 A note from the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman:
With a new State fiscal year upon us, I would like to inform you
of changes that will be taking place within the Office of the State Long-Term
Care Ombudsman (Office) due to recent budget cuts impacting many state agencies.
Budget constraints and an impending staff departure have forced us to re-structure how this Office delivers
services to Iowans. At this time, our Local Long-Term Care Ombudsmen will have limited ability to travel to any facility or program to visit with a resident/tenant in
person. Additionally, our Volunteer Ombudsman Program Coordinator will depart soon for graduate school and we will not be able to fill that position. These changes and fewer resources and tools for training, travel, technology, publications and certification also means that no new Volunteer
Ombudsmen will be certified at this time. Taken together, we understand this may limit face-to-face interactions. We hope this is temporary.
We remain committed to our
mission and will strive to minimize the impact to the Iowans we serve by looking for other ways to partner with residents/tenants, their
representatives, and facility staff to advocate for resident and tenant
rights. Our Local Long-Term Care Ombudsmen will be contacting facilities/programs on a routine basis via telephone and/or e-mail to discuss any concerns that
residents/tenants wish to speak about. If there is a request for
a Long-Term Care Ombudsman to be involved in a particular situation, it is
likely that the Office will be contacting the facility to see if there is a way to meet
with the resident/tenant via an electronic platform using available
technology. We will also continue to utilize existing Volunteer
Ombudsmen to assist with face-to-face contacts if we are otherwise unable to
connect with a resident.
Additionally, the Office’s website, www.iowaaging.gov, has numerous links to fact sheets, webinars and resources that
residents/tenants, family members, other interested parties and facility staff
may utilize to aid residents/tenants in advocating for themselves or to help
educate others. While there is no substitute for in-person service, the
Office will work to update the website and use platforms like this newsletter to communicate
information and updates.
During this challenging time, I would like to
reiterate that this Office will continue our efforts to advocate for residents’ and
tenants’ rights and quality of care. Your continued assistance with that mission is appreciated.
Deanna Clingan-Fischer, JD
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New Telligen QIN Project to Improve Medication Safety Among Nursing Home Residents
Among elderly people with Medicare, multiple medications, medical conditions and age-related changes in the way the body processes drugs all increase the risk of adverse drug events. A new Telligen QIN project will help reduce these risks among nursing home residents in Colorado, Illinois and Iowa and help nursing home staffs hone their Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) skills.
“Whether or not your staff has participated in the Telligen QAPI push classes, Project DAO (Diabetes, Anticoagulants and Opioids) helps them maintain their QAPI skills with new quality improvement projects that directly impact resident care and home management,” says Telligen Quality Improvement Manager Deanna Curry.
Nursing homes can participate in any of the three two-month projects, each focused on a specific drug class. Projects will follow the same format as the popular QAPI push courses, with instruction, hands-on projects and discussion.
Project DAO focuses on three of the most common medications given in long-term care settings. Nursing home staff who participate in this project will:
Project DAO will begin its Opioid classes on August 1, 2017; please sign up by July 31 to join a limited number of nursing homes that will participate in Project DAO. For more information, please contact the Telligen Medication Safety Program Manager using the link below.
>Full article and Registration
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In the News
Radio Iowa: New state law updates definition of dependent adult abuse
In June, Radio Iowa published an article discussing a new law in Iowa which updates the crime of dependent adult abuse, to include verbal abuse as well as demeaning online comments, photos or video. The new standards took effect on March 30 but the Department of Inspections and Appeals had to also implement new rules for nursing homes and other facilities where this type of activity is now barred. The proposed rules were reviewed today by a legislative committee and will take effect on September 6, 2017.
>Read the Radio Iowa article
Upcoming Events & Educational Opportunities
Wednesday, July 19, 2017 (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM CDT)
Iowa Central Community College (One Triton Circle,
Fort Dodge, IA 50501)
Training Purpose:
To enhance older victims' safety and quality of life by strengthening collaboration among victim service providers. The training is brought to you by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office in collaboration with the Iowa Department on Aging, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the Iowa Department of Human Services, the State Long Term Care Ombudsman's Office, the Polk County Attorney's Office, the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the Dallas County Attorney's Office, and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The training is conducted by an aging expert, a domestic violence advocate, and a DHS dependent adult abuse expert.
Training Goals:
- Describe the dynamics of abuse in later life;
- Identify and utilize resources in the community; and
- Promote collaboration and communication among victim service providers.
Target Audience:
- Adult protective services (APS) and/or elder abuse workers. Those who respond to suspected elder abuse situations, conduct investigations, and offer various interventions and services to consenting adults.
- Community-based domestic violence advocates. Those who work in local nonprofit, nongovernmental domestic violence programs assisting victims of domestic violence and their children.
- Community-based sexual assault advocates. Those who work in local nonprofit, nongovernmental sexual assault programs assisting victims of sexual assault.
- System-based advocates. Those who are typically employed by criminal justice agencies such as sheriff’s departments, prosecutor’s offices, and probation departments.
- Aging network professionals. Those who work in state units on aging , area agencies on aging, tribal and native service organizations, adult care centers, and other organizations focused on the needs of older adults.
- Other advocate or professionals who work with elder abuse victims. Those who may not fit in the other categories but work with elder abuse victims such as: attorneys, health care providers, faith leaders, and people who work with culturally-specific and marginalized populations.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: JULY 14, 2017
Note: Seating is limited to 40 attendees. (Additional training to be held in Oskaloosa on August 23.)
>Register
The mission of the Office of
the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman is to protect the health, safety, welfare
and rights of individuals residing in long-term care by investigating
complaints, seeking resolutions to problems and providing advocacy, with the goal
of enhancing quality of life and care.
Please feel free to forward
this newsletter to others who may be interested.
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