Newsletter

December 2018

Special Thanks to Our Institute Partners

Institute Supporters

Inside Your Association - LeadingAge Georgia


LeadingAge Georgia is the statewide association of over 150 key not-for-profit and other mission-focused organizations dedicated to providing quality housing, health care, community-based and other related services for older Georgians. The mission of LeadingAge Georgia is to represent and promote the common interests of its members through leadership, advocacy, education and other services in order to enhance each member's ability to serve older Georgians.


Conversations with Ginny

"You can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus, and the support."
-Sabrina Bryan

Greetings,

Here it is the holiday season and we have so much to celebrate!  I don't know if you attended the Profiles of Positive Aging, but if you didn't, you missed an incredibly inspiring afternoon. We honored twenty older adults that our members felt epitomized lives well led and individuals who continue to live inspiring lives as they age.  Everyone who read the write-ups about the honorees recognized that these individuals lived lives with passion, drive and focus and they made huge differences in the lives of others.  Their histories were remarkable including that of Beverly Watkins, our icon who was a trailblazer in the blues world playing with the greats like James Brown and Ray Charles.  Beverly was unable to attend due to a medical condition and is reportedly on the mend. Since Beverly was unable to attend, we changed up the program and asked each honoree to share their insights on how to age successfully.  Even though it was impromptu, each honoree rose to the occasion and enthusiastically shared their insights on living well as an older adult.  Each emphasized the importance of continuing to pursue one's passion and most said it was important to serve others.  With the change-up in the program we heard insights that we haven't quite heard before at a Profiles event -- that it is our member communities who provide the support for individuals to continue to nurture their passions. It's pretty remarkable that a woman whose passion is flower gardening can still plant sunflowers that grow six feet tall at St. George Village where she lives.  One honoree said that are over five hundred individuals at Lenbrook that he knows he can engage with at any time for any of his many interests.  So our Profiles of Positive Aging celebration was a tribute to twenty older adults whose lives deserved to be recognized but it also was a tribute to our member communities!

Our Annual Business Meeting and Awards Luncheon was an exceptional celebration. Canterbury Court Life Plan Community was beautifully decorated for the holidays and the setting along with the warm and welcoming staff made for a magical day. The breakfast and lunch that Morrison's Community Living created for us was so delightful that our members will talk about it for a long time! I am very grateful that Katie Smith Sloan, our president spent the day with us and shared her thoughts on how we can work together to improve the lives of older adults.  Katie charged us with getting governments and insurance providers to pay the true costs of services.  She also told us that we need to amplify our messages to Congress and we need to strive to tell our story so we can make a true impact on behalf of older adults.  We are taking her messages to heart and will work together to heed her calls to action!

Our Awards Luncheon was a true celebration of individuals who've given much of themselves on behalf of others.  We honored Ellen Miller-Mapp who helped launch and nourish a resident driven advocacy group at Briarcliff Oaks and Clairmont Oaks.  We honored the A.G. Rhodes of Cobb team who invested tremendous time and talent into implementing the Eden program and creating a caring community, Ruth Keeler, a volunteer with Decatur Christian Towers who "brings a fresh breeze to staff with her amazing attitude," Lisa Kiley who inspires individuals to have a purposeful experience, Tameka Jackson of Carlyle Place "who brings life and love to the nursing profession", Susan Hughey of Decatur Christian Towers who cared so much for a resident that she helped her move back after an out of state relocation didn't work out and Tia Copeland of Asbury Harris Epworth Towers "whom residents love, trust and depend on for the resolution of her issues and concerns."

We honored Scott Bassett with the Alison Cuba Champion Award for his incredible contributions of time and talent as a volunteer for LeadingAge Georgia.


Our Annual Business Meeting and Awards Luncheon was particularly special because of all of the members who were a part of the event.  Mark Lowell our LeadingAge Georgia board chair hosted the annual business meeting and truly set a tone of celebrating the great work of LeadingAge Georgia members. Our LeadingAge Georgia treasurer Arthur Levin who's been a huge help in this transition year presented the financials and the budgets for LeadingAge Georgia and  Georgia Institute on Aging for 2019.  Arthur reminded everyone that the new national dues structure is being implemented to make dues equitable and that while it will be budget neutral for national, some of our members will have an increase in dues.  He also reminded everyone that if anyone has a concern about their increase they are welcome to contact me.

