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LTSS Training and Technical Assistance Center
Visit the online LTSS TA Center for videos, best practices, toolkits, a resource library, and a step-by-step planning roadmap.
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Protecting nursing home residents during emergencies
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Many tribal nursing homes have developed emergency preparedness plans to safeguard elders in the event of a flood, fire, or other emergency.
A new best practices report from CMS describes how 5 tribal nursing homes prepare for emergencies. It shares their recommendations on partnerships, funding, and staff training that other LTSS facilities can use in their own planning.
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CMS emergency preparedness rule
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CMS now requires health care facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid, including nursing homes, to have emergency preparedness plans in place to protect the wellbeing of their patients and staff.
More information about the emergency preparedness rule is available on CMS.gov.
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Training: Positive outcomes for Alaska Native elders
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People who work with Alaska Native elders in urban and rural areas are encouraged to attend this 2-day training. It will benefit community health aides, village public safety officers, ombudsmen, Adult Protective Services officers, caregivers, family members, and anyone involved in the well-being of Native elders.
Jacqueline S. Gray, Director of the National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative at the University of North Dakota, will lead the training. Topics include recognizing signs of abuse, including financial abuse; legal issues; honoring elders; social services; health care; and caregiving.
A limited number of scholarships are available for travel costs for participants from rural villages.
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Date: April 9–10, 2018
Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Location: Gorsuch Commons, Anchorage, AK
Register
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Elders and the flu
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According to CDC, in a typical flu season, people age 65 and older account for about 85% of flu-related deaths and 70% of flu-related hospital visits. Additionally, CDC finds that American Indians and Alaska Natives are at higher risk for flu complications than other races.
The flu season can continue through May. Though the elders you work with may have received a flu vaccination, there are still important actions to take to help elders stay healthy during flu season. Actions include seeing a doctor right away if an elder has symptoms of the flu. If the flu is caught early enough, doctors can provide antiviral drugs to help treat it.
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Depression is not a normal part of aging
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Though depression may be common among older adults, it is not a natural part of aging. Rather, it is a separate illness that may require treatment to get better. Older adults may have medical conditions that contribute to depression or may take medications with side effects that include depression.
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NACCHO offers free health and disability training
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The National Association of County and City Health Officials is offering a free training to help health departments better include people with disabilities in their programs and services. Health and Disability 101: Training for Health Department Employees can be accessed at any time online.
Topics covered include:
- identifying different disabilities;
- reviewing poorer health outcomes among people with disabilities due to barriers to health care; and
- discussing the benefits of including people with disabilities in health department programs, products, and services.
The training is free, but you will need to register on the site and “purchase” the training at no cost. You will then receive free access to the 1-hour course online to take at your convenience. Register for the training.
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Treat older adults who suffer from hypothermia
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Elders may not respond as well to drops in body temperature due to chronic illness and some medications, making them vulnerable to hypothermia, according to the National Institute on Aging. An infographic from CDC shows how to help elders avoid hypothermia, identify the symptoms of hypothermia, and treat them if they have hypothermia.
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Tips on treating hypothermia from the CDC infographic: Avoid, spot, treat frostbite and hypothermia
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Many caregivers are unlikely to use online resources
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A study of caregivers for people with dementia found that fewer than half of the caregivers surveyed received information from online sources. Instead, caregivers’ most trusted sources of information were health care professionals, followed by discussions with other caregivers, fact sheets, checklists, and videos.
Most of the information requested by caregivers can be found online from high-quality sources, but many caregivers are not accessing these resources. Reasons may include poor internet access, as may be the case for caregivers in Indian Country; no awareness that the materials exist; or the impression that online resources are not relevant to their situations.
To help ensure caregivers can find the information they need, consider printing resources or ordering print copies directly from the source and placing them in high-traffic areas, or provide specific information on what is available online and where to access it.
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Join the conversation on LinkedIn
Want to learn more about or discuss LTSS in Indian Country? Looking to connect with others working in the same field? Join the Tribal Affairs Group on LinkedIn and join the conversation.
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New Medicare Card Project
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Wednesday, February 28, 2018
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From April 2018 to April 2019, older adults will receive new Medicare cards from CMS. To help protect elders from identity theft, these new cards will replace Social Security numbers with Medicare numbers that are unique to each beneficiary.
This webinar focuses on the implementation of the new Medicare card and its impact on tribal citizens.
Participants will learn:
- why CMS is providing new Medicare cards
- what the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) is and why it’s important
- how CMS will transition to the MBI
- what providers should do to get ready for the new MBI
- how this project impacts American Indians and Alaska Natives
- how CMS is working to increase awareness of this project
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Please note your
location's call-in time:
9 a.m. Hawaii
10 a.m. Alaska
11 a.m. Pacific
12 p.m. Mountain
1 p.m. Central
2 p.m. Eastern
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Marni Land
Senior Technical Advisor
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of Information Technology Division of Program Management
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Susan Postal
Chief Health Informatics Officer
Indian Health Service
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Send Us Your News
Do you have news to share about LTSS in Indian Country? Send it to ltssinfo@kauffmaninc.com, and we’ll include it in a newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too.
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About the Newsletter
Long-Term Services and Supports Solutions is published monthly by the CMS Division of Tribal Affairs to share information, funding opportunities, and resources with LTSS planners, tribal leaders, and supporters.
Download Adobe Reader for the best reading experience with PDF files.
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