April 30, 2016

LeadingAge Missouri News

LeadingAge Missouri Board of Directors Bill’s Perspective

Carla Baum Lutheran Senior Services Hello LeadingAge MO! It’s May, and from where I sit, your membership association is currently hard at work Roger Byrne Bethesda Health Group on three important initiatives: 1.) Strategic planning; 2.) Workforce education and 3.) Legislation. Let’s Brenda Buford briefly look at each. Beautiful Savior Home

Anthony Columbato Strategic Direction St Mary’s Manor

Chris Crouch Last weekend, the LeadingAge MO Board met to Bethesda Southgate build a blueprint for your association’s future. How to

Carol DiSanza deliver policy advocacy, member education, timely Cape Albeon information, networking and valuable member services was front and center for debate. Dubbed a Paul Ewert Beth Haven Strategic “Advance” (there is no “Retreating” at LeadingAge!); the two-day planning effort was Bruce Gosser facilitated by experienced staff from LeadingAge Innova Healthcare Solutions National. Maximizing the benefits of our National Rodney McBride affiliation is a goal for LeadingAge MO. The Board John Knox Village delved into the association’s mission, vision, past

Paul Ogier plans, member surveys and organizational strengths, Lutheran Senior Services limitations, opportunities and threats. While future work must refine the priorities and establish tactics, Michael Riggins Cardinal Ritter Senior Services the plan will address three strategic imperatives: Advocacy, Education and Member Services (with a Dawn Smith focus on workforce and reimbursement challenges Fulton Presbyterian Manor spanning all three). The Board intends to complete Lynne Spriggs the planning process and share its blueprint for the Chateau Girardeau future at the Annual Conference September 12-14.

Melissa Steck Bishop Spencer Place

Bill Bates, CEO April 30, 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Hotline – page 1

The LeadingAge Missouri Hotline is a “resource-of-resources” for aging service providers across the entire continuum of senior care.

Table of Contents

Click on a topic below and go directly to that page.

LeadingAge Missouri News 1 Professional Development 4 What Your Association Does For You 9 Federal News 11 Health Care Reform 12 Home and Community Based Services News 12 Home Health Care News 13 Hospice News 13 Housing News 15 Information of Interest 16 Nursing Facility News 18 State News 20 Career Center 20

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April 30, 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Hotline – page 2

LeadingAge Missouri News - continued

Workforce Summit Our members have consistently told me their #1 challenge is: Attracting and retaining capable employees. This view is echoed in membership surveys and LeadingAge National priorities. Accordingly, your association is tackling the issue head on with a Workforce Educational Summit May 25 in St. Louis and May 26 in Kansas City. Don’t miss out! Experts will explore existing and future workforce characteristics and trends, management practices and techniques (especially for Millennials) and legal issues and requirements. Participants will gain important information and practical tools to deal with our field’s biggest challenge. Please join your colleagues for this LeadingAge Missouri educational event. With the seminar expected to fill up, you should sign up now at Workforce Summit ______.

Legislative Stretch Run

With two weeks left, here are the issues we are watching and working in the Missouri General Assembly: 1.) Medicaid rates: The House and Senate completed work on a FY 2017 budget bill that increases SNF reimbursements 3.5% or approximately $16.2 million. Hospice will receive an additional $284,773and HCBS will realize the full 3% rate increase authorized in 2016 from 2017 General Revenues, an improvement over funding dependent on a tax amnesty program. The budget bill is before Governor Nixon, who must approve or veto by May 6. Expectations are that he will sign. This marks the largest LTC Medicaid reimbursement increase from state General Revenues in many years. The state fiscal year begins July 1. 2.) Certificate of Need Reform: Industry-backed legislation to impose a 3-year moratorium on LTC CONs and enable a Task Force to study and propose suitable CON reforms awaits Senate action. Bill sponsor, Senator Mike Parsons who sits on the MHFRC, is attempting to amend SB 1076 onto House-passed bills to increase passage prospects this year. Success odds are long, but much can happen in the final days and hours. 3.) APRN practice expansion: Different versions and approaches for expanding MO practice capabilities for nurse practitioners have passed or advanced in the House. However, all reforms confront strong opposition and a potential filibuster by a Doctor/Senator in the Senate. Passage prospects this year are poor. 4.) Video cameras in LTC patient/resident rooms: Three House bills would require LTC facilities to allow residents to install cameras to monitor activities in their rooms (paid for by residents & with resident-driven limitations). The bills stalled in committee (no hearing scheduled), but the bills’ sponsor attempted to amend “LTC resident camera rights” onto