Ellen Dunn of Campbell-Stone Buckhead hosted the Awards Luncheon and brought warmth and sparkle as she engaged us all in the celebration of members and a volunteer who truly deserve to be honored for improving lives of older adults.

A sincere thank you to Mark, Ellen, Connie White and to all members who made the day such a wonderful celebration.

Many of you know that Jacque Thornton will be leaving to embark on a great career opportunity with National Church Residences.  We invite you to join us for a celebration of Jacque's contributions to LeadingAge Georgia on January 3rd from 11:30 am until 1:30 pm at King's Bridge Retirement Community.  Reservations are needed by December 27 and we welcome you to send a note which we will give to Jacque in a keepsake.

If your year-end budget allows, consider a gift to continue the great work of LeadingAge Georgia and Georgia Institute on Aging.  If you are interested in paying your dues before the year-end, contact us and we can assist you.  You can also consider using year-end surplus to support Profiles of Positive Aging or the Annual Golf Tournament in Honor of Harry G. Haisten.  Dues invoices will go out soon so please be on the look-out for it.  Finally, since you all know who cares about the mission of LeadingAge Georgia and who might want to support our important initiatives, take a look at the end-of-year letter for giving and forward it to those you know care about LeadingAge Georgia and  Georgia Institute on Aging.

As you prepare for the holidays, know that we recognize the joy you bring to older adults year-round.  We are celebrating you! We hope your holidays are filled with joy and laughter.

As we speak, we're reaching out to our business and provider members to arrange sponsorship of the work of the Georgia Institute on Aging and our conference.  If you have not yet signed up to be a sponsor, we need you so please contact me  to discuss sponsorship opportunities:

Best,
Ginny

Congratulations 2018 Award Honorees

LeadingAge Georgia Award of Honor
Ellen Miller-Mapp; Clairmont Oaks
The Award of Honor, the Association's highest award, is presented to a distinguished individual who has provided outstanding leadership to the Georgia Association and whose exemplary service and commitment to quality have advanced both the association and the aging-services field.

Innovation in Care and Services Award
A. G. Rhodes Health & Rehab Cobb
This award recognizes a LeadingAge Georgia member organization for programs and/or services that are models of innovation and excellence and that contribute significantly to the quality of life of the individuals served.

LeadingAge Georgia Volunteer of the Year Award
Ruth Keeler;  Decatur Christian Towers

This award is presented to a resident or non-resident, group, or individual, volunteer of an LeadingAge Georgia member organization that has performed significant volunteer service to clients/residents, and has demonstrated unusual commitment to preserve the dignity and well-being of the residents/clients.

LeadingAge Georgia Distinguished Service Awards
Tameka Jackson;  Carlyle Place
Lisa Kiely
This award recognizes the achievements of members, Trustees of governing member boards, non-members, or institutions in making outstanding contributions toward the welfare of older persons in areas such as research, education, communication, public policy, or excellence in leadership or governance accountability for member organizations

Caring Heart Awards
Tia Copeland; Asbury Harris Epworth Towers
Sue Hughey; Decatur Christian Towers

This award recognizes the achievements of front-line staff and direct care employees, whose caring spirit have made significant impact upon the lives of older adults, while working for an LeadingAge Georgia member organization.

Allison Cuba Champion Award
Scott Bassett, Philip's Tower
This award recommended by Association staff, recognizes an association member who has provided exceptional service by working directly with the Association in a way that ultimately benefits the good of all members.

LeadingAge Georgia Spotlights Twenty Inspiring Older Adults  

On November 18, LeadingAge Georgia honored 79-year old Beverly "Guitar" Watkins with LeadingAge Georgia's Positive Aging Icon Award at its annual event at the Atlanta History Center. In addition, 19 other Georgia older adults were recognized for their positive outlook on aging and for making a difference in the community and the world at large.

Ms. Watkins is the seventh recipient of LeadingAge Georgia's Positive Aging Icon Award. Past recipients include: former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell, former Atlanta news anchor Monica Kauffman Pearson, Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz, Bishop Dr. Barbara L. King, Ambassador Andrew Young and 1968 US Olympian Dr. Mel Pender.

