A note from your partners at LeadingAge Indiana.
 
Media and Perception Challenges
As we are consistently inspired by your commitment and sacrifice, we recognize the pressure from the world outside the LTCF community … and LeadingAge Indiana is here to take some of that burden off your shoulders. We are aware of some recent media and other external efforts to put LCTFs in a less than favorable light. That is unfair and we want to provide you with the tools to respond.  Go here for a suite of sample letters and other materials we previously issued to you, and in particular:  

 
If you have any additional questions, or want LeadingAge Indiana to respond to any specific inquires for you, please contact Eric Essley, President/CEO LeadingAge Indiana at eessley@leadingageindiana.org
 
Testing Issues
LeadingAge Indiana is aware that the White House has issued (and ISDH has quietly acknowledged) a currently aspirational view that all LTCFs should test all residents and staff in the next two weeks. We are tracking this statement and any potential mandates that might come out of it. Also, LeadingAge National addressed this as well - here is the press statement . We recognize the difficulties in procuring sufficient testing materials and the laboratories to process such tests, and are in communication with ISDH about these matters. We are also mindful that such an effort only represents a snap shot in time and may be of limited value in the long run, unless reliable universal testing can be repeated at least weekly. We are in this challenge with you and support you and your team. We will update the LTC community as we learn more from the CDC or ISDH.  
LeadingAge National
Check out  brief summaries of the latest data and analysis , from LeadingAge’s LTSS Center, including these recently posted articles:

HHS Issues New Provider Relief FAQ and says More Relief Coming ; HHS official to answer Provider Relief Fund questions on today’s 3:30 call.   Nick Uehlecke will join LeadingAge’s Coronavirus Update call to answer frequently asked questions about the Provider Relief Fund;

Letter to Nursing Homes from Seema Verma
Seema Verma sent a letter to all nursing home facility management and staff this on May 11 thanking them for their dedication and commitment and describing all the actions CMS has taken to keep nursing home residents safe and healthy. The accounting includes extensive, ongoing guidance; coordination with CDC; temporary visitor restrictions; blanket waivers of many regulations; and new reporting requirements under the National Healthcare Safety Network. Notably, the letter says that if nursing homes need PPE and/or testing they should contact their state health department immediately.
 
Reopening Considerations for Housing Providers
National has posted a resource document outlining considerations for housing providers as they contemplate next steps as their state “reopens”; it is here.
 
Social Security Advisory Board Public Information
The Social Security Advisory Board has created a public information page on its website that links to government resources that may be helpful to residents served by LeadingAge members. Information on the resource page includes: how to receive delayed economic impact payments in 2021; guidance for representative payees; finding a local field office; and how to protect yourself from fraud.
 
Basic Care Aide Training
Expedited training is a critical tool to maximize your workforce during the COVID-19 crisis. LeadingAge is offering members new Basic Care Aide to help you redeploy current staff and train displaced workers and others new to our field. The nine-hour training tool, developed by EduCare©, is designed to provide a foundation for the skills needed to ensure individuals are well prepared to work as a Basic Care Aide or temporary Nursing Assistant in a variety of settings. 
 
This training tool and competency testing consists of the following modules:
  • Resident Rights, HIPAA, Abuse & Neglect 
  • Emergency Procedures 
  • Infection Prevention and Control 
  • ADLs
  • Skin Care & Pressure Ulcer Prevention 
  • Nutrition & Hydration 
  • Dementia Care 
  • Mental Health
The curriculum is FREE to members and will be launched on the Learning Hub later this week.
ISDH Updates
ISDH Long Term Care Newsletter
  • Indiana Back on Track Plan for Long Term Care Facilities
  • COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers
  • Long Term Care – Paid Feeding Assistants
  • Specific Life Safety Code for Multiple Providers

  • Clarifies that Indiana’s Back on Track Plan applies the same to AL facilities as to LTCFs 
  • Answers specific questions about facility visitation, communal dining, gyms, salons, dentistry, and podiatry services. 
  • LeadingAge Indiana continues to work with ISDH on additional issues – and would ask our membership to communicate with us any specific issues and concerns that we can share with ISDH and FSSA.