LTSS Newsletter—May 2022

LTSS webinar – Culture Change in Long-Term Care, May 25

 

American Indian/Alaska Native Long-Term Services and Supports SOLUTIONS Technical assistance for culturally competent care May 2022

 

LTSS Technical Assistance Center Visit the online LTSS TA Center for videos, best practices, toolkits, a resource library, and a step-by-step planning roadmap.

 

 

Toolkit to assess the needs of people with dementia Conducting a comprehensive needs assessment is a necessary first step toward developing and implementing a community-wide plan to improve quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers. To that end, the Alzheimer’s Association and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials collaborated to create the Needs Assessment Toolkit for Dementia, Cognitive Health, and Caregiving (PDF, 3.8 MB, 33 pp). Intended for aging agency staff, public health professionals, community leaders, and other stakeholders, the toolkit suggests additional resources for action planning and includes tips for focusing on health equity.           Promoting the well-being of caregivers in Indian Country               Caring for a loved one with dementia can be challenging. The CMS LTSS TA Center’s webpage on caregiver support highlights several tribal LTSS programs as examples of culturally sensitive approaches to meeting caregivers’ needs. Some caregivers may find it helpful to have a regularly updated care plan (PDF, 1.5 MB, 5 pp) that lists the care recipient’s medications, health care providers, and emergency contacts. For a step-by-step guide to developing and maintaining a care plan, visit the International Association for Indigenous Aging website.

 

Nominations due for RWJF Award for Health Equity LeadingAge is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Award for Health Equity. Nominees should be individuals or 2-person teams who increased access to services and supports that enabled vulnerable elders to lead healthy lives. Awardees will receive $3,000; coverage of registration and travel to the 2022 LeadingAge Annual Meeting & EXPO in Denver, CO; and an invitation to a recognition event. Nominations may be submitted online and are due by 12 am Eastern on June 17.

Dementia and brain health Cultural Awareness: Indigenous Peoples & Dementia, a podcast on dementia and brain health in Native communities, is available online. Part of Banner Health’s Dementia Untangled series, the podcast highlights some cultural considerations that can influence outreach to increase awareness of dementia in Native communities. It also mentions strategies to improve care for family members with dementia who live at home.

COVID-19 and transmission in nursing homes CMS recently revised the following memoranda to reflect newer guidance for preventing COVID-19 transmission in nursing homes: QSO-20-38-NH (PDF, 399 KB, 12 pp) on COVID-19 testing requirements QSO-20-39-NH (PDF, 541 KB, 16 pp) on nursing home visitation In both documents, CMS deleted the term “unvaccinated” and replaced the term “vaccinated” with the phrase “up-to-date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses.” Notably, “up-to-date” is defined as having received any booster dose(s) for which a person is eligible. In QSO-20-38-NH, CMS updated the recommendations for testing individuals within 90 days after recovering from COVID-19. Facility staff who are up-to-date with the recommended vaccine doses are not required to undergo routine COVID testing. And in QSO-20-39-NH, CMS updated visitor screening and quarantine criteria. Residents and visitors who are up-to-date with the recommended vaccine doses are subject to fewer restrictions on how and where in-person visits occur.

 

Join the conversation on LinkedIn Want to learn more about or discuss LTSS in Indian Country? Looking to connect with others working in the same field? Join the Tribal Affairs Group on LinkedIn.

 

Upcoming webinar

 

Culture Change in Long-Term Care Wednesday, May 25   Join UNITE for a discussion of how culture change has improved quality of life for residents of tribal care facilities. The mission of UNITE (Uniting Nursing Homes in Tribal Excellence) is to partner with and be a resource for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian tribes to improve the quality of life for tribal elders by implementing evidence-based practices and culturally relevant education and training. Objectives: Learn how tribal nursing homes have incorporated culture change and Native language into their approach to care Explain why culture change matters in tribal long-term care settings Share common challenges associated with the incorporation of culture change Hear about best practices for honoring death and dying with culture change Please note your location's call-in time: 8 am Hawaii 10 am Alaska 11 am Pacific 12 pm Mountain 1 pm Central 2 pm Eastern Have questions for our presenters? Let us know before the webinar by emailing ltssinfo@kauffmaninc.com. Register now. Facilitator Tami Reed Administrator Morning Star Care Center Presenters Tamara Higgins Administrator-in-Training Laguna Rainbow Elderly Care Center Agnes Sweetsir Administrator Yukon-Koyukuk Elder Assisted Living Facility Melissa Martinez Executive Director Laguna Rainbow Elderly Care Center Kelly Vasquez Social Service Director Morning Star Care Center

 

Caregiver's Corner

 

Translating recommendations into action steps Last fall, the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, & Engage (RAISE) Family Caregiving Advisory Council issued extensive recommendations to better support family caregivers. To help translate the recommendations into action steps, various stakeholders that work with family caregivers were invited to participate in a series of key informant interviews and listening sessions. Building a National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers (PDF, 407 KB, 36 pp) reviews findings from those interviews and sessions. Published by the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and Community Catalyst’s Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation, the report lists suggested actions that would support the following goals: Increasing awareness of family caregivers Engaging family caregivers as partners in health care and LTSS Improving access to services and supports for family caregivers Supporting financial and workplace security for family caregivers Generating research, data, and evidence-informed practices The report also includes relevant stakeholder quotes to emphasize key points.

 

Funding opportunities

 

Tribal LTSS resource center Deadline: June 6 Learn more about the tribal LTSS resource center funding opportunity The Administration on Community Living has extended the deadline to apply for funds to support a national resource center that will help tribes develop culturally appropriate LTSS. The resource center will: Recruit and train navigators to assist tribes Develop a practical and hands-on toolkit for tribes to implement LTSS One new cooperative agreement of up to $250,000 will be awarded for a 5-year performance period. Native American Elder Justice Initiative Deadline: June 21 Learn more about the Native American Justice Initiative funding opportunity The Native American Elder Justice Initiative will address the need for more culturally appropriate information and community education materials on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in Indian Country. Activities carried out under this initiative will accomplish at least one of the following goals: Develop culturally specific materials for tribes Gather and disseminate information on best practices in Indian Country Provide examples of model tribal codes to address maltreatment of elders One cooperative agreement of up to $300,000 will be awarded for a 5-year performance period.

 

Upcoming events

 

ASA webinar on dementia June 9, 1–2 pm Eastern Register for the June 9 webinar Join the American Society on Aging (ASA) for 6 Key Elements to Understanding Dementia, a webinar on managing the unique behaviors associated with dementia. Designed to help prevent caregiver burnout, the webinar will highlight the importance of person-centered care. It will also help caregivers better understand how to choose appropriate activities for people with dementia. AFA webinar on care for LGBTQIA+ people with dementia June 15, 12–2 pm Eastern Register for the June 15 webinar Plan to attend a webinar aimed at helping caregivers provide high-quality trauma-informed care to LGBTQIA+ people with dementia. Hosted by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), the webinar will cover the: Impact of historical trauma on health outcomes Importance of inclusive dementia care Role of stigma as a potential barrier to care

 

Send us your news Do you have news to share about LTSS in Indian Country? Send it to ltssinfo@kauffmaninc.com, and we'll include it in a newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too. About the newsletter American Indian/Alaska Native Long-Term Services and Supports Solutions is published monthly by the CMS Division of Tribal Affairs to share information, funding opportunities, and resources with LTSS planners, tribal leaders, and supporters.