More than 240 guests attended the event that also raised approximately $34,000 to provide year-round educational opportunities through the Georgia Institute on Aging for paraprofessionals, professionals, care partners and family caregivers who support older adults. LeadingAge Georgia members, corporate and community sponsors, Ginny Helms, President/CEO and Jacquelyn Thornton, Senior Vice President of LeadingAge Georgia, celebrated all twenty honorees by noting: "We are inspired by their example of positive aging. Age doesn't have to slow you down or keep you from doing what you love. At any time in our life, you can give back and provide joy to others."

Several of the Profiles of Positive Aging honorees commented on how much the LeadingAge Georgia member communities where they live support them in pursuing their passions.    A Profiles of Positive Aging winner awardee who moved to Georgia to be near family partnered with the staff of the life plan community to bring Life Long Learning to his new home. The Profiles of Positive Aging award winners brought awareness to the value of living in mission-based communities that focus on well-being and foster passions. "Our organization strives to dispel the negative stereotypes of aging and promote a culture of positivity and inclusion," said senior vice president, Jacque Thornton."

Together with Ms. Watkins, the following inspiring older adults were honored:

  1. Raymond Pattillo, Sr. Asbury Harris Epworth Towers
  2. Lynda Washington, Decatur Christian Towers
  3. Rosa Smith, JenCare Neighborhood Medical Centers
  4. Jerry Waugh, Baptist Towers
  5. Frances Thrasher, A. G. Rhodes Health & Rehab
  6. Marion White, Lutheran Towers
  7. Victorine Solomon, Providence Manor Senior Center
  8. Marguerite Wilkins, Alice Williams Towers
  9. Dorothy Heuslein, St. George Village
  10. Mary Baker Anderson-Hill, Presbyterian Village
  11. Frances Goodson, Wesley Woods of Newnan
  12. Bradley Currey, Jr., Canterbury Court
  13. Sondra Rhoades Johnson, AARP GA
  14. Creed W. Pannell, Jr., LeadingAge Georgia
  15. The Rev. Joyce Myers-Brown, Wesley Woods Towers
  16. Michael Halpern, Lenbrook
  17. Lou Geerlings (posthumously), Carlyle Place
  18. Ruby Newsome, Altrus, Inc.
  19. Athleen Yauger, Cathedral Towers                                                    

Special thanks to the Profiles of Positive Aging Image Awards Gala Committee Members and generous sponsors who made this event possible.

Gold Sponsors
Georgia Power

Silver Sponsors
AARP Georgia
Canterbury Court
Carlyle Place
JenCare
Lenbrook
Presbyterian Homes of Georgia
St. George Village
Wesley Woods Senior Living

Bronze Sponsors
Amerigroup

Patron Sponsors
National Church Residences
Color Burst

2018 Profiles of Positive Aging Gala Committee

Co-Chairs
Scott Bassett, Philip's Tower
Samantha Eaves, Wesley Woods Senion Living
Antoinette Sturm, Saint Anne's Terrace

Committee Members

Tom Bowden, BB&T Capital Markets
Pat Coppin, Alice Williams Towers
Alexandria Giles, Lutheran Towers
Ginny Helms, LeadingAge Georgia
Kyle Huhtanen, Decatur Christian Towers
Lisa Kiely, Monarch Consulting
Sojourner Marable-Grimmett, National Church Residences
Debi McNeil, Wesley Woods Senior Living
Tonya Miller, Gardens of Fayetteville
Ellen Miller-Mapp, Clairmont Oaks
Wayne Quigley, Quigley Contract
Laura Rice, Briarcliff Oaks
Carolyn Roper, Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church
Emily Taylor, Color Burst                                  
Juanita Thomas, Spring Harbor
Jacque Thornton, Georgia Institute on Aging
David Warren, The Hellenic Tower
Connie White, Atlanta Regional Commission
Karon Winston, Lutheran Towers

2019 Leadership Academy Registration Now Open

The LeadingAge Georgia Walter O. Coffey Leadership Academy offers members a challenging and engaging year-long learning experience, designed to help aging services professionals at any level in their organization accelerate their leadership development so they are better equipped to serve our field.

