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CEJC News
CEJC Welcomes New Officers
CEJC welcomes Suzanne Anderson as its new Steering Committee Chair and Leza Coleman as Vice Chair. Suzanne has been a member of CEJC's Steering Committee since 2014. She is a Human Services Specialist and Career Connections Facilitator for the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance, and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Gerontology at California State University, Sacramento. She has been involved with community and statewide organizations advocating for older adults and their families for over two decades. Leza is the Executive Director of the California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, a membership association for local Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, staff, volunteers and Ombudsman supporters The Steering Committee expresses its deep-felt appreciation to outgoing Chair Carol Sewell and Vice Chair Donna Benton for their outstanding leadership over the last two years.
CEJC Welcomes New Officers
CEJC welcomes Suzanne Anderson as its new Steering Committee Chair and Leza Coleman as Vice Chair. Suzanne has been a member of CEJC's Steering Committee since 2014. She is a Human Services Specialist and Career Connections Facilitator for the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance, and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Gerontology at California State University, Sacramento. She has been involved with community and statewide organizations advocating for older adults and their families for over two decades. Leza is the Executive Director of the California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, a membership association for local Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, staff, volunteers and Ombudsman supporters The Steering Committee expresses its deep-felt appreciation to outgoing Chair Carol Sewell and Vice Chair Donna Benton for their outstanding leadership over the last two years.
I look forward to working with our members to provide thoughtful and timely information and advocacy to address the rapidly changing needs of agencies and communities in support of older adults.
- Suzanne Anderson
CEJC Partners with Senior Medicare Patrol
CEJC is embarking on a new partnership with the California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to spread the word about how Medicare fraud harms beneficiaries, their caregivers, and the public; and what can be done about it. Medicare fraud ranges from providing beneficiaries with unnecessary, often dangerous, treatments to neglect and abuse in Medicare-funded nursing homes. Under the new partnership, CEJC will conduct a national webinar on current Medicare fraud schemes, how beneficiaries and others are affected, and innovative approaches to combatting fraud and mitigating the impact. It will explore the potential role of elder justice advocates in detecting fraud, helping victims report, and mitigating the impact. CEJC will respond to the need for information about public benefits and elder abuse by underserved groups, including immigrants, the formerly incarcerated, elders experiencing homelessness, low-income older adults, and those with limited English proficiency through the ethnic media, neighborhood senior health fairs, social media etc.
CEJC is embarking on a new partnership with the California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to spread the word about how Medicare fraud harms beneficiaries, their caregivers, and the public; and what can be done about it. Medicare fraud ranges from providing beneficiaries with unnecessary, often dangerous, treatments to neglect and abuse in Medicare-funded nursing homes. Under the new partnership, CEJC will conduct a national webinar on current Medicare fraud schemes, how beneficiaries and others are affected, and innovative approaches to combatting fraud and mitigating the impact. It will explore the potential role of elder justice advocates in detecting fraud, helping victims report, and mitigating the impact. CEJC will respond to the need for information about public benefits and elder abuse by underserved groups, including immigrants, the formerly incarcerated, elders experiencing homelessness, low-income older adults, and those with limited English proficiency through the ethnic media, neighborhood senior health fairs, social media etc.
CEJC Responds to the COVID-19 Crisis
CEJC is adding its voice to the chorus of advocates calling for greater COVID-19 protections for older adults. In recent weeks, it has focused on nursing home residents and staff, who have borne the brunt of the pandemic, accounting for nearly half of COVID-related deaths. CEJC has appealed to Governor Newsom and legislative leaders to reject industry leaders’ call for blanket immunity for nursing homes, which would deprive residents and their families of the right to seek recourse against abuse or reckless or unlawful conduct by facilities. It has further urged the governor to provide financial incentives to nursing home staff to discourage them from carrying shifts at multiple facilities and raising the risk of spreading the virus. CEJC has pointed out how the glaring preponderance of infections and deaths among people of color exposes longstanding disparities in the preexisting conditions that raise the risk for the virus, including hypertension, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. CEJC is also joining other groups in opposing cuts to key safety net programs contained in the Governor’s budget that would further disproportionately affect these groups. See California News below.
