The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s (CMS) new minimum staffing standard requires facilities to provide 3.48 hours of care per resident per day. That translates into three hours and 29 minutes of care over 24 hours for each resident. This number is lower than what Consumer Voice and other consumer advocates, nursing professionals, and nursing home residents have been advocating for, for years. This number is lower than what studies have shown, for decades, will keep nursing home residents safe, but it will still raise staffing levels at many facilities.

In this episode, you will hear an important conversation between four nursing home residents about their personal experiences with understaffing, their thoughts on the new minimum staffing standard released by CMS, and their plans for advocating for themselves and others moving forward. The residents in this conversation are all part of Consumer Voice’s Consumer Advisory Council and we are grateful they made the time to share their thoughts with us.

Special Guests:
•	Maurice Miller; Long-Term Care Resident in Maryland
•	Sharon Wallace, Long-Term Care Resident in New York
•	Cindy Napolitan Long-Term Care Resident in Texas
•	Margarite Grootjes, Long-Term Care Resident in Ohio

A Resident Dialogue on Staffing

In April 2024, a new federal rule requiring minimum staffing levels in nursing homes was released. This rule is an important step toward improving quality conditions in nursing homes and ensuring that residents receive the care they need. Listen in on a discussion between Consumer Voice's Lori Smetanka and Sam Brooks, who talk about the importance of the rule, what it says, and how we can start thinking about using it in advocating for quality care.

Understanding the Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule

Retaliation, and the fear of retaliation, can prevent residents and family members from raising their concerns about care and safety. It also has a chilling effect on the reporting of abuse or neglect in long-term care facilities, leaving many living in fear and without relief from harm. Retaliation can range from very subtle to obvious actions and it may be difficult to determine whether staff are retaliating or if a resident’s needs are not being met for another reason, such as understaffing. Retaliation is never acceptable; it is a violation of the resident's rights. In this episode, join us for a conversation with an Ombudsman, a long-term care resident, and a gerontologist as we discuss how to identify retaliation, action steps to take when it does occur, and how to advocate to prevent retaliation from happening in the future.

Guests: Tasha Erskine-Jackson, Regional Ombudsman, Connecticut Aging and Disability Services; Jeanette Martinez, Connecticut Long-Term Care Resident; and Eilon Caspi, Gerontologist and Dementia Behavior Specialist

Addressing Concerns About Retaliation

Guardianship is a tool intended to support individuals who have lost the capacity to make decisions for themselves. However, guardianship is an extreme step and can have a devastating impact on a person's well-being. In this episode, we will discuss guardianship over residents of long-term care facilities, less restrictive alternatives, and strategies for supporting residents under guardianship.

Guests: Alison Hirschel, Director of the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative, and Emily Miller, Managing Attorney of the Crime Victims Legal Assistance Project of the Michigan Advocacy Program

Don't Drag My Resident into Court: The Impact of Guardianship on Residents in LTC Facilities

Election season is an exciting time that offers a renewed opportunity to shape public policy. For many long-term care residents, voting is a patriotic duty that has been respected and exercised over the course of their lifetime. Residents of long-term care have the same right to vote as everyone else.  Join us for a conversation with Gwen Orlowski, Executive Director of Disability Rights New Jersey to discuss how residents and their families can ensure their voices are heard in the upcoming elections.

Voting Access for Long-Term Care Consumers

During this time of year nursing homes can expect to see an increase in people visiting their loved ones. This increase puts everyone at a higher risk of catching a cold or respiratory illnesses. Join us for a conversation as we dive into the latest CDC guidance on respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, for nursing home residents. We are joined by Dr. Erika Wallender from the CDC, and Lori Walsh, Consumer Voice Policy and Program Specialist, to discuss practical steps in reducing infection risks and best practices for staying safe during this upcoming respiratory season. We also remind residents and their families of their rights and protections while navigating life in a nursing home.

Keeping Safe: A CDC Update on Respiratory Season for Nursing Homes

Although federal law and regulation prohibit the use of third party guarantees, some nursing homes may still attempt to get you to sign documents making you financially responsible for a nursing home stay. Join us for a conversation with experts Anna Anderson and Eric Carlson as they guide you through what you can do if a nursing home tries to hold you financially liable for someone else's nursing home stay.

Guest: Eric Carlson, Director, Long-Term Services and Supports Advocacy, Justice in Aging; Anna Anderson, Staff Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

Third Party Guarantees: When a Nursing Home Tries to Make You Responsible for Someone Else’s Stay

Currently, the reconciliation process is underway in Congress. At stake are hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, which would permanently alter the Medicaid program and have long-lasting and devastating impacts on tens of millions of Americans nationwide. In this episode, Consumer Voice’s Public Policy Director, Sam Brooks, will discuss the reconciliation process with Nicole Jorwic and Gelila Selassie and what it will mean for Medicaid recipients, including nursing home residents and other consumers of long-term care supports and services. Additionally, this episode includes a call to action and lays out what you can do to help stop these catastrophic cuts to this essential healthcare program.

Reconciliation and the Possibility of $800 Billion in Cuts to Medicaid, Including Long-Term Care Supports and Services

Consumer Voice’s Public Policy Director, Sam Brooks, talks with Dr. Norma Coe, a professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Perleman School of Medicine, whose research on the minimum staffing rule in nursing homes found that the rule would save 13,000 resident lives annually. Sam and Dr. Coe will discuss the rule, its impact on residents, and the current barriers to its implementation.

Guest: Dr. Norma Coe, Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Perleman School of Medicine

The Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule Will Save 13,000 Lives a Year

Long-term care is or will be a fact of life for many of us and our loved ones as we age. We all deserve care – whether in the home or in a long-term care facility – that meets the highest of standards, enhancing quality of life and ensuring the protection of rights. Join us as we talk with national experts and advocates about strategies you can use in the pursuit of quality long-term care.

Voting Access for Long-Term Care Consumers

Pursuing Quality Long-Term Care

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