The vision of LeadingAge Georgia is to create a generation of authentic, open-minded and transformational leaders who will collaboratively and innovatively create the future of aging services in America.

The 2019 class begins in March. This class is limited to 24 participants.

Click HERE for application

Year-End Giving

Season's Greetings!

At the LeadingAge Georgia Profiles of Positive Aging celebration at the Atlanta History Center in early November, twenty older adults shared their wisdom for successful aging. Each told us to pursue our passions and to put our compassion in action by serving others.

These twenty-older adults were trail blazers during their careers, master gardeners, philanthropists, movers and shakers in county and state governments, teachers who instilled a love of learning in students and individuals who served others throughout their lives.  Now, in their later years, these older adults are still pursuing their passions and they spoke joyously about their full lives in LeadingAge Communities. One man said that in the  community where he lives he knows that at any time there are over five-hundred individuals with whom he can engage in any number of his interests.

The truth is that the quality of life that honorees at Profiles of Positive Aging spoke about doesn't come by accident.  It comes because our LeadingAge member communities are mission-driven and led by stellar teams who are committed to the well-being of each individual they serve.  LeadingAge members invest in staff, in wellness programs, in resident-driven activities, a host of initiatives all focused on well-being and they give their residents a sense of community.

At LeadingAge Georgia, the membership association for mission-based organizations serving older adults and the Georgia Institute on Aging, our educational arm, we are laser focused on fortifying our members and enhancing the well-being of older adults. We have 160 provider members, all of whom are mission based and sixty-five percent are not-for-profit.  Together they serve over 127,000 older adults.

Please consider making an end-of-the-year contribution to support our efforts to fortify our members and ensure well-being of older adults.  Here are some of the initiatives we are working on that your funding will support:

  1. Providing leadership training so we can enhance the skills of supervisors because we know that good leaders make for happier staff and lower turn-over.
  2. Providing person-centered training because we know that it fosters better relationships between older adults and care partners resulting in better well-being for both the older adult and the care partners.
  3. Providing training through seminars, workshops and a conference because we know that having staff competent in areas such as wellness, person-centered activities, memory care, palliative care and end of life care are important for ensuring well-being.
  4. Advocating to have adequate payment from Medicaid and Medicare for important services like adult day health, in-home care, memory care in nursing homes and hospice care because the truth is that if providers are not adequately paid, they struggle to stay in business and these services are needed.
  5. Advocating to fortify nursing homes by promoting a quality improvement approach to ensuring quality care rather than a punitive approach because we know that homes across the state are screening out people whose behaviors might lead to civil monetary penalties from CMS.
  6. Working to bring mental health coaches to HUD homes to help with residents who need to be fortified in order to live in affordable housing.

Please consider a year-end contribution to either LeadingAge Georgia which is a 501 (c) though which we advocate to fortify our members or the Georgia Institute on Aging which is a 501 (c) (3) through which we provide education for our members focused on well-being and person-centered care. Contributions made to the Georgia Institute on Aging are tax deductible.  You can either send in a check to Georgia Institute on Aging, 1440 Dutch Valley Place, Suite 120, Atlanta GA 30324 or click HERE to make a dontation via credit card.

Abe Lincoln said "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."  Help us fortify LeadingAge Georgia members who work tirelessly to ensure that life is worth living for older adults.

Best,
Ginny Helms
President & CEO

Value First

There are changes coming to Value 1st.  Stay tuned!

Value First, an affiliate of Vizient/Provista, is a group purchasing organization owned by LeadingAge national and twenty-five state associations, including LeadingAge Georgia.  Value First is designed to leverage the buying power of thousands of senior service providers across the country to get the best pricing on a comprehensive array of products and services.  This is your GPO

New Members

Gallagher Insurance
Heike Greenspon
1050 Crown Pt. Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30338
(678) 393-5256
www.ajg.com
Insurance


Member Distinctions
Congratulations to Myron Golub on his retirement from The Jewish Tower!

Congratulations to Lee Pratt on her promotion to Administrator at The Jewish Tower!