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a health care bill on the House floor. The amendment was defeated and camera legislation (similar to laws existing in other states) is dead this year. 5.) Health care decisions for incapacitated patients: In the absence of patient advance directives, House Bill 2502 would provide statutory solutions and guidance for health care providers caring for incapacitated patients when health care decisions must be made and decision authority is unclear. HB 2502 was not predicted to move, but was amended onto several Senate health care bills with clarifying language approved by LeadingAge MO and other LTC associations. The legislation is before a House/Senate conference committee where its fate is uncertain. The concept of the bill has not been debated in the Senate, so it may be dropped from the conference bill. A full legislative report, strategic planning progress updates and Workforce Summit summary will appear in future editions of Hot Line’s CEO Perspective.

Yours in service, Bill Bates, CEO

Professional Development

The Aging Services Workforce: The Key to Our Success

LeadingAge Missouri and LeadingAge Kansas are excited to partner to bring you a day of learning and networking around the topic of Workforce. It is important that we understand the components of this crisis so we can develop practices that support and attract workers who provide excellent care to seniors. This joint Summit will provide insights and opportunities for discussion about what it takes to position yourself as an employer of choice in your community.

Our speakers will be:

Robyn I. Stone, Dr.P.H, a noted researcher and internationally recognized authority on long-term care and aging policy, is Sr. VP for Research at LeadingAge and Executive Director of the LeadingAge Center for Applied Research. She has held senior research and policy positions in both the U.S. government and the private sector. She was a political appointee in the Clinton Administration, serving in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Disability, Aging and Long-term Care Policy and Assistant Secretary for Aging. Dr. Stone is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the National Academy of Social Insurance. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) in 2014.

Robyn Stone explains the pivotal role workforce plays in our aging services system and why providers need to focus priority attention on recruiting and retaining staff across all

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professions and segments of our continuum. The discussion then turns to a summary of the findings from a range of studies conducted by Center for Applied Research and partners including:

 The importance of consistent assignment in nursing homes and home care  The value of competency-based training for frontline staff, the need for cross  training across settings  The significance of leadership and good management skills among supervisors  and mid-level managers

Robyn will also discuss how LeadingAge, at the national level, is addressing these issues, with an emphasis on partnerships through the ElderCare Workforce Alliance and our state affiliates.

Cara Silletto, MBA, is the founder & President Crescendo Strategies. Cara started her career in long-term care and is now the president of Crescendo Strategies, a firm committed to reducing unnecessary employee turnover for clients across the country. Cara is the voice of the new workforce and currently sits in a unique sweet spot for her specialty of bridging generational gaps. She is an early Millennial herself, born in 1981, yet she is equipped with a Master’s in Business and 13 years of experience learning the unwritten expectations of older managers and business owners on her own. She was recently named a “Game Changer” by Workforce magazine in Chicago, and is the co- author of “What’s Next in HR.”

Cara will share insights on:  The shifting demographics of the workforce

 Employee's evolving expectations

 Strategies for improving staffing stability and reducing unnecessary employee turnover. She will also delve into the mindset of Millennial workers, those under 35, to explain exactly why they work and think so differently than previous generations.

Steve M. Cohen, Ed.D., CMC is President/Partner of Labor Management Advisory Group, Inc., HR Solutions: On-Call, and Gender Policy Alliance, all based in Kansas City, MO. Often described as a “mess management” expert for his ability to skillfully resolve people problems for vulnerable organizations, Dr. Cohen is a well-known national authority who protects companies from HR bombshells that include issues of sexual harassment, regulatory compliance, motivational management, workforce diversity, employee training, and bottom-line productivity. Dr. Cohen has more than 40 years of specialized experience safeguarding businesses and nonprofit agencies with staff sizes that range from 2 to 17,000 employees. He is the author of the recently published book Mess Management: Lessons from a Corporate Hit Man.Steve will focus on real world solutions to your most intractable employee problems. Click here for the registration brochure

April 30, 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Hotline – page 5

Sexuality in Long Term Care: Open Your Mind (And Close the Door, Please) Registration Deadline is May 6th

Kathleen Weissberg from Select Rehabilitation will present the webinar on May 11, 2016, at 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT. The program description follows: What is sexuality and why is it so seldom spoken of when talking about older adults, particularly those in long term care? This session explores the perspectives of residents, staff, and family members related to sexuality and intimacy. Through case studies, it helps staff consider their views, identify barriers, and facilitate solutions and strategies when sexual expression becomes problematic. Strategies for meeting resident sexuality needs without intercourse are explored. Sexuality and intimacy as these relate to dementia, issues with consent, problematic behaviors, and the dilemma of “adultery” are addressed. Finally, concepts important for guiding policy and procedure development are reviewed.

