June 2010

Please note:  We have CANCELED our July statewide meeting so our members can enjoy their summer vacations but look forward to our next statewide meeting on Saturday, September 11, 2010 from 10:30-2:30 at the Chalgian & Tripp Law Office in East Lansing, 1019 Trowbridge Road (near the Trowbridge exit for I-496 and Route 127).  Please also plan to join us at our November 13, 2010 meeting at the same time and place.  Thanks to attorneys Doug Chalgian and Amy Tripp for their hospitality!  If you plan to attend the September meeting, please RSVP to Alison Hirschel at hirschel@lsscm.org or 517-394-2985 x231 by September 9.  We need your help. Join us!

 

Campaign seeks nominations for its Nadene Mitcham Courage and Heart Awards—Each year, the Campaign is pleased to honor two or three individuals who have made a significant difference in the lives of long term care consumers and who have shown exceptional compassion and courage. The award is named after our former statewide chair, Nadene Mitcham, who inspired us with her own courage, persistence, and determination to improve the lives of others.  We are happy to consider nominations of anyone who stands out as a hero to long term care consumers.  To nominate an individual, please email Alison Hirschel at hirschel@lsscm.org or write to her to tell us about the person you wish to nominate by September 9 and please let us know how to contact your nominee.

 

Campaign members spend a second day at the Capitol—Campaign members Toni Wilson, John Weir, Bianca Glendinning, Alison Hirschel, Paul vanWestrienen, and Maureen Mickus returned on June 2 to the Capitol to talk to legislators we missed in our March visit about our priorities and concerns.  As in our earlier visit, we were pleased to engage many legislators and their staff in conversations about the importance of home and community based care, the need to raise revenue to support long term care programs, and the harm caused by cuts to Medicaid such as the elimination of adult dental care, eyeglasses, and hearing aids.  We found legislators to be receptive and concerned and were pleased to provide information including the Assisted Living Disclosure Form (see below) we developed which legislators seemed eager to share with their constituents.  

          On a related note, hundreds of seniors from around the state including a number of Campaign members gathered at the Capitol on June 10 for Older Michiganians Day.  The platform for the group included several priorities the Campaign has also embraced and advanced including protecting services for the most vulnerable and closing tax loopholes and restructuring taxes to raise needed state revenues.  Many of the distinguished speakers in front of the Capitol also sounded themes the Campaign has long advanced including the importance of expanding access to home and community based care and assuring long term care consumers have quality and choice.  The Campaign thanks Mary Ablan at the Michigan Association of Area Agencies on Aging for her significant work in organizing this successful day.

 

Several Michigan nursing homes suffer prolonged power outages after storms—The Campaign has learned that several nursing homes lost power for many hours during recent storms.  Lahser Hills Care Center in Southfield reportedly lost power on Friday evening, June 18, and power was not fully restored until the afternoon of Sunday, June 20.  West Woods of Niles reportedly lost power during a similar period and Covenant Village in Grand Rapids lost power early on the morning of June 22.  We understand all facilities made considerable efforts to assure the continuing safety and comfort of the residents during this challenging time. The Campaign is interested to hear from members whether other facilities also lost power during recent storms and how facilities cared for residents during the power outages.  Please contact Alison Hirschel at 517-394-2985, ext. 231 or hirschel@lsscm.org.

Nursing homes are required to have generators that can maintain at least partial power in the event of a power failure.  State Long Term Care Ombudsman Sarah Slocum and her staff and Bureau of Health Systems staff are reviewing the recent power outages and checking on issues including:

►        Did the facility generators function swiftly and effectively?

►      Did equipment requiring electricity (including oxygen, feeding tubes, fans elevators, lights and other devices) continue to function on the generator?

►      Was the temperature at the facility within safe limits even if the air conditioning was not working?

►      How did the facility assure that food remained safe if the refrigerator was not working?

►      How did the facility maintain adequate hygiene if there was no hot water and if the dishwasher was not functioning?

►      Did the facility notify the state and the ombudsman of the situation?

►      Did any residents suffer adverse consequences as a result of the power outage?

►      Did the power company consider it a priority to restore power at the facility?

Some facilities also had to take precautions during recent tornado warnings. The Campaign learned of one facility in which all residents were moved into an interior hallway in the middle of the night and all doors were closed to protect residents from the possibility of broken glass or other harm.  The Campaign encourages residents and families to discuss with their long term care providers how they would handle weather related emergencies and if families would be notified in case of a power outage or other calamity.

Family of Mildred Hadley continues to encourage wider distribution of the Assisted Living Disclosure Form—We have noted that the family of Mildred Hadley supported the Campaign in developing a form consumers can use to select and compare assisted living facilities.  That form is available on our website (www.campaignforqualitycare.org) and continues to be widely circulated and applauded.  We wanted to introduce you to Ms. Hadley and her family in this photo taken a few months before her untimely death.

 

NCCNHR—The Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care Changes Name to the Consumer Voice. – Many Campaign members appreciate the enormous importance of NCCNHR-The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care which has for more than 30 years been a courageous and effective national leader in advocating for long term care consumers.  Campaign Board member John Weir is NCCNHR’s President-Elect and Michigan State Ombudsman Sarah Slocum also serves on the Board of this Washington, D.C. organization.  Many Campaign members have attended NCCNHR’s wonderful annual conferences.  But like many organizations, NCCNHR has outgrown its original name—the National Consumer Coalition for Nursing Home Reform.  Because the organization now focuses on consumers across the long term care landscape instead of just those in nursing homes, it will now be known as The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care or “the Consumer Voice.” The Campaign encourages members to continue to use the organization’s great website at theconsumervoice.org and to consider attending this year’s fabulous annual meeting in Orlando on Oct. 19-22 (registration information is available on the website or by calling 1-202-332-2275).    If you go to the website, you’ll also notice that the Consumer Voice is engaged in a fun fundraising challenge among states and that, as of the time of writing, Michigan is in the lead!  Why not contribute and assure Michigan’s victory and the Consumer Voice’s continued success?

 

The Campaign thanks it generous recent donors--Royal Oak Older Women's League in honor of Nadene Mitcham.  Mary Bugeia, Wayne Oakes, Bianca Glendinning, and Lottie Surmacz.

Contributions to the Campaign are tax-deductible and can be sent to Paul Van Westrienen, Treasurer, Michigan Campaign for Quality Care, 359 Park Ave., Parchment, MI 49004. 

 

Enjoy your summer and see you in September!!