Public Policy

LeadingAge Georgia Public Policy Report
by Tom Bauer

Of course, the results of 2018 general election are in, and Brian Kemp and Geoff Duncan have been elected governor and lieutenant governor, respectively.  The 2019 General Assembly will convene January 14 amid many changes, including many new committee chairs, whom are yet to be appointed.  As noted in the past the outcome of November elections will likely impact some of LeadingAge Georgia's public policy, tissues, especially budget requests, legislative items which require funding, and potential changes to Medicaid.

LeadingAge Public Policy Issues
The LeadingAge Georgia Public Policy Committee met recently and undertook a thorough review of the LeadingAge Georgia public policy issues.  It is likely that some new items will be recommended to the full board to be added to current LeadingAge Georgia agenda. These include:

  1. Managing pain at the end of life for residents in assisted living homes
  2. Access to medical cannibals
  3. Hospice requirements which provide that a visiting nurse must physically visit a patient within one hour of a call for assistance
  4. Nursing home workforce and compensation issues
  5. Nutrition issues for residents of HUD housing

CO-AGE                                                        

Members and staff of LeadingAge Georgia are also members of the following work groups:

  1. Medicaid Funded Assisted Living                                                      
  2. Personal Care Home Requirements                                                        
  3. Medicaid Coverage for More Georgia Seniors (Medicare/Medicaid changes that will pay deductible and co-pay costs for certain seniors                                                  

The direction of Medicaid issues will be contingent upon Governor-elect Kemp who favors emphasis on private sector involvement and Medicaid waivers.

With regard to personal care homes, the COAGE priority is to "address the growing number of personal care homes with residents in danger and "to improve the ability of the Department of Community Health to impose grater sanctions and provide transparency. COAGE is awaiting DCH's convening of a stakeholders meeting to address the issue in lieu of pursuing legislation.  Leading Age is monitoring this issue.

Life Plan Communities/CCRCs

As noted previously, LeadingAge intends to introduce legislation in the 2019 General Assembly to change the name of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) to Life Plan Communities (LPCs).                                                        

Georgia Institute on Aging


February

Activity/Life Enrichment/Wellness Professionals Symposium                                          

February 8, 2019
Registration

Maintenance Professionals Symposium
February 20, 2019
Registration coming soon

Service Coordinators Forum/American Association of SC GA Meeting
February 20, 2019
Registration coming soon

2019 Southeast Finance Conference "The Evolving Consumer"
February 20-21, 2019
Information coming soon

Adult Day Services Symposium
February 22, 2019
Registration coming soon

Elderly Housing Symposium
February 28, 2019
Registration coming soon

March

Assisted Living Symposium
March 12, 2019
Registration coming soon

LeadingAge  PEAK Leadership/Advocacy Conference
March 17-20, 2019

LeadingAge GA/SC Annual Conference on Aging
Hilton Head Island, SC
March 25-27, 2019
Click here to print the Attendee Registration Brochure
Click here to register online
Click here for the Exhibitor|Sponsor Prospectus

Adult Day Services  (GADSA)


ADS Members Connected with the VA
by Eram Abbasi

On November 5, 2018, 45 LeadingAge Adult Day Services (ADS) members participated in a conference call LeadingAge set up with the Veterans Administration (VA) to learn about opportunities for partnership. The VA recently began using different measures to assess utilization of ADS among veterans. The results show a 2% increase in recent years, compared to 17% growth seen in other services. The VA wants to turn this around and speed up lagging ADS growth.

Full Article

2018 GADSA Leadership Team

President: Claire Russell, The Homeplace
Vice-Presidents Public Policy: Ned Morgens, Skylark Senior Care;Aysha Cooper, SarahCare of Snellville

Vice-Presidents of Members: Carla Jones, Rosswoods; Peggy Padgett, Georgia Infirmary Adult Day Health                                                                                        

GA Association of Activity Professionals


GAAP Winter Symposium

Save the Date: February 20, 2019

AGENDA (5 CEU's)
9:00 a.m. Registration Opens
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Morning Session
Topic: Meaningful Connections: "Positive Ways to be Together When a Loved One Has Dementia"
Guest Speaker:  Nancy Kriseman, Consultant/Author
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. - Networking Luncheon
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Afternoon Session
Resident/Client led Activities to promote Person Centered/Person Directed events and Increase Participation Rates