Click here for more information or to register

System Improvement Webinar: Pressure Ulcers (F314) Registration Deadline is June 21

Liz Davidson from LeadingAge Iowa will present the webinar on June 23, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CT. The F-tag related to Pressure Ulcers is cited when a facility fails to ensure that a resident who enters the facility without a pressure sore does not develop pressure sores unless the individual’s clinical condition demonstrates that they were unavoidable; and a resident having pressure sores receives necessary treatment and services to promote healing and prevent new sores from developing. During this webinar, we will take a closer look at the regulatory language included in F314, review the Evidence Based Practice and guidelines supported by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP), and review actual citations to help leverage a better understanding of how to maintain compliance with this key system.

Click here to register

April 30, 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Hotline – page 6

Evidence Based Falls Risk Assessment and Intervention Registration Deadline is August 8

Kathleen Weissberg from Select Rehabilitation will present the webinar on August 10, 2016, at 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. CT. The program description follows: Fall risk assessments are a crucial tool in identifying which residents could be at risk for falling and, therefore, a candidate for a fall prevention program. Fall risk assessments not only identify residents at risk, but also aid in recognizing the type of intervention that should be utilized. They also assist in increasing staff knowledge in fall risk prevention and intervention strategies. This webinar reviews the definition of a fall and intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors related to falls. Evidence-based assessments demonstrated to be predictive of risk are reviewed as they relate to nursing and therapy practice with elderly clients. This webinar reviews evidence-based intervention strategies applicable to a balance and fall management program including environmental modification, patient and caregiver education, and balance retraining activities. Falls management program rationale and implementation is also discussed as well as interdisciplinary techniques and strategies to reduce fall risk in the elderly.

Click here to register

SAVE THE DATE Registration Is Open! Start Getting Your Teams Together Today!

13th Annual LeadingAge Missouri PAC Golf Tournament

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FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016 The Falls Gold Course 1170 Turtle Creek Drive O’Fallon, MO 63366 Phone: (636) 240-4653

Click here for registration information

Click here for information about sponsorship

Click here for silent auction information

2016 Annual Conference at Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis

Good morning! We would like to invite you to join us at the Historic Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis September 12-14 for our 47th Annual Conference. The Chase Park Plaza is the subject of the book Meet Me in the Lobby, which highlights the significant events at the hotel from the 1920’s to present day. Our location brings the amenities of St. Louis within easy reach, including Downtown St. Louis, the Clayton business district, the Metro link rail system and Lambert International Airport. Neighboring cultural destinations include the Magnificent Fox Theater, Powell Symphony Hall, the Muny Opera and the St. Louis Science Center. We are also central to many of St. Louis’ important medical centers, including Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Center for Advanced Medicine, and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The Chase Park Plaza is situated to offer easy access to every convenience.

Click here for our Exhibitor Prospectus

Click here for our Sponsorship and Advertising Prospectus

April 30, 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Hotline – page 8

Awards Nominations Open

To many in our field, ours is not a career, but a calling. Accordingly, for humble aging services professionals, recognition by peers and colleagues can be the ultimate reward. Every day we are privileged to work with remarkable individuals – dedicated people who inspire us; skilled people who amaze us; committed people who magnify team efforts and caring people who make life worth living for the seniors who live in our communities. Recognition and appreciation feed the human spirit and fuel achievement. Won’t you support your field, your community, your calling and your membership association by devoting a few minutes to recognize colleagues and peers for their service and nominate them for one of LeadingAge Missouri’s annual service awards? To stand before team members and professional peers at our field’s annual conference in St. Louis may make the difference of a lifetime to some deserving person. Please help deliver those moments by taking the opportunity to recognize someone in our field who goes above and beyond what is expected and makes all of us proud.

