the importance of the Nursing Home Reform Act in establishing the standard of care. Join our discussion with Suzana Talevski, attorney and daughter of Mr. Talevski; Maame Gyamfi, Senior Attorney at AARP Foundation Litigation; and Toby Edelman, Senior Policy Attorney with the Center for Medicare Advocacy. Ms. Gyamfi authored an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, brief on behalf of AARP and several other groups, including Consumer Voice. Ms. Edelman authored an amicus brief addressing the background and history of the Nursing Home Reform Act. In this episode, we discuss the lawsuit, the Supreme Court decision, and what this means for residents. To access the U.S. Supreme Court decision and briefs filed in this case, visit the U.S. Supreme Court website, Docket No. 21-806.

Although LGBTQ+ community members have the same rights as all other long-term care consumers, they often face hardship, such as discrimination and stigma, that their straight and cisgender counterparts do not. Even before entering long-term care, LGBTQ+ individuals are often concerned about whether the facility will accept them as who they are, and whether they will feel comfortable having partners and friends visit. LGBTQ+ older adults are less likely to have children to care for them and are more likely to live alone without a caretaker. Many LGBTQ+ older adults are not “out” because they fear discrimination. In this episode, we are joined by Sherrill Wayland, Director of Special Initiatives at SAGE (Services and Advocacy for LGBTQ Elders), the largest organization improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older adults, advocating for the community since the 1970s. Sherrill discusses some of the challenges these residents face, what questions LGBTQ+ older adults should ask when comparing facilities, and best practices for facilities to train staff and maintain an inclusive community. Despite the challenges that exist, Sherrill shares some encouraging indicators of progress among facilities in states across the country. For resources for LGBTQ+ residents and support from the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center, visit https://ltcombudsman.org/issues/lgbt-elders. To access SAGE resources for LGBTQ+ older adults, including its National LGBTQ+ Elder Hotline, visit www.sageusa.org.

Consumer Voice has long been concerned with the use of antipsychotics and other drugs in long-term care, as they are too often used as chemical restraints in place of providing adequate care. In this episode, Consumer Voice Executive Director, Lori Smetanka, is joined by award-winning writer/director Susie Singer Carter and former federal prosecutor Rick Mountcastle to discuss their upcoming documentary, No Country for Old People. Susie and Rick are collaborating on the film to promote conversations about the improper treatment and poor conditions many individuals in long-term care endure and spur action to address these failures in care. The documentary was inspired by Susie's mother and the ordeal she experienced in what was advertised as a five-star long-term care residence in Los Angeles. Without Susie's consent, her mother was given Depakote, a medication that was not approved for the treatment of dementia-related agitation. When she eventually came off the drug, which had a black-box warning, Susie noticed her mother's personality return to a limited degree, but her quality of life significantly worsened, and she would never walk again. As was true for many with family members in long-term care, the COVID-19 pandemic drew the curtain on what was really going on, even in reputable facilities. Susie connected with Rick, who led the investigation and charges against Depakote's manufacturer, Abbott Laboratories. Rick is also known for his prosecution of Purdue Pharma and its top executives for the false marketing of oxycontin and their contribution to the opioid crisis in America, as featured in the miniseries Dopesick. After they spoke, Susie realized that the use of chemical restraints in long-term care – as well as harmful neglect of residents – were systemic issues nationwide, not limited to her mother's facility in California. The two teamed up to co-produce the documentary, united in their sense of urgency to make this story heard. Consumer Voice agrees that a culture change is necessary to hold these facilities – many of which receive public funds – accountable for how they treat their residents. No Country for Old People is in development, but Susie and Rick intend to make the film available to as many people as possible. To learn more about the documentary or to donate to its production, please visit act.theconsumervoice.org/documentary.

The US Surgeon General referred to the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation in the United States as a public health crisis with profound consequences, and emphasized the need to prioritize social connections. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps no community was more impacted by loneliness and isolation than people living in long-term care. This seclusion led to many emotional, physical, and psychosocial health consequences. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Susan Wehry, a nationally recognized keynote speaker and workshop facilitator on depression, dementia, and healthy aging, about the impacts of severe isolation and extreme loneliness many residents have experienced, not just during the pandemic, but before and after. Dr. Whery discusses the value of being heard and ways staff, family members, and friends can work to help combat loneliness in long-term care moving forward.