Topic: Working at the Intersection of Aging and Art
Overview: This workshop will teach Activity professionals in the aging field how to integrate innovative art-fused activities through simple, hands on techniques easily learned and duplicated. We will participate in an actual painting activity so that participants can see, hands on and through their own experience, what an 'Ageless interAction' art class looks and feels like. During this participatory activity, Meagan Jain, Artist and Gerontologist, will lead activity professionals through step-by-step processes that utilize creativity to catalyze community, connection, creativity, and confidence amongst a diverse population of older adults.  To close out the session, we will focus on how an art infused practice can redefine ideas of age to bring about a humanistic approach to aging care through activities provided at senior communities.

Guest Speaker:  Meagan Jain, Ageless Interactions
Click HERE to Register

2018 GAAP Leadership Team                                                          

President: Scott Bassett (Philips Tower, Decatur) sbassett@philipstower.org
Vice-President: Amanda Bennett (Campbell-Stone Sandy Springs; Atlanta) abennett@campbellstone.org
Program/Education: Liana Sisco (Lutheran Towers; Atlanta) lsisco@lutherantowers.org

Service Coordinators (AASC GA Chapter)

Service Coordinators Forum/American Association of SC GA Meeting
Save the Date:   February 20, 2019
Information coming soon

News Throughout the Spectrum of Aging Services

Federally Assisted Housing (HUD-Subsidized)

Social Security Announces 2.8 Percent Benefit Increase for 2019 by Colleen Bloom

According to the Social Security Administration, the 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 62 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2019. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 31, 2018. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits). The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As detailed in HUD Handbook 4350.3, Chapter 9, owner/agents do not have to adjust recertifications already calculated prior to the issuance of the COLA based on figures provided in EIV for the quarter starting January 1. However, all recertifications effective after April 1 must reflect the SSA benefit that includes the COLA.

2019 OCAFs and Utility Allowance Factors Now Available by Colleen Bloom

HUD has issued the new Operating Cost Adjustment Factors (OCAFs) that will be effective as of Feb 11, 2019.  With a national average of 2.9%, the lowest OCAF (0.9%) is in Vermont; and the highest (3.5%) is in Alaska

The Operating Cost Adjustment Factors (OCAFs) for 2019 were published on November 23, 2018 in the Federal Register. These factors are used for adjusting or establishing Section 8 rents under the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (MAHRA), as amended, for projects assisted with Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments. The factors are effective February 11, 2019.

Utility Allowance Factors for 2019, which may be used to adjust baseline utility allowances prepared in accordance with Housing Notice 2015-04, are also now available on HUDUser.

HUD also instructed its field offices and PBCAs to delete Amend Rents records effective 02/11/2019 and beyond that were created either automatically or manually with the old 2018 factors so that a new record will automatically generate with the new 2019 factor. Neither PBCAs nor submitting owners are to be penalized by HUD for delays related to the timing of the release of the 2019 factors.

Home and Community Based Services

 A Closer Look at 2019 MA plan's HCBS Supplemental Benefits
 by Nicole Fallon

Two reports released in recent weeks from the Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) and the Better Medicare Aliance (BMA) shed more light on how Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) evaluated offering the new benefits for CY2019 Medicare Advantage plans, which plans opted to offer the benefits the benefits offered and state where available. The conclusion few plans --only 102 -- are testing the new benefits in CY2019, more are looking to offer some new HCBS benefit in CY2020 but challenges remain.

The first report issued by the Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) summarizes findings from interviews with seven Medicare Advantage organizations discussing how they approached the issue of whether or not to take advantage of the newly available HCBS supplemental benefits.The report notes that while the plans are enthusiastic about including these benefits that some key barriers remain to achieving that goal. For 2019, many plans did not have enough time to fully evaluate the opportunity and include the new services since the CMS guidance was released in late April and final bids were due in early June.  One of the key concerns that should also be a consideration for HCBS providers is that it is difficult for plans to be able to ensure they are able to consistently offer the same supplemental benefits from year to year.  For consumers, that can be frustrating to not be able to rely on the HCBS benefits being offered every year, forcing them to shop for a new MA plan annually.  For providers, the lack of predictability in these supplemental benefit offerings could pose a financial threat from year to year.  Some of the other challenges the plans identified with the new benefit include: potential adverse selection, actuarial ability to estimate savings related to the benefit offerings, and identfying and establishing contracts with non-Medicare providers.  Therefore, the plans will be seeking evidence of the benefit and particularly any cost savings of any supplemental HCBS services they offer and an easy way to identify quality providers to deliver any identified services.