Click here for nomination form

What Your Association Does For You

New Service Offered To LeadingAge Missouri to Keep Your Business from Being a Bulls Eye Each year, the U.S. Department of Labor files thousands of Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) cases, some bringing six-figure settlements. These and related court actions are expected to increase. The typical case involves sexual harassment, bullying and other similar issues. They tend to be very expensive in both cost and management time. When you consider lawyer’s fees, court costs, settlement costs, and agency issued fines, the actual outlay of any of the above could result in expenditures North of $250,000. Adding to this figure is the time lost to productivity in answering questions and charges is significant. It is not unusual for the typical company of 30 or more employees to experience an incident every other year. It’s also typical for the average workforce to have 15 percent of its workers who are disengaged. This group is actually working against management. The balance (60 percent) of the workgroup will neither be engaged nor disengaged—but could go either way depending upon who is pushing or pulling. Only 25 percent are truly engaged. Changing those numbers can move an organization from just average to high performance—without major capital investment.

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Don’t Be Alone These are just some of the personnel issues you and your HR department don’t need or want to be involved in. They involve regulations that change almost every day, and often involve decisions or emotional issues that are difficult to resolve in-house. The HR Solutions On-Call program is designed for small and medium businesses whose executives recognize the need for professional HR services. With one of our simple subscription programs, you will have access to veteran professionals any time you have questions, questions that could cost tens of thousands of dollars. Labor Management Advisory Group is designed for larger organizations. It provides comprehensive and in-depth services ranging from organizational assessments to board governance and termination assistance. LMAG has assisted hundreds of companies and non-profit organizations in solving their most difficult problems and crises while avoiding legal and regulatory issues. When you face an unavoidable issue, we know how to minimize, even eliminate your legal exposure. For more information, call 913.927.0229 or visit www.oncallhumanresources.com or www.laborgroup.com.

LeadingAge Missouri Offers Cost Effective Certification Services Is your facility an approved training agency for nurse aides, medication technicians, insulin administration and/or restorative aides? Are you looking for ways to save money? If you answered “yes” to these questions, look to LeadingAge Missouri as your certifying agency.

Since 1994 LeadingAge Missouri has been a Department of Health and Senior Services approved certifying agency for nursing assistants, medication technicians, and insulin administration. LeadingAge Missouri offers competitive prices for certifications and discounts to our members.

If you have questions or need assistance, direct them via e-mail to [email protected] or via phone to (573) 635-6244.

LeadingAge Missouri will issue a certificate to individuals who have successfully completed the approved course or challenged the examination according to DHSS regulations and will send the certificate, ID card and pin to the training agency within 15 days of receipt. Students' information will be added to LeadingAge Missouri's permanent register and submitted to DHSS for placement on the federally mandated register.

Member fee: CNA/CMT/Insulin Administration certificate and ID card - $10.00 each CNA Pin (optional) - $8.00

April 30, 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Hotline – page 10

Non-member fee: CNA/CMT/Insulin Administration certificate and ID card - $13.00 each CNA pin (optional) - $10.00

Federal News

Authorities Using Data to file False Claims Charges, Take Whistleblowers out of Equation

Some states are turning to data mining, a method of finding patterns in large amounts of data, to prevent whistleblowers from swaying False Claims Act cases, one expert shared last week. Thomas F. Corcoran, an attorney for the District of Maryland, told attendees at an American Health Lawyers Association conference that some U.S. attorney's offices were using data mining to “take control” of healthcare fraud cases, Bloomberg BNA reported. Maryland began using data mining since it no longer wanted whistleblowers to “determine the direction of our FCA cases,” he said.

Full Article

CMS Responds to OIG Concerns about Hospice Care in Assisted Living

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services indicated that it has not ruled out regulatory reform as it looks to discourage hospice programs from targeting some Medicare beneficiaries who live in assisted living communities, where care may result in more money for hospices. The insight, made in reference to a January 2015 recommendation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, was included in a proposed rule, announced by CMS on April 21, that would create two new quality measures as well as update Medicare payment rates and the wage index for hospices serving Medicare beneficiaries in fiscal year 2017.

