A note from the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman: As we continue to celebrate Residents' Rights Month this October, we would like to shine a spotlight on a group of Iowans served by the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman: Medicaid managed care members who live or receive care in a health care facility, assisted living program or elder group home, as well as members enrolled in one of Medicaid's seven home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver programs (AIDS/HIV, Brain Injury, Children’s Mental Health, Elderly, Health and Disability, Intellectual Disability and Physical Disability). These 57,000 Iowans may not all qualify as "residents" of long-term care facilities, but it's important to acknowledge that these individuals have rights that are designed to protect them as they work with their managed care organizations (MCOs). All Medicaid managed care members have the right to: Be treated with respect and dignity and expect privacy and confidentiality; Express concerns without fear of reprisal; Participate in the care planning process and make decisions about treatment; Make personal choices; Be fully informed about services and costs; Receive timely, appropriate and accessible medical care; Access emergency care services without prior approval if their health is in danger; Choose the provider of their choice from the providers available with the MCO; Change MCOs, as allowed by program policy; Receive interpretive services; and Appeal a decision made by the MCO. While the Managed Care Ombudsman Program was established within the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to help advocate on behalf of Medicaid managed care members, it is important to help members advocate for themselves by: Maintaining good records; Notifying the MCO of any health changes; Opening mail in a timely manner;  Keeping all mail from IME and the MCO, including letters and the envelopes in which the letters were sent;  Updating contact information as needed with IME and the MCO; and Discussing potential future needs with their primary care physician to help plan for the future. For more information and resources, please visit the Managed Care Ombudsman section of our website.   Cindy Pederson, JD Interim State Long-Term Care Ombudsman

LTCCC launches new monthly Issue Alerts

The Long Term Care Community Coalition (LTCCC) is launching a new series of monthly Issue Alerts. Each Issue Alert will feature a specific issue of concern to long-term care consumers, with particular focus on residents in nursing facilities and other residential care settings.  

The topic of the first LTCCC Issue Alert is pressure ulcers. The publication provides information on the dangers of pressure ulcers for nursing home residents; mandatory standards of care for preventing and treating pressure ulcers; the prevalence of pressure ulcers; how to find more information about pressure ulcer rates in nursing facilities in your state; and where to find more help on the issue.

Upcoming Events & Educational Opportunities

Technology in Aging: Improving the Quality of Life and Care for Older Adults

Oct. 25, 2017 (9 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.)
Supertel Inn & Conference Center | 800 Laurel St. | Creston, IA 50801

Join the Iowa Department on Aging in Bettendorf on Sept. 13 and/or in Creston on Oct. 25 for the next session in its 2017 Dialogue on Aging Series. The topic for this event is "Technology in Aging: Improving the Quality of Life and Care for Older Adults" and will include thought-provoking presentations by speakers representing the University of Iowa Barbara and Richard Csomay Center for Gerontological Excellence and the Iowa State University Gerontology Program. Lunch is included and will feature the recognition of Iowa's centenarians - those who will be 100 years or older by Dec. 31, 2017! Cost is $25 per person. > Register

Advanced Elder Abuse Cross Training: Identifying, Responding to & Preventing Financial Exploitation

Tuesday, Oct. 31 (8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
Iowa State Bar Association | 625 E Court Ave. | Des Moines, IA 50309

This training is presented by the Iowa Attorney General's Office and is free and open to the public. Retired San Francisco District Attorney Candace Heisler will discuss how to help someone who is being financially exploited, from identifying the issue to responding to it and learning how to prevent it from happening again. To register or for more information, contact Cheryl Ritter at cheryl.ritter@iowa.gov or (515) 281-7688.

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.

SUBSCRIBE