CEJC is adding its voice to the chorus of advocates calling for greater COVID-19 protections for older adults. In recent weeks, it has focused on nursing home residents and staff, who have borne the brunt of the pandemic, accounting for nearly half of COVID-related deaths. CEJC has appealed to Governor Newsom and legislative leaders to reject industry leaders’ call for blanket immunity for nursing homes, which would deprive residents and their families of the right to seek recourse against abuse or reckless or unlawful conduct by facilities. It has further urged the governor to provide financial incentives to nursing home staff to discourage them from carrying shifts at multiple facilities and raising the risk of spreading the virus. CEJC has pointed out how the glaring preponderance of infections and deaths among people of color exposes longstanding disparities in the preexisting conditions that raise the risk for the virus, including hypertension, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. CEJC is also joining other groups in opposing cuts to key safety net programs contained in the Governor’s budget that would further disproportionately affect these groups. See California News below.
California News
Elder & Dependent Adult Awareness Month in California
This year, organizations across the state are observing Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month virtually and with an emphasis on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elder justice. In collaboration with the California Department of Social Services and state advocacy organizations, Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda is hosting The Elder Justice Lunch and Learn Series, which will include twelve FREE virtual webinars. Each session will take place on the third Thursday of every month, from 12 PM – 1 PM PDT/PST, and run from June 18, 2020, to May 20, 2021. The first event features former San Diego prosecutor and nationally known expert Paul Greenwood on Collaboration and the Future of Elder Justice. Learn more about future sessions.
Elder & Dependent Adult Awareness Month in California
This year, organizations across the state are observing Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month virtually and with an emphasis on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elder justice. In collaboration with the California Department of Social Services and state advocacy organizations, Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda is hosting The Elder Justice Lunch and Learn Series, which will include twelve FREE virtual webinars. Each session will take place on the third Thursday of every month, from 12 PM – 1 PM PDT/PST, and run from June 18, 2020, to May 20, 2021. The first event features former San Diego prosecutor and nationally known expert Paul Greenwood on Collaboration and the Future of Elder Justice. Learn more about future sessions.
Governor's Revised Budget Upends Progressive Aging Agenda
Governor Newsom's cuts to the proposed ’20-21 state budget that came in response to COVID-19 would eliminate or severely retrench key safety net programs unless the federal government provides funds in the next stimulus bill. Among the programs on the chopping block are the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), which provides case management to medically fragile people who would otherwise be living in skilled nursing facilities. Also slated to be cut are Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS), which also serve would-be nursing home residents, providing medical care, physical therapy, meals, and socialization. Together, the two senior health programs serve nearly 46,000 of California’s poorest and most medically frail seniors. Both programs are paid for by Medi-Cal and were created as alternatives to nursing homes. The programs are considered optional by the federal government in contrast to nursing homes, which it requires states to provide. Paradoxically, the elimination of the programs would lead to more people being placed in nursing homes, which are considerably more expensive. Other proposed cuts include:
Governor Newsom's cuts to the proposed ’20-21 state budget that came in response to COVID-19 would eliminate or severely retrench key safety net programs unless the federal government provides funds in the next stimulus bill. Among the programs on the chopping block are the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), which provides case management to medically fragile people who would otherwise be living in skilled nursing facilities. Also slated to be cut are Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS), which also serve would-be nursing home residents, providing medical care, physical therapy, meals, and socialization. Together, the two senior health programs serve nearly 46,000 of California’s poorest and most medically frail seniors. Both programs are paid for by Medi-Cal and were created as alternatives to nursing homes. The programs are considered optional by the federal government in contrast to nursing homes, which it requires states to provide. Paradoxically, the elimination of the programs would lead to more people being placed in nursing homes, which are considerably more expensive. Other proposed cuts include:
- The elimination of a $30 million, three-year augmentation for Caregiver Resource Centers, which provide critical support to California's unpaid family caregivers,
- Pulling back $2 million in newly authorized funds to Long-Term Care Ombudsmen.
- Eliminate Med-Cal “optional benefits” (federal law requires states to provide certain mandatory benefits but allows states the covering other benefits), which include audiology, incontinence washes, speech therapy, podiatry, occupational therapy, and full Denti-Cal benefits
- Reinstate a 7% reduction in number of hours for In-Home Supportive Services program, which provides in-home assistance to disabled individuals
As State Resumes Master Plan on Aging Events, CEJC Gears Up
The California Department of Aging has announced that after a pause due to the focus on COVID-19 rapid response efforts, Master Plan for Aging (MPA) activities will resume in late May. Due to continued physical distancing recommendations, meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. CEJC will continue to advocate to ensure that the MPA reflects elder justice principles, including individual rights and equity. It is working with its partners to highlight programs that protect elder rights, including adult protective services, public guardians, legal assistance, and the Long Term Care Ombudsman, and approaches to achieving greater equity within communities across the state.