Full Article

PBJ Staffing Data Submission Gaining Steam, CMS Officials Say

Nearly half of skilled nursing facilities have registered to voluntarily submit electronic staffing data, officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid said Thursday during an SNF Open Door Forum call. Facilities were strongly encouraged to submit electronic staffing data beginning in October 2015 as that voluntary period was “created specifically

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to help providers prepare” for the mandatory filing period, said Evan Shulman, deputy director of the Division of Nursing Homes at CMS, according to call attendees. Full Article

Federal Government Sues Provider after Workers are Fired for Seeking Religious Exemption to Flu Shot

A North Carolina-based healthcare provider has been hit with a lawsuit from the federal government for allegedly firing three employees who asked for a religious exemption from the company's mandatory flu shot policy. Mission Hospital, Inc., a hospital and health system based in Asheville, NC, requires its hospital employees to receive a flu shot no later than December each year, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed the suit on Thursday.(April 28th) Full Article

Health Care Reform

Largest Medicare ACO Reflects Mixed Results in First Year, Data Shows

The data from Medicare's largest accountable care organization's first full year of operation is in and the results are mixed, according to a new report in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Medicare Shared Savings Program results, published online last Wednesday, reported that 220 ACOs joined the program in 2012 and 2013. Those that joined in 2012 saved a total of $238 million in care costs, with the quality of care given either showing improvement or no change at all when compared to a local, non- ACO control provide. Full Article

Home and Community Based Services News

Senior Living Looks Forward to Additional HCBS Guidance from CMS

Organizations representing senior living providers said they are pleased that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is providing guidance to states on how to implement a 2014 final rule related to home- and community-based settings. But they also are looking forward to receiving additional clarity from the agency as states continue to work on their

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transition plans and determine whether certain senior living settings qualify to provide home- and community-based services.

Full Article

Home Health Care News

Home Health Approaching IMPACT Act Reporting Requirements

Home health agencies will soon start preparing for their quality reporting responsibilities under the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act. For more than 12,000 home health agencies, the first quality reporting measures begin January 1, 2017. The main goal of the Act is to collect standardized data that is individualized by four post-acute care settings: long-term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes and home health agencies. The legislation was passed with strong bipartisan support in 2014. Full Article

Hospice News

Hospice Fraud in OIG Crosshairs

Hospice fraud is an enforcement priority for the HHS Office of Inspector General, according to the head of the office. nspector General Daniel Levinson told attendees at the Health Care Compliance Association's Compliance Institute this week that kickbacks between physicians and hospice providers are an “alarming” concern for the office, Bloomberg BNA reported. Full Article

2017 Proposed Hospice Rules On April 21, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued FY 2017 Hospice (CMS 1652-P)proposed rule that was posted in the Federal Register on 04/28/2016.

How will the Hospice proposed Rule impact Hospice Providers?

 As proposed, hospices would see a 2.0 percent ($330 million) increase in their payments for FY 2017. The proposed 2.0 percent hospice payment update percentage for FY 2017 is based on an estimated 2.8 percent inpatient

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hospital market basket update, reduced by a 0.5 percentage point productivity adjustment and by a 0.3 percentage point adjustment set by the Affordable Care Act.

 For accounting years that end after September 30, 2016 and before October 1, 2025, the hospice cap is updated by the hospice payment update percentage rather than using the consumer price index for urban consumers (CPI–U). As required by section 1814(i)(2)(B)(ii) of the Act, the hospice cap amount for the 2017 cap year will be $28,377.17, which is equal to the 2016 cap amount ($27,820.75) updated by the FY 2017 hospice payment update percentage of 2.0 percent. The 2017 cap year will start on October 1, 2016 and end on September 30, 2017.

 This rule also updates data analysis regarding hospice trends including diagnosis reporting, pre-hospice spending, non-hospice spending, and live discharges. Ongoing and future monitoring efforts are also discussed and monitoring will occur at the aggregate and provider-levels.

 This proposed rule provides a description of the Hospice CAHPS® Survey, including the model of survey implementation, the survey respondents, eligibility criteria for the sample, and the languages in which the survey is offered, among other details. The proposed rule also outlines participation requirements for the FY 2019 and FY 2020 annual payment updates. For the FY 2019 Annual Payment Update (APU), hospices must collect survey data on an ongoing basis from January through December of calendar year (CY) 2017. For the FY 2020 APU, hospices must collect survey data on an ongoing basis from January through December of CY 2018. The proposed rule also includes survey data submission deadlines for the FY 2018, FY 2019, and FY 2020 APU periods. Public display of the survey results will not occur until CMS has collected at least four quarters of data. CMS anticipates that public display of the data will occur during CY 2017.

 CMS is considering enhancing the current Hospice Item Set (HIS) data collection instrument to be more in line with other Post-Acute Care settings. This revised data collection instrument would be a comprehensive patient assessment instrument, rather than the current chart abstraction tool.