As we are finding our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic and Public Health Emergency (PHE) that devastated so many lives – particularly in nursing homes – there is an opportunity to look back at what happened, both the good and the bad, and find the lessons we can learn from to perhaps do better in the future. This is particularly true in evaluating what was happening in long-term care facilities prior to and during the pandemic that affected their response to COVID-19, and the subsequent increase in staffing shortages that many facilities are experiencing. In this episode, Consumer Voice Executive Director, Lori Smetanka, talks with David Farrell, a licensed nursing home administrator who has spent his entire career in the long-term care profession, about the long-term care facilities that had better outcomes than their peers, or as David notes, facilities that “weathered the storm of COVID-19 and staffing crises.” David and his colleagues did a deep dive into those facilities that were outliers or stood out from their peers with regard to COVID-19 infections and staffing shortages, to try to determine what was happening that we could learn from, and hopefully replicate.

February marked the one-year anniversary of President Biden's announcement of historic nursing home reforms. Creating a minimum staffing standard, which would be the most significant increase in protections for nursing home residents in decades, was central to his plan. In this episode, we are sharing the audio from Consumer Voice's webinar that was part of the “Dignity for All: Staffing Standards Now!” campaign. This campaign is advocating for a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes. This discussion highlighted how there is little accountability for how nursing homes spend taxpayer dollars, despite receiving tens of billions of dollars each year in Medicare and Medicaid dollars. In this episode, you will hear Consumer Voice and Ernie Tosh discuss the new report, “Where do the Billions of Dollars Go? A Look at Nursing Home Related Party Transactions.” The report takes an in-depth look at how nursing home owners and operators funnel billions of dollars through companies they own with little to no accountability for how that money is used each year. They also offer examples and solutions to address this industry-wide problem to ensure public dollars are going toward resident care.

February marked the one-year anniversary of President Biden's announcement of historic nursing home reforms. Creating a minimum staffing standard, which would be the most significant increase in protections for nursing home residents in decades, was central to his plan. In this episode, we are sharing the audio from Consumer Voice's webinar that was part of the “Dignity for All: Staffing Standards Now!” campaign. This campaign is advocating for a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes. This discussion highlighted the experiences of long-term care residents as they shared, in their own words, how living in a facility with inadequate staffing affects their quality of life and the quality of care that they receive, and what it would mean for their lives to live in a facility with enough staff.

February marked the one-year anniversary of President Biden's announcement of historic nursing home reforms. Creating a minimum staffing standard, which would be the most significant increase in protections for nursing home residents in decades, was central to his plan. In this episode, we are sharing the audio from Consumer Voice's webinar that was part of the “Dignity for All: Staffing Standards Now!” campaign. This campaign is advocating for a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes. The implementation of a minimum staffing standard would not only protect nursing home residents it would address the long-standing job quality problems that plague nursing homes. On average, nursing home staff turnover is 52% each year, which is the result of low-wages, poor benefits, inadequate training, and little opportunity for job growth. The burden of providing essential and critical care falls largely on women, a majority of whom are women of color, while they are treated poorly by nursing home owners and operators. In this episode, you will hear a conversation with Consumer Voice and several direct care workers, also members of the Service Employees International Union, who discuss what it is like to work in an understaffed facility and what a minimum staffing standard would mean to direct care staff in nursing homes.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of President Biden's announcement of historic nursing home reforms. Creating a minimum staffing standard, which would be the most significant increase in protections for nursing home residents in decades, was central to his plan. In this episode, we are sharing the audio from Consumer Voice's webinar earlier this month that launched our “Dignity for All: Staffing Standards Now!” campaign. Through this campaign, Consumer Voice is advocating for a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes. In this episode you will hear about the importance of adequate staffing for residents' safety and health from Sam Brooks at Consumer Voice, and Toby Edelman, at the Center for Medicare Advocacy. You will also hear from Shelley Jackson, a CNA in Pennsylvania, and Margarite Grootjes, a resident in Ohio, as they share what it is like to live and work in a facility without adequate staffing.

