Join the LTC Ombudsman Program! Volunteers Make A Difference Thousands of residents of long-term care (LTC) facilities in Kentucky depend on LTC ombudsmen to advocate for them. We need more LTC ombudsmen! It may surprise you to learn that most LTC ombudsmen across the country are volunteers, and they perform incredibly important work. They are ready and […]
Category Archives: News
Request For Information on Revising the Requirements for Nursing Facilities to Establish Mandatory Minimum Staffing Requirements Attention residents, consumers, family members and advocates: your feedback is needed! On April 15, 2022, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that included requests for information regarding the implementation of a minimum […]
Doing Good, Does You Good: Be an Advocate for Residents in Long-Term Care Thousands of residents of long-term care (LTC) facilities in Kentucky depend on LTC ombudsmen to advocate for them. We need more LTC ombudsmen! It may surprise you to learn that most LTC ombudsmen across the country are volunteers, and they perform incredibly important […]
Kim Browning, NHOA’s Outreach Coordinator, shares about the Kentucky Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program this week on Talking FACS. Kim discusses the benefits of the program for residents in long-term care facilities and shares how people who are interested in becoming a Certified Volunteer Ombudsman can get involved. You can listen to the full podcast here.
Federal Long-Term Care Updates On February 28, 2022 the Biden Administration announced the most significant nursing home reforms in decades. Adequate staffing was at the center of his plan, including establishing minimum staffing standards. Read the Biden Administration’s proposal. Read the entire e-newsletter here.
Advocacy Update! New Bill Would End Federal Requirement that State Medicaid Programs Recoup Costs from Families In February U.S. House Representative Jan Schakowsky introduced the Stop Unfair Medicaid Recoveries Act, which would repeal a federal law which requires state Medicaid programs to recover long-term care costs from estates of deceased recipients. The law often forces family […]
Advocacy Update! Senate Bill 11 Your voice was heard, and the Senate Committee Substitute of Senate Bill 11 grants Assisted Living residents with the same rights as other long-term care residents. In addition, Assisted Living residents will have access to the Ombudsman program. In case you missed it, Senate Bill 11 was filed on 1/4/2022 and is […]
On November 12, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revised their Coronavirus Disease 2019 Public Health Emergency guidance for nursing facilities Memorandum QSO-20-39. Visitation is now allowed at all times for all residents, including indoor visitation. Read the entire e-newsletter here.
Thank you to Governor Andy Beshear for proclaiming October Residents’ Rights Month in Kentucky! Residents’ Rights Right to Be Fully Informed Right to Complain Right to Participate in One’s Own Care Right to Privacy and Confidentiality Rights During Transfers and Discharges Right to Dignity, Respect, and Freedom including freedom from abuse and neglect Right to […]
New COVID-19 Guidance Issued September 10, 2021 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) memo QSO-20-38-NH REVISED 09/10/2021 regarding the Interim Final Rule (IFC), CMS-3401-IFC, Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency related to Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Testing Requirements was released Friday September 10. In this version of the latest […]