 CMS expects to begin public reporting in a Compare site in CY 2017. In addition, CMS expects to post hospice demographic data on a public use file in late spring/early summer 2016.

 The Hospice QRP is proposing two new quality measures for FY 2017: 1. Hospice Visits When Death is Imminent, is a measure that will assess hospice staff visits to patients and caregivers in the last week of life. 2. Hospice and Palliative Care Composite Process Measure, will assess the percentage of hospice patients who received care processes consistent with guidelines. This measure will be based on select measures from the seven that

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are currently being submitted under the Hospice QRP (Pain Screening, Pain Assessment, Dyspnea Treatment, Patients Treated with an Opioid who are given a Bowel Regimen, and Treatment Preferences & Beliefs/Values Addressed if desired by patient).

Public comments on the proposal will be accepted until June 20, 2016. LeadingAge is reviewing the proposed rule, and will be submitting comments.

Housing News

Report: Seniors Housing Demand will Continue, with Challenges

A stronger housing market is propelling some older adults to sell their homes and move into luxury senior living communities where they can maintain active lifestyles, notes a new national report by Marcus and Millichap. That movement is causing some supply issues, especially in the South, the report maintains, even though new communities are being constructed, with plans for additional ones in the works. The demand for seniors housing will continue over the next few years as many baby boomers, now aged 51 to 70, move closer to retirement, according to the real estate investment services firm. Full Article

Disparate Impact and Criminal Records: Things Every Housing Provider Should Know

HUD's Office of General Counsel (OGC) has issued new guidance on criminal records and fair housing act standards in housing which applies not just to subsidized housing, but to all housing providers nationwide. Every housing provider (not just HUD subsidized) needs to be aware that policies that exclude persons based on criminal history must be tailored to address such factors as the type of the crime and the length of time since conviction. Full Article

2016 Income Limits for HUD and Tax Credit Programs

Each year, HUD releases Fiscal Year Median Family Income estimates and Income Limits. Different income limits apply to different programs. This year, the new FY2016 Income limits are effective immediately for HUD's multifamily housing program,.

Full Article

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New Data Reveals the Truth Behind Senior Living Costs

The cost of senior housing and care may be outpacing inflation, but now’s a great time to consider making the transition from homeowner to senior living resident, according to newly released data from A Place for Mom. The senior living referral service’s new National Senior Living Cost Index is based on actual rent and care charges collected from a sample of almost 100,000 A Place for Mom move-ins between 2012 and 2015— and that makes it the first of its kind, according to Charlie Severn, vice president of brand marketing at A Place for Mom.

Full Article

Information of Interest

Providers Build a 'Nursing Pipeline' Some senior living providers are forging relationships with educational institutions to try to ensure sufficient numbers of professional caregivers for the future. At Shoreview, MN- based Ecumen, a $1.95 million grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation grant is enabling the organization to conduct a two-year pilot study of the effectiveness of such workforce development endeavors. Ecumen is just beginning to examine data from the effort, which will end this summer, but anecdotal evidence suggests that is has been “overwhelmingly successful,” Judy Blaseg, Ecumen's vice president of philanthropy, told McKnight's Senior Living.

Full Article

President Signs Older Americans Act

President Barack Obama signed into law the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization of 2015, after it passed both chambers of Congress with unanimous support. LeadingAge commends the President for signing the OAA, which was 5 years overdue for reauthorization. LeadingAge appreciates the leadership of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) and the House Education and the Workforce Committee for their bipartisan efforts throughout the OAA reauthorization process.

Full Article

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Life Expectancy for White Females in U.S. Suffers Rare Decline

Life expectancy at birth for white, non-Hispanic females in the United States declined slightly from 2013 to 2014, a change that could be a statistical blip but still represents a rare drop for a major demographic group, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This unusual down-tick in life expectancy -- from 81.2 to 81.1 years -- is consistent with other research showing that drug overdoses, suicides and diseases related to smoking and heavy drinking are killing unprecedented numbers of white Americans, particularly women in mid-life.

Full Article

Loneliness Can Literally Hurt your Heart, Scientists Say

That pang in the middle of your chest when you feel lonely may not just be in your head. Researchers reported in the journal Heart this week that poor social relationships could actually hurt your heart. The study involved what is known as a meta-analysis of 23 previous studies involving 181,000 people. This involves taking the raw data, pooling it and reanalyzing it. In total, the studies included 4,628 cases of cardiovascular disease and 3,002 stroke cases. The researchers found that being lonely or socially isolated appeared to be associated with a 29 percent increase in risk of heart disease and with a 32 percent increase in risk of stroke.