Intimacy and sexual expression are basic human rights and are needed throughout our lifespan. Aging does not mean a loss of sexual intimacy, but when an older adult is cognitively impaired, it can be difficult to determine if they are engaged in a healthy sexual relationship. The right to freedom of sexual expression among these populations has proven a sensitive and sometimes controversial topic, particularly when cognitive capacity is in question. By federal law, individuals residing in long-term care are afforded multiple rights, many of which are relevant to sexuality, such as privacy, confidentiality, the right to make independent choices, and the right to choose visitors and meet in a private location. In this episode, we are joined by Patty Ducayet, Texas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, to explore the complex issues surrounding the ability to consent to sexual activity among long-term care residents and supporting a resident's right to intimacy and sexual expression.

Recent CMS data shows that only 46% of nursing home residents are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. That percentage is even lower for nursing home staff, 23.1%. COVID-19 cases and deaths are rising across the country, while at the same time seasonal influenza and RSV cases are also causing hospital beds to be full. This podcast features Dr. Celine Gounder who discusses the importance of nursing home residents and staff being up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. Dr. Gounder addresses questions about the efficacy of boosters and also how frequently nursing home residents and staff should be receiving them. Dr. Gounder is a Senior Fellow and Editor-at-Large for Public Health at the Kaiser Family Foundation and for Kaiser Health News. She is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine. She cares for patients on the wards at Bellevue Hospital Center. She served on the Biden-Harris Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board.

As the result of changing CMS and CDC guidance since the start of the pandemic, residents and families have had a great deal of uncertainty during the holidays surrounding visitation and the requirements for residents who leave their facilities. Jerry Rothkoff, of Rothkoff Law Group, joins us to talk about where visitation is now, almost three years into the pandemic, and how everyone can spend time safely together this holiday season.

For decades the Consumer Voice has designated October as Residents' Rights Month as a way to honor residents living in long-term care. This month is an opportunity to focus on the commitment to recognize the value of each resident and the importance of treating every resident with dignity and respect. In this episode, join us as we speak about this year's Residents' Rights Month theme, Inspiring Unity within Our Community. Lori Smetanka, Executive Director at Consumer Voice, and Jocelyn Bogdan, Senior Policy Specialist at Consumer Voice discuss why having a community is important, how residents can exercise their rights around their community, and examples of ways residents, families, and staff can help build a community for residents living in long-term care.

Abuse is defined in the federal nursing home regulations as the willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish. It can take many forms including physical abuse, verbal, sexual, mental, emotional, and financial. Even though federal law states that residents of long-term care facilities have the right to be free from abuse, it still does occur and is largely under-reported and inadequately investigated and addressed. In this episode we are talking with Dr. Laura Mosqueda, a professor of Family Medicine and Geriatrics, and Beverley Laubert, the National Ombudsman Program Coordinator at the Administration for Community Living about abuse of those living in long-term care facilities – an issue that affects thousands of residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care settings. Recent data indicates increased concern about incidences of abuse in long-term care facilities. That, along with the fact that June 15 is designated as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), made us think it was important and timely to talk about this issue.

Research has shown that staffing in nursing homes - numbers of staff, skills mix, and training - are critical indicators of quality care and positive resident outcomes. Yet too many nursing homes are understaffed, and the long-term care industry claims it does not have the resources to hire more staff. But is that really true? Listen in for a discussion about how complex facility practices and resource allocation, combined with a lack of minimum standards, put residents at risk for poor care and bad outcomes; as well as recommendations for addressing these problems.

The most significant nursing home reforms in decades were announced in February 2022. The reforms include the creation of a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes, accountability for poor performing nursing homes, increased transparency around ownership and finances, and support for direct care staff. These reforms are critical and urgently needed to address the inadequate conditions many residents face in their day-to-day lives. In this episode we continue our conversation with long-term care residents about the importance of these reforms. We speak with two residents to discuss the problems they face in their day-to-day lives from inadequate staffing, the ways nursing home ownership has impacted their lives throughout the pandemic, as well as what can be done to improve their lives in long-term care.

In this episode, we take a deeper look at the Biden Administration's nursing home reforms, announced on February 28, 2022. These reforms include the most significant improvements to nursing homes in decades. We are joined by Sam Brooks and Jocelyn Bogdan of Consumer Voice, who break down the five categories of the reforms including (1) Ensuring taxpayer dollars support nursing homes that provide safe adequate, and dignified care; (2) Enhancing accountability and oversight; (3) Increasing transparency; (4) Creating pathways to good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union; and (5) Ensuring pandemic and emergency preparedness in nursing homes. These reforms are critical to addressing the inadequate conditions many residents face in their day-to-day lives.

