LTSS Newsletter – May 2018

Prepare for world elder abuse prevention day, new funding opportunity

Upcoming webinar, May 23, 2018:
Cultural Humility—Empowering Elders through Engagement

Long-Term Services and Supports

Technical assistance for culturally competent care
May 2018
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World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is June 15

New national data released in early May estimates that 1.5 million cases of elder abuse were reported in 2016, according to the Administration for Community Living.

Start preparing for World Elder Abuse Prevention Day on June 15 by learning about best practices in elder abuse prevention throughout Indian Country (PDF, 76 KB, 1p). These practices can help you implement elder abuse prevention strategies. They provide information to help people better understand the types of abuse, how to identify it, and what to do if they think an elder is experiencing abuse.

       
   

Additional resources for elder abuse prevention

 
    The following toolkit, webinar, and resource center provide additional tools to help prevent elder abuse.
 

New Medicare cards are on the way

New Medicare cards began mailing out in April. To help protect against identity theft, the new cards use unique Medicare numbers instead of social security numbers.

Cards will continue to be mailed out through April 2019, so let elders know not to worry if they haven’t received theirs yet. In the meantime, they should make sure the Social Security Administration has their current mailing address. Elders or their caregivers can check their address online at ssa.gov/myaccount or by calling 1-800-772-1213.

For more information on what to do to prepare, what to look for in the mailbox, and what to know about the new cards, check out this fact sheet (PDF, 1.2 MB, 2 pp) or watch the recent CMS webinar on implementation of the new cards in Indian Country.


Look for your new Medicare card starting in April 2018

Funding opportunity: Mainstream Voucher Program

Cover page of the Tribal Nursing Home directory that shows a grandfather, father, and son

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is accepting applications for the Mainstream Voucher Program. As part of the Housing Choice Voucher program, Mainstream vouchers help people with disabilities live as independently as possible.

For more information about this funding opportunity, review HUD’s program overview (PDF, 1.2 MB, 34 pp) and related PowerPoint (PDF, 944 KB, 17 slides).

Applications are due on June 18, 2018.

Using data to make a difference for elders

When it comes to identifying and addressing elders’ needs, data makes a difference. A recent CMS LTSS webinar focused on how research into elders’ health and social needs can help tribes and villages plan ahead and use the information to apply for Title VI grants.  

The webinar "Survey data is also an important part of understanding how to meet your community’s LTSS needs," explores the National Resource Center on Native American Aging’s use of survey data to develop new programs, such as a program for keeping elders active and a Native Elder Caregiver curriculum

For help getting started on a survey of elders in your community, visit the planning section of the CMS LTSS Technical Assistance Center.

Caregiver resources

 

With the following tools, caregivers can help the elders they care for plan for important life decisions and track their medications

Getting your affairs in order: Advance Care Planning

Advance care planning
Preparing legal and financial documents and documenting important life decisions can be overwhelming to elders and their caregivers. To help them plan, share this National Institute on Aging infographic and encourage caregivers to start discussing care preferences with elders to have a plan in place before serious illness.

Medication tracking
Complete the medication tracking chart (PDF, 90 KB, 1p), developed by the National Institute on Aging, to track medications and any over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or supplements. Caregivers should have a copy for themselves and the person receiving care and display it throughout the home or care setting, such as on a nightstand or refrigerator.

Resources for providing culturally appropriate care

Cultural sensitivity in long-term care supports patients’ quality of life by helping them continue to follow the traditions and lifeways they have always known. A recent webinar from Resources for Integrated Care discusses how to learn about the cultures of those receiving care and meet their needs in culturally appropriate ways.

Watch the recording or review the webinar slides and transcript.

A screenshot of the webinar recording video

Learn more about how tribal long-term care facilities provide culturally sensitive care for AI/AN elders by reading the report Tribal Nursing Home Best Practices: Cultural Sensitivity.

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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.

Upcoming webinar

Cultural humility – Empowering elders through engagement

Wednesday, May 23

Understanding of culture among long-term care staff helps elders in long-term care settings stay connected with their tribal traditions. To provide quality LTSS, long-term care staff need to know about different aspects of elders’ cultural identity, such as traditional foods, activities, and native language.

Adamsen’s presentation will cover Identifying Our Needs: A Survey of Elders. This survey helps tribes and villages examine their elders’ health and social needs. It also provides data that can enable tribes to plan for long-term care needs and apply for Title VI nutrition and caregiving and other grants.

 

Learning objectives

  • Learn about challenges related to cultural humility in a long-term care facility setting
  • Understand the benefits of cultural humility to elders, staff, family, and community
  • Identify ways to interact with elders that are empowering and comforting

 

Presenters

Agnes Sweetsir

Agnes Sweetsir 
Administrator
Yukon Koyukuk Elder Assisted Living Facility


Gary Ferguson

Gary Ferguson, BS, ND
Consultant
Healthy Communities


Joseph Ray

Joseph Ray
Executive Director
Native American Independent Living


Jordan Lewis

Jordan Lewis, PhD, MSW, CPG
Associate Professor
WWAMI School of Medical Education
University of Alaska Anchorage


Regis Pecos

Regis Pecos 
Co-Director
Santa Fe Indian School


Facilitator

Debbie Dyjak

Debbie Dyjak, RN, BSN, MS 
Education Coordinator
Archie Hendricks, Sr. Skilled Nursing Facility

Please note your
location's call-in time:

8 a.m. Hawaii
10 a.m. Alaska
11 a.m. Pacific
11 a.m. Arizona
12 p.m. Mountain
1 p.m. Central
2 p.m. Eastern

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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.

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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Indian Health Service Administration for Community Living