The California Department of Aging has announced that after a pause due to the focus on COVID-19 rapid response efforts, Master Plan for Aging (MPA) activities will resume in late May. Due to continued physical distancing recommendations, meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. CEJC will continue to advocate to ensure that the MPA reflects elder justice principles, including individual rights and equity. It is working with its partners to highlight programs that protect elder rights, including adult protective services, public guardians, legal assistance, and the Long Term Care Ombudsman, and approaches to achieving greater equity within communities across the state.
State News, Other States
Ohio Implements New Law Adding Penalties for Fraud to Fund APS
Ohio’s SB 158, which went into effect on March 20, 2019, raises money from successful elder financial abuse prosecutions to fund local adult protectives service investigations and services. In addition to other penalties imposed for fraud-related crimes (including theft, the misuse of credit cards, forgery, and identity theft against older adults), as well as restitution to victim, the new provisions require offenders to pay fines of up to fifty thousand dollars. The fines are to be transferred to counties’ departments of job and family services to be used for the investigation of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and the provision of providing protective services.
Ohio Implements New Law Adding Penalties for Fraud to Fund APS
Ohio’s SB 158, which went into effect on March 20, 2019, raises money from successful elder financial abuse prosecutions to fund local adult protectives service investigations and services. In addition to other penalties imposed for fraud-related crimes (including theft, the misuse of credit cards, forgery, and identity theft against older adults), as well as restitution to victim, the new provisions require offenders to pay fines of up to fifty thousand dollars. The fines are to be transferred to counties’ departments of job and family services to be used for the investigation of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and the provision of providing protective services.
National News
DOJ Spotlights State Elder Justice Coalitions
The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative will host the webinar State Elder Justice Coalitions: Informing Services and Influencing Public Policy on June 2. Members of the National Network of State Elder Justice Coalitions (NNSEJC), including CEJC, will describe their development, structures, priorities, and accomplishments and provide audience members with an opportunity to ask questions and share experiences. Presenters are Lisa Nerenberg, Georgia Anetzberger, Risa Breckman, Iris Freeman, and Paul Caccamise. Register here.
Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST
DOJ Spotlights State Elder Justice Coalitions
The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative will host the webinar State Elder Justice Coalitions: Informing Services and Influencing Public Policy on June 2. Members of the National Network of State Elder Justice Coalitions (NNSEJC), including CEJC, will describe their development, structures, priorities, and accomplishments and provide audience members with an opportunity to ask questions and share experiences. Presenters are Lisa Nerenberg, Georgia Anetzberger, Risa Breckman, Iris Freeman, and Paul Caccamise. Register here.
Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST
Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes
At the request of Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new commission to assess nursing homes’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic that will include industry experts, family members, resident advocates, clinicians, medical ethicists, administrators, academics, infection control and prevention professionals, and state and local authorities. The Commission is also charged to develop recommendations for (1) care delivery responsiveness; (2) identification and mitigation of COVID-19 transmission; and (3) infection control compliance.
At the request of Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new commission to assess nursing homes’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic that will include industry experts, family members, resident advocates, clinicians, medical ethicists, administrators, academics, infection control and prevention professionals, and state and local authorities. The Commission is also charged to develop recommendations for (1) care delivery responsiveness; (2) identification and mitigation of COVID-19 transmission; and (3) infection control compliance.
CMS Moving Forward to Relax Rules for Curbing Nursing Home Infections
According to a March 14, 2020 New York Times report, the administration continues plans to relax rules meant to curb infections in nursing homes even as the epidemic rages on. In summer 2019, CMS proposed relaxing rules imposed by the last administration that required every nursing home to employ at least one specialist in preventing infections. Following a push by lobbyists for the nursing-home industry, CMS began plans to eliminate the requirement to have even a part-time infection specialist on staff, proposing instead the anti-infection specialists spend “sufficient time at the facility,” a standard which critics complain are too vague to be meaningful. See https://nyti.ms/2UYa5RC
According to a March 14, 2020 New York Times report, the administration continues plans to relax rules meant to curb infections in nursing homes even as the epidemic rages on. In summer 2019, CMS proposed relaxing rules imposed by the last administration that required every nursing home to employ at least one specialist in preventing infections. Following a push by lobbyists for the nursing-home industry, CMS began plans to eliminate the requirement to have even a part-time infection specialist on staff, proposing instead the anti-infection specialists spend “sufficient time at the facility,” a standard which critics complain are too vague to be meaningful. See https://nyti.ms/2UYa5RC
Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents and Workers During COVID-19 Act
Introduced by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), H.R. 6698 would requires facilities to employ full-time infection preventionists, ensure adequate numbers of staff to assist residents in making weekly “virtual visits;” allow residents the right to return if they leave during the COVID-19 crisis; obtain sign-off from residents or representatives for transfer or discharge. It would ensure that facilities provide comprehensive worker training around COVID-19, sufficient PPE, and at least two weeks of paid sick leave for all employees. Other measures include increased testing, greater transparency, strike teams, reinstitute pre-pandemic requirements as soon as possible. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) will introduce companion legislation in the Senate.