On February 28, 2022, the Biden Administration announced it would be implementing new nursing home reforms including the creation of a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes, accountability for poor performing nursing homes, increased transparency around ownership and finances, and support for direct care staff. These reforms are critical and desperately needed to address the inadequate conditions that many residents face in their day-to-day lives. In this episode, we speak directly with two long-term care residents, in Texas and Ohio, about the importance of these reforms, the problems they face in their day to day lives from inadequate and untrained staff, and what other improvements they would like to see that would help improve their lives in long-term care.

The pandemic has renewed concerns about the quality of care that residents receive in some nursing homes, and many family members have reported significant decline in the condition of their loved ones. Neglect and abuse of older adults is a long-standing problem that is under-reported and has not received the necessary attention and response from policymakers, yet it results in needless and preventable suffering and harm. In this episode with Dr. Laura Mosqueda, a professor of Family Medicine and Geriatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, we talk about neglect, which is the failure to provide goods and services to an individual that are necessary to avoid physical harm, pain, mental anguish, or emotional distress. Neglect may or may not be intentional.

On November 12, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued updated Nursing Home Visitation Guidance. Because of the high rates of vaccination among residents and the new vaccine requirement for staff, as well as the reduced number of new COVID-19 cases each week, visitation is now allowed at all times for all residents, this includes indoor visitation. In this episode, Jocelyn Bogdan from Consumer Voice goes through the updated guidance and talks about what rights residents of nursing homes have.

In this episode we are sharing with you a discussion that was held on Facebook Live around residents' rights in nursing homes. Lori Smetanka, Consumer Voice's Executive Director, and Jocelyn Bogdan, Program and Policy Specialist at Consumer Voice talk about what impact COVID-19 has had on residents and their exercising of rights, they also provided an overview of residents' rights that exist in federal law. To view the materials mentioned in this presentation visit theconsumervoice.org/pursingquality.

Before COVID-19, Mary Daniel would head to the long-term care facility where her husband resided every day after work, and spend the evening with him. When facilities were locked down in March, family members were not allowed in, and residents were left without many of the essential supports that family members provided. In this episode we will hear Mary's story about how she advocated to be reunited with her husband, the national movement she founded, and talk about what we all can do to make a difference today.

When facilities tell residents and their families that they are "not a good fit" or encourage antipsychotic medications, often families feel pressured and aren't sure how to advocate for their loved ones. In this conversation, we first hear from Kathy, a family member who went through this experience with her mother. We then speak with Tony Chicotel from California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), about steps family members can take, the specific rights nursing home residents have, and how families can work with facilities to ensure their loved one receives quality long-term care.

In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), this webinar from the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) discussed how to identify and respond to signs of trauma and potential abuse or neglect and support residents as Ombudsman programs resume in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Laura Mosqueda, a national and international expert on elder abuse and neglect, provided tips for Ombudsman programs conducting in-person visits, such as signs of trauma in response to isolation and loss during the pandemic and potential signs of abuse and neglect. She also shared recommendations for supporting residents and available resources. As an accomplished physician and researcher, Dr. Mosqueda has testified in front of Congress and has been invited to the White House several times to discuss elder justice initiatives. She has taken the lead on landmark studies to identify forensic markers of abuse and neglect and serves as a volunteer representative for the California Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. Attendees also heard from two Ombudsman program representatives as they shared their experience resuming in-person visits and highlighted what they observed upon reentry, how they supported residents, tips for visits, lessons learned, and successful practices.

In this conversation with Consumer Voice learn about how residents, families, and advocates can use guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to facilitate in-person visitation. While the new guidance expands visitation, many residents and families still have questions and concerns. After providing a brief overview of the CMS guidance, we discuss several of the most common issues, including strategies and tips for applying the guidance to help open nursing home doors. This conversation also covers the recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that limits when residents should be quarantined.

When the needs of residents living with dementia are met, incidences of resident stress are significantly reduced. Practicing person-centered approaches and interventions increase the likelihood that the message being communicated by the resident will be heard and addressed, leading to better outcomes and more satisfaction for the individual. Join our conversation with Dr. Jonathan Evans as we talk about caring for human beings with dementia.

