For some of Hawai'i's most vulnerable kupuna, a little-known government position known as the Long-Term Care Ombudsman can mean the difference between torment and safety. "You're living in a nursing home — let's say you don't like the food, or a nurse is not treating you well, has some kind of attitude toward you,” said John McDermott, Hawai'i's long-term care ombudsman. “In the old days, you would talk to one of your kids and they could maybe resolve it. But your kids don’t live here anymore because nobody can afford housing, so everybody moves to the mainland. And so, that kind of network doesn't exist as much as it used to. So who can you talk to? Well, the ombudsman…"
On November 3, 2022, Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society honored Hawaii’s Ombuddies and John McDermott, Hawaii’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman for his twenty-four years of undying devotion to Kupuna and their families throughout the state of Hawaii. The HPGS 6th Annual Fundraiser broadcast was live on Olelo with Emcee, Marilyn Steely leading us through incredible LTCOP history followed by a heartfelt wrap up. Check out the show here: https://youtu.be/KMJ5mlQseHc
For more HPGS information; https://hpgs.org/
John and Rick with the ‘ōlelo production team after the show. Choke Mahalos to Scott Nordquist, Kekoanui Graham, Deron Kamisato and the rest of the ‘ōlelo production team!
Hawaii Pandemic Applied Modeling Workgroup (HiPAM) and UH ACES have been closely monitoring our state's COVID situation using public data.
Key messages of the latest HiPAM Forecast Report dated 1/2/22 are as follows (please see attached):
Please access the latest HiPAM Forecast Report here:
https://www.hipam.org/flyers-feed/01/03/2022/rapid-modeling-covid-19-model-update-8dysh-g62jk
At assisted living facility ordered closed, residents scramble for new homes but CEO is ‘gone’: Residents of a senior living community in Hauula are frantically moving out after the state ordered the company to shut down.
Check out this dashboard to view the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the nation especially for residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. The AARP Public Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio, created the AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard to provide four-week snapshots of the virus’ infiltration into nursing homes and impact on nursing home residents and staff, with the goal of identifying specific areas of concern at the national and state levels in a timely manner.
The Kupuna Caucus at the Hawaii State Legislature convenes to introduce and advocate for legislation that helps Hawaii's seniors. The caucus regularly meets on the first Friday of each month at 2pm, though this is subject to change during legislative session.
Justice in Aging has updated its essential guide, 25 Common Nursing Home Problems—& How to Resolve Them. This revised guide includes focused information on how to fight evictions, updated eligibility standards for Medicare coverage, and more.
The 25 problems identified in the guide are common across the country and in all types of nursing homes. The guide gives residents, family members, friends, and other advocates the tools they need to identify and solve the problems residents most frequently face.
Tests work with an online application that provides audio with a step-by-step instruction for conducting the test and reading the results. Individuals will need a smartphone with Bluetooth and capabilities to download and install a free application from the Apply Store or Google Play.
Interested individuals can order test by…
On June 29, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) released revised Surveyor’s Guidelines for nursing facilities, along with a policy memorandum describing the revised Guidelines and accompanying revisions. The Guidelines are used by government inspectors in determining whether and to what extent a nursing facility has violated federal requirements.
The revised Guidelines implement certain regulations promulgated in 2016, and also incorporate concepts from President Biden’s recently announced initiative to improve nursing facility care.With millions of older adults and people with disabilities unable to afford the dental care they need to stay healthy. Adding oral health coverage to Medicare is both much needed and in high demand. Over 80% of voters in America support such policies, including a majority of Republicans, Democrats and Independents. The inclusion of Medicare dental coverage in the Build Back Better agenda brought the issue to the political foreground. However, Congress did not ultimately enact legislation that included the comprehensive dental benefit.
Now the Biden Administration has an opportunity to deliver an important piece of this much sought-after benefit to older adults and people with disabilities. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has authority under current law to cover “medically necessary” dental care through Medicare. Acting to maximize this authority would help many of the people who need dental coverage the most.
On June 29, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) released revised Surveyor’s Guidelines for nursing facilities, along with a policy memorandum describing the revised Guidelines and accompanying revisions. The Guidelines are used by government inspectors in determining whether and to what extent a nursing facility has violated federal requirements.
The revised Guidelines implement certain regulations promulgated in 2016, and also incorporate concepts from President Biden’s recently announced initiative to improve nursing facility care.Consumer Voice Executive Director Lori Smetanka spoke at the recent Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC) meeting. She participated in a discussion on nursing home reform, enforcement and residents' rights. The EJCC coordinates activities related to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation across the federal government.
Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here’s what you need to know about your order:
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? Check out this new Podcast Episode on Consumer Voice and listen to a discussion with David Brevda, Esq., Partner, Senior Justice Law Firm, and Robyn Grant, Director of Public Policy at Consumer Voice 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.
Chronic understaffing has been a serious problem in nursing homes for decades and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are numerous factors contributing to this problem, one major cause is the lack of adequate minimum staffing standards at both the state and federal levels. Minimum standards ensure that staffing will not fall to a level that would be harmful to residents [Staffing Report].
The guidance for Medicare-certified nursing homes was updated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on 11/12/21 and visitation is now allowed for all residents at all times! The Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention – hand hygiene, face covering/masking, and physical distancing, etc. must be adhered to, and outdoor visitation is preferred when the resident and/or visitor are not fully vaccinated.
Ensuring Comfort for Terminally Ill Patients
Research suggests that from 15% to 50% of older adults experience diminished appetite and associated weight loss at some point during the aging process.1,2 Women, nursing home residents, hospitalized patients, and those of very advanced age appear to be among the groups most at risk.
Check out this article by Scott Janssen, MA, MSW, LCSW from Today’s Geriatric Medicine Vol. 15 No. 4 P. 14
The Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society (HPGS) will be hosting its 6th Annual Fundraiser on Thursday, November 4, 2022, from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. This year the 2022 HPGS Scholarship Fundraiser will be honoring John McDermott, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP), the position he has held since August 1998.