News, events, and resources for tribal LTSS programs
| Upcoming webinar: Tribal/State Elder Justice Collaborations That Work—Oct. 24, 2018 |
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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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Emergency preparedness for home care
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Fall seems primed for natural disasters, like hurricanes and tropical storms. Share the following emergency preparedness recommendations with caregivers to help them protect patients in home care who have mobility, cognitive, and technological limitations.
- Create an emergency preparedness kit, identify an alternative power source for medical devices, and set transportation plans
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Provide care instructions to trusted people
- Ensure the local emergency management agency has the person you provide care for listed as someone who may need assistance during a disaster
- If the person you provide care for needs certain facility services, like dialysis, find out how that facility plans to provide care in case of emergencies
- Plan how the person you care for can communicate if their assistive technology devices stop working
- Have an extra cane, walker, or manual wheelchair available for those with limited mobility
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Emergency preparedness for tribal long-term care facilities
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In the CMS report, Tribal Nursing Home Best Practices Emergency Preparedness (PDF, 614 KB, 14 p), see examples of emergency preparedness from tribal nursing homes.
As suggested by the Administration for Community Living, facilities can prepare for emergencies in the following ways:
- Review and test emergency plans regularly
- Train staff in evacuation, lock-down, and shelter-in-place actions
- Participate in community-wide drills
- Ensure backup generators are available and working
Additionally, see the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendations to ensure people receive equal access to emergency services during a disaster.
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Prime time for flu vaccination
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Anyone who lives with or cares for an individual at high risk for flu-related complications should receive a flu vaccine. Flu outbreaks can occur as early as October.
Flu vaccination is particularly important for populations at high risk for flu-related complications. Those populations include elders and anyone who has a chronic medical condition or lives in a long-term care facility.
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Annual flu vaccination is recommended for most people age 6 months and older.
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Supporting staff and residents through their grief
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Compassionate, culturally appropriate end-of-life care is a common long-term care need. Compassionate care should include the person nearing the end of life and the staff who care for them. Addressing their grief also supports the overall wellbeing of the other residents.
As an example of compassionate care for staff, a Georgia nursing home has begun providing culturally appropriate ceremonies to honor those who have died and to help nursing home residents and staff grieve in a healthy way.
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Connected Care Toolkit offers chronic care management resources
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) has issued a revised version of its Connected Care Toolkit: Chronic Care Management Resources for Health Care Professionals and Communities (PDF, 544 KB, 16 pp).
The toolkit is an educational initiative to raise awareness of the benefits of chronic care management (CCM) services for Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions. It also supports health care professionals implementing CCM programs.
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The new version includes current care coordination information for rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers. It also covers how coordinated care for CCM benefits patients and practices, how to start a CCM program, billing and payment considerations, and educational tools for patients and caregivers.
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For more information and updates on chronic care management, visit CMS OMH’s Connected Care Hub and CMS’s Care Management page.
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Annual health summit helps tribes address disparities
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With a growing elder population, tribal communities can benefit from local health data to better understand the disparities their communities face and decide how to address them. However, some Native communities have difficulty accessing the data they need.
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As exemplified by the annual Kansas Tribal Health Summit, tribes can partner with each other and local organizations to fill gaps in their data. Through the Kansas Tribal Health Summit, the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska partner with each other and nonprofit organizations, such as the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, to build their health data.
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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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Tribal/State Elder Justice Collaborations That Work
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Wednesday, October 24, 2018
This webinar will focus on how tribal programs work collaboratively with states or counties to effectively address elder abuse and neglect.
We’ll hear from tribal officials and elder justice experts about best practices, successes, and potential pitfalls. We want to hear from you, too. Please join the discussion with your comments and suggestions.
Have questions for our presenters? Let us know before the webinar by emailing ltssinfo@kauffmaninc.com.
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Cynthia LaCounte
Director of the Office of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Programs, Administration for Community Living’s Administration on Aging
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Jacque Gray
Director
National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative
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Marcia Hall
Adult Protection Services Manager
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Tribal Court
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Helen Gray
Elder Abuse Prevention Coordinator
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Office for the Aging
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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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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.
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