On March 13, 2021, it will be one year since the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an order preventing everyone but essential healthcare workers from entering facilities. To date, despite some loosening of visitation restrictions, tens of thousands of residents have still not seen their families and loved ones in person. Chronic short-staffing of nursing homes that plagued facilities before the pandemic has gotten worse, with almost 1 in 5 facilities reporting staff shortages in aides. As a result, the lockdown has resulted in many residents suffering from isolation and neglect. In late 2020, The Consumer Voice conducted an informal survey of families that had visited with their loved ones to learn how the lockdown has impacted residents' condition. The overwhelming response was that families met residents who had experienced significant declines in their physical and mental health. In this episode of the Pursuing Quality Long-Term Care podcast, Sam Brooks and Lori Smetanka of Consumer Voice will discuss the survey results and Consumer Voice's call to safely reopen facilities so that families can provide necessary care and support to residents.

In March of 2020, as COVID-19 was spreading through nursing homes at alarming rates, nursing home doors were closed to outside visitors, keeping out families, friends and other members of the community. At the same time, most residents were required to stay in their rooms, doors often shut, having little contact with others. A survey of nursing home residents by Altarum provides a look at the impact of these restrictions on those living in the facilities, and the toll it has taken on their physical and emotional health. This discussion features Anne Montgomery and Sarah Slocum, Co-Directors of Eldercare Improvement at Altarum.

Residents of nursing homes have rights that are guaranteed by the federal Nursing Home Reform Law. The law requires nursing homes to “promote and protect the rights of each resident” and stresses individual dignity and self-determination. A person living in a long-term care facility maintains the same rights as an individual in the larger community. Under the federal Older Americans Act (OAA) every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system. Ombudsman programs help residents, family members, and others understand residents' rights and support residents in exercising their rights guaranteed by law. Most nursing homes participate in Medicare and Medicaid, and therefore must meet federal requirements, including facility responsibilities and residents' rights. Join us for a conversation with Beverley Laubert, Ohio State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, and Patty Ducayet, Texas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, to discuss resident rights, the role of the Ombudsman program, and how residents can advocate for their rights in their facility.

Too often, caregivers are ill-equipped to address the needs of persons living with dementia, especially those related to behavioral health. In this episode we are sharing with you a presentation held at the 2020 Consumer Voice Virtual Conference. Listen as we explore strategies, effective treatments, and support for residents and families who often need help understanding their rights and how to get good care. The speakers of this presentation are Kelly Bagby of AARP Foundation and Sue Renz, Practice Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. To view the slides mentioned in the presentation visit theconsumervoice.org/pursingquality.

Everyone living in a long-term care facility deserves good care that meets their needs and takes into account their likes, dislikes, preferences, and goals. But what does that mean? And how do we achieve it? Today we're talking with Sonya Barsness, a Masters-prepared Gerontologist, about a philosophy that honors the needs, preferences, and goals of elders by emphasizing choice, self-determination, relationships, purposeful living and other similar values.

Even before COVID-19, families have played a key role in advocating for their loved ones in nursing homes. Many family's jobs got harder when facilities shut down visitation in March, but even as visitation slowly opens back up, many are still struggling with how best to advocate for their family members. Something that is important to remember is that, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, residents still retain almost all the rights they've always had, including and importantly their right to expect and receive quality individualized care. The right to person-centered care is more important than ever right now, but for families, ensuring that their loved ones are receiving a high level of care during the pandemic, can sometimes be difficult. In this episode we're talking with Robyn Grant, Director of Public Policy at Consumer Voice, about how families can advocate for their loved ones and for all residents, both on the local level and nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted residents of long-term care facilities and their families. In March, the federal government and most state governments ordered long-term care facilities – nursing homes and assisted living facilities – to ban all but essential healthcare workers from entering the facility. That has meant no access to family members, friends, the long-term care Ombudsman, or anyone else. Limited in-person visits are beginning in most states, marking the first time many residents and families have seen each other in more than 6 months. As you look to understand what the impact of this lock down has meant for your loved one, listen in for suggestions of what to look for, questions to ask, and what you can do if you have concerns about your loved one's condition.