Full Article

How to Respond to Active Shooters

An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.

Download the full report written by the Department of Homeland Security to learn how to prepare your organization.

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Elder Abuse Screening Tool is on HHS Wish List High on Kathy Greenlee's wish list is a screening tool that could be used by aging services providers, physicians, pharmacists, bank employees and others to assess someone's risk for elder abuse. Greenlee, the assistant secretary for aging and administrator of the Administration for Community Living in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, shared the desire as part of her closing remarks during an April 27 meeting of the Elder Justice Coordinating Council. The entity was established by the Elder Justice Act of 2009, part of the Affordable Care Act, to coordinate activities related to elder abuse, neglect and exploitation across the federal government.

Full Article

Nursing Facility News

Accuracy Key to Staying Ahead of Changes to MDS 3.0, Quality Measures, Experts Say

Providers should conduct accuracy reviews of their facility's databases in order to prepare for changes to the MDS 3.0 and the Five-Star Quality Measures slated for this year, experts emphasized on Monday. With MDS 3.0 updates scheduled to hit October 1, and new quality measures expected to be added to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Nursing Homes Five-Star Ratings system even earlier in July, providers “have to make sure [their] MDS' are one thing — accurate,” said Leah Klusch, RN, RN, BSN, FACHCA, during a session at the American College of Health Care Administrators Annual Convocation and Exposition.

Full Article

SNFs get $800 Million Payment Increase, New Quality Measures Under Proposed Rule for FY 2017

Skilled nursing facilities will receive Medicare payment increases of $800 million in FY 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Thursday evening. The proposed funding boosts add up to a 2.1% increase from this year, CMS said, and is attributable to a 2.6% market basket increase docked by 0.5 percentage points. Medicare payments for hospices will rise by $330 million, a 2% increase.

Full Article

April 30, 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Hotline – page 18

Long-Term Care Facility Credit Balance Audits

HMS will soon begin conducting credit balance audits on behalf of the Missouri Department of Social Services, MO HealthNet Division, (MHD) and MMAC. Click here to view the original message and website post.

MMAC has posted HMS’ initial schedule of audits of long-term care facilities to its website. Click here to see the schedule and read more about HMS and credit balance audits of long-term care facilities.

CMS Makes it Official: 6 New Quality Measures Go Live on Nursing Home Compare

Six new quality measures were added to Nursing Home Compare on Wednesday, making for the largest addition of quality measures to the website since 2003. The measures, first announced during an Open Door Forum call in early March, include three based on MDS data, and three based on Medicare claims data submitted by hospitals. The inclusion of hospital data-based measures — rate of hospitalization, emergency room use and community discharge — marks the first time new measures have been implemented that don't solely rely on data self-reported by nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services noted.

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SNF Occupancy Rates Fall as Discharges Rise, CDC Says The number of nursing home discharges climbed while occupancy rates, number of facilities and revenues fell, according to a recently released federal “report card” on health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Health, United States report for 2015, which was released on April 27th, found the number of nursing facilities dropped from 16,389 in 1995 to 15,643 in 2014. The number of licensed beds also fell, from 1.75 million in 1995 to 1.69 million in 2014. The number of residents decreased from 1.48 million to 1.37 million in that same time frame.

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April 30, 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Hotline – page 19

State News

Home and Community Based Services Policy Clarification Questions

A memorandum has been issued providing information pertaining to a new resource for providers. The Home and Community Based Services Provider Clarification Questions (HCBS PCQ) document, which is in a question and answer format, was developed to provide information regarding HCBS policies.

Please refer to PM/VM-16-21 at the links below for additional details. http://www.health.mo.gov/seniors/hcbs/ihsmemos.php http://health.mo.gov/seniors/hcbs/cdsmemos.php

Technology

Health Tech Needs Improvement, Seniors Say

As telemedicine better enables care at home, it’s critical to understand what seniors think about emerging technology and how they use health and wellness capabilities from devices. From wearable monitors that track activity to sensors that can support a home health aide’s care plan, health and wellness technology is complementing .

But are older adults into the trend?

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Career Center

There are several new job opportunities posted in our Career Center. Please stop by to check them out. If you have a position you would like us to post send it to [email protected] .

Click here for openings

April 30, 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Hotline – page 20

April 30, 2016 LeadingAge Missouri Hotline – page 21