Introduced by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), H.R. 6698 would requires facilities to employ full-time infection preventionists, ensure adequate numbers of staff to assist residents in making weekly “virtual visits;” allow residents the right to return if they leave during the COVID-19 crisis; obtain sign-off from residents or representatives for transfer or discharge. It would ensure that facilities provide comprehensive worker training around COVID-19, sufficient PPE, and at least two weeks of paid sick leave for all employees. Other measures include increased testing, greater transparency, strike teams, reinstitute pre-pandemic requirements as soon as possible. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) will introduce companion legislation in the Senate.
Promoting Alzheimer's Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act to amend the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) to require the National Elder Justice Coordinator at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take into account individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias when creating or compiling the elder abuse training materials required under EAPPA and direct the DOJ to review and update existing training materials to include individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act to amend the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) to require the National Elder Justice Coordinator at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take into account individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias when creating or compiling the elder abuse training materials required under EAPPA and direct the DOJ to review and update existing training materials to include individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
New Resources
Generations Spotlights Elder Mistreatment
“Taking Action Against Elder Mistreatment (Spring 2020) is a special-focus issue of the American Society on Aging’s Generations journal that includes 22 articles covering topics ranging from clinical responses and screening to envisioning the future of the field of elder abuse. The issue was produced with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Education Development Center and is available free of charge.
Generations Spotlights Elder Mistreatment
“Taking Action Against Elder Mistreatment (Spring 2020) is a special-focus issue of the American Society on Aging’s Generations journal that includes 22 articles covering topics ranging from clinical responses and screening to envisioning the future of the field of elder abuse. The issue was produced with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Education Development Center and is available free of charge.
Union Leader Speaks Out on LTC Workers' Rights in the COVID-19 Era
April Verrett, President of SEIU 2015, which represents workers in nursing homes and home care agencies talks to KQED’s Marisa Lagos and Scott about the members she represents and efforts to protect them at their job. Listen here.
April Verrett, President of SEIU 2015, which represents workers in nursing homes and home care agencies talks to KQED’s Marisa Lagos and Scott about the members she represents and efforts to protect them at their job. Listen here.
ABA Releases Updated List of Abuse Reporting Laws
The American Bar Association Commission on Law & Aging has released an updated list of Elder Abuse Reporting Laws, which highlights provisions for who is required to report, when, and how.
The American Bar Association Commission on Law & Aging has released an updated list of Elder Abuse Reporting Laws, which highlights provisions for who is required to report, when, and how.
Research & Reports
The Thief Who Knows You: AARP Report on Financial Abuse
Produced by AARP’s BankSafe program, this report examines the costs of financial exploitation and its impact on communities, and offers recommendations for addressing the exploitation. Key findings include:
The Thief Who Knows You: AARP Report on Financial Abuse
Produced by AARP’s BankSafe program, this report examines the costs of financial exploitation and its impact on communities, and offers recommendations for addressing the exploitation. Key findings include:
- Nationally, the average loss per victim is $120,000
- The average loss to financial institutions per case is estimated at $17,000
- Average losses to caregivers due to a family member being exploited are estimated at $36,000
- Family members steal twice as much money as strangers.
National Census of Victim Service Providers
The National Census of Victim Service Providers collects annual data on victim service providers, including the structure of each organization, the services provided to victims, the availability of a hotline/helpline, the types of crimes for which victims received services, the number of staff, and current issues of concern to victim service providers. It is intended for use by policymakers, practitioners, academic researchers, and special interest groups The report can be downloaded here.
The National Census of Victim Service Providers collects annual data on victim service providers, including the structure of each organization, the services provided to victims, the availability of a hotline/helpline, the types of crimes for which victims received services, the number of staff, and current issues of concern to victim service providers. It is intended for use by policymakers, practitioners, academic researchers, and special interest groups The report can be downloaded here.