LTSS Newsletter – August 2018

 

 

 

Financial sustainability, person-centered care through traditional foods, EBCI receives health award

 

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Long-Term Services and Supports

Technical assistance for culturally competent care
August 2018
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Financial sustainability for tribal nursing homes

A new report from CMS describes how several tribal nursing homes and skilled care facilities ensure their programs are financially sustainable.

A recent long-term services and supports (LTSS) webinar featured a panel discussion with administrators from these facilities. Watch the video to learn about the financing pathways they use to ensure they can continue to care for the needs of their elders.

       
   

Information on financing long-term services and supports

 
   

The CMS Long-term Services and Supports (LTSS) Technical Assistance Center offers information to support financial planning for your LTSS program. Resources include financial planning steps, guidance on working with your state to receive enhanced Medicaid reimbursements, and details about different funding sources.

 

 

 

Alaska hunters supply traditional foods for elders

Native man in baseball cap looks off into the distanceIn Kotzebue, AK, hunters provide traditional foods, such as caribou, fish, and berries, to elders in the Utuqqanaat Inaat nursing home. Serving these foods is one of many ways the facility provides person-centered care, honoring individual needs and preferences. Incorporating food caught in the wild into everyday life offers nutrition and energy to help elders maintain a healthy weight and keeps them connected with their traditional lifeways.

To learn more about how Utuqqanaat Inaat and other tribal long-term care programs approach person-centered care, review the CMS LTSS report on Tribal Nursing Home Best Practices: Cultural Sensitivity (PDF, 4 MB, 11 pp).

 

The LTSS report on Tribal Nursing Home Best Practices: Traditional Foods (PDF, 1.6 MB, 12 pp) and the webinar recording, Tribal Nursing Homes: Traditional Foods, Traditional Lives, explain the benefits of traditional foods for elders and offer guidance on developing a menu and advocating for traditional food services at your facility.

 

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians recognized for health achievements

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Public Health & Human Services department recently received a National Indian Health Board award for improving public health. For this award, health departments must meet “nationally recognized, practice-focused, and evidence-based standards.”

 

CMS features the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ long-term services and supports (LTSS) program in a video profile on the LTSS Technical Assistance Center. Learn how the tribe created its long-term care center in collaboration with state agencies.

Video screenshot: 'Building a Long Term Health Care System'
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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.

Funding opportunity: Disaster assistance

The Administration for Community Living has announced a funding opportunity to support disaster assistance. Federally recognized tribal organizations that are Title VI grantees are eligible to apply.

The funds would become available only upon declaration of a national disaster, and their use would be restricted to areas designated in the declaration.

The closing date for applications is September 14, 2018.

Respite care for elders with dementia

Taking care of an elder with dementia can be challenging because the symptoms of dementia may include agitation, aggression, and anxiety—all of which can contribute to high levels of stress among caregivers. To relieve some of that stress, help caregivers investigate respite care options.

Also, think about what your tribal LTSS program might do to make respite care more accessible. For ideas, visit the caregiver support section of the CMS LTSS Technical Assistance Center.

New data on nursing home staffing

New information from Medicare shows that nursing home staffing levels vary greatly, and that many facilities have especially sparse staff on weekends. Until recently, nursing homes self-reported their staffing information to Medicare, but Medicare now gathers this data by reviewing daily payroll records.

The CMS Nursing Home Compare website shows Medicare’s staffing ratings for nursing homes across the country. The ratings are based on the average number of hours nursing staff work per resident. Of the tribal nursing homes listed, the majority have above-average staffing ratings compared with other nursing homes.

Transportation survey: Older adults and people with disabilities

Consider taking part in the National Transportation Coordination Survey for older adults, people with low incomes, and people with disabilities. The National Center for Mobility Management hopes to use results from the survey to develop promising practices and better understand barriers and challenges around coordinated transportation services.

National Center for Mobility Management
 

No August LTSS webinar

There will not be an LTSS webinar in August, but please check back back in September. LTSS webinars share information and tools for tribal LTSS programs. Webinar topics range from financing to elder abuse prevention to culturally appropriate dementia care.

Upcoming events

NICOA 2018 Conference on Aging
September 10–13, 2018
Temecula, CA

At the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) conference, learn about critical policy issues for elders and new tribal programs and services. Learn more.

National Indian Health Board 35th Annual National Tribal Health Conference
September 17–20, 2018
Oklahoma City, OK

The National Tribal Health Conference will examine the effects of health policy on tribes and ways to enhance tribal policy work related to health care and public health. See details.

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.
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.

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