Full Article

Life Plan Community/CCRC

Why Life Plan at Home Programs Need Actuaries
by Stephen Maag

A 4-hour Deep Dive during the 2018 LeadingAge Annual Meeting highlighted the important role that actuaries play in establishing and sustaining Life Plan at Home programs.

Well over 200 members attended the Life Plan at Home Deep Dive during the 2018 LeadingAge Annual Meeting & EXPO in Philadelphia. Attendance at the session, which took place early in the morning of Sunday, Oct. 28, illustrates the significant and growing interest in Life Plan at Home among LeadingAge members.

The Deep Dive began with a presentation on the important roles that actuaries play in helping organizations establish and sustain Life Plan at Home programs.

AV Powell from AV Powell & Associates, and Brad Paulis from Continuing Care Actuaries, highlighted the role of actuaries in developing and operating Life Plan at Home programs. Both presenters are actuaries with extensive experience with these programs.

Full Article

Nursing Care/Rehab

Recruiting Foreign Nurses to Remedy Chronic Shortages
The data are clear: New sources are needed to provide adequate nursing and direct care staff for America's older adults. Between the growing boomer population and the  decrease in the hiring pool, what is to be done? One solution is hiring personnel from  other countries.


Based on current population and service utilization trends, 3.4 million direct-care workers  will be needed by 2030, a 1.1 million increase over the current number who filled these  jobs in 2015. The demand for registered nurses will grow by 46% and for LPNs by 46%  between 2015 and 2030, according to Natasha Bryant, senior research associate at the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston.

Full Article


General Notes of Interest

Why New Medicare Rules For 'Non-Medical Benefits' Matter
by  Athena Mandros

There is a lot of talk about how social factors affect health care costs, but not a lot of action. We've covered the recent developments—from the emerging data that reinforces the importance of addressing social determinants of health (see Social Determinants—The Next Frontier and What Are The Social Determinants Of Health?), to the initial steps health plans are taking to fund social support services (see What Are Payers, Health Plans, & ACOs Doing About Social Determinants? and Payers Approaches To Addressing Social Determinants Vary).

The biggest impediment to payers and provider organizations taking action on social determinants of health has been payer policy. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been very specific that Medicare and Medicaid plans cannot pay for non-medical benefits (see Leveraging Medicaid To Address The Housing Issue and For Supportive Housing, Creativity Required). However, a few states are attempting to address social determinants in their Medicaid plans (see CMS Approves North Carolina's 1115 Medicaid Managed Care Waiver, Ending The Behavioral Health Carve-Out and CMS Approval Of California Medicaid State Plan Amendment For Non-Medical Transportation)—but the details of these plans are still in the works.

Full Article

An Easy Fundraising Tip
by Samantha Eaves  

Consider registering your non-profit organization with Amazon in order to receive  0.5% of the price of eligible purchases on AmazonSmile.  Once you register your non-profit organization with Amazon, let your residents, their families and other supporters know about the opportunity to make on-line purchases through AmazonSmile and support your non-profit organization in the process. It can really add up over a year! The company should register first, at https://org.amazon.com, then direct their supporters (residents and family members) to login to smile.amazon.com instead of simply amazon.com. when ordering on-line.  The first time on each device, the supporter/resident/family member will select the charity they want to donate to, and after that it will default to these settings.

Job Mart

Executive Director - Presbyterian Village, Athens
See full job description at: http://leadingagega.org/jobmart/public/job/234/

Housekeeper - Saint Anne's Terrace, Atlanta
See full job description at: http://leadingagega.org/jobmart/public/job/235/

Vice President of Operations - Wesley Woods Senior Living
See full job description at: http://leadingagega.org/jobmart/public/job/240/

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