Please note: The LeadingAge Kansas offices will be closed on Monday, July 5th in observance of Independence Day. We will not publish a COVID update that day. We hope you have a safe and fun holiday.
FEDERAL NEWS
Portal Now Open for Provider Relief Fund Reporting
HRSA sent out an email earlier this week announcing the opening of the PRF reporting portal. First reporting due date is September 30th. LeadingAge National is encouraging providers take a little time to attend webinars and education around reporting before submitting the worksheets linked by HRSA. HRSA has announced a webinar on July 8th. Register to attend the technical assistance webinar on July 8, 2021 at 2:00 PM CT.
LeadingAge National is also planning a July 27th webinar with Clifton Larsen Allen to review the new requirements. Sign up at this registration link.
OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard and LeadingAge Virtual Update Posted
LeadingAge has posted a virtual update on the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard for healthcare settings live on its Learning Hub. The virtual update is free for LeadingAge members. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emergency temporary standard (ETS) for healthcare settings was published in the federal register last week– triggering the compliance dates for the provisions of the standard. Employers must comply with most provisions by July 6th, and with provisions involving physical barriers, ventilation, and training by July 21st. OSHA pledged to use its enforcement discretion to avoid citing employers who are making a good faith effort to comply with the ETS. A summary of the ETS outlines its requirements, most of which providers are already doing in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. OSHA has created many tools on its resources page to assist employers in compliance.
Are You Ready for OSHA’s New ETS Requirements? View New On-Demand Webinar
Employers subject to OSHA’s jurisdiction have a short timeframe to become compliant with most of the new Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requirements related to preventing the spread of COVID-19. The rules apply to all settings where employees provide health care or support services and include guidance related to physical barriers, ventilation, staff training, and paid leave requirements. Here is a new on-demand update to give you all the important information you need to act quickly and ensure employees are being provided a safe workplace free from recognized hazards. Free for all LeadingAge members. LeadingAge requests your input to assist with advocacy on disconnect between OSHA ETS and CMS requirements. Email your input to Cory Kallheim ckallheim@leadingage.org at LeadingAge and cc Debra@leadingagekansas.org
LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
Here is the Recording for Today’s Webinar
Listen/Watch the webinar here. Download the handouts.
Make plans to join us each Friday at 10 AM. Register here.
LEADINGAGE NEWS
Feeling Valued Because They Are Valued: A Vision for Direct Care Professionals
Professional caregivers—including nursing assistants, personal care aides, and home health aides—have always played an important role in the field of long-term services and supports (LTSS). And the coronavirus pandemic shed new—and much-needed—light on the valuable role these professionals play in nursing homes, assisted living communities, and home and community-based settings across our nation.
Today, LeadingAge released a new paper, Feeling Valued Because They Are Valued, laying out our vision for professionalizing the direct caregiving workforce. Along with researchers at the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, we developed six strategies for reimagining the professional direct care workforce across long-term care settings: 1) expand the caregiver pipeline, 2) strengthen education and training, 3) facilitate career advancement, 4) increase compensation, 5) prepare universal workers, and 6) reform the LTSS financing system.
This vision is part of our long-standing efforts to encourage policymakers and consumers to reexamine how they view direct care professionals and the work they do. We’re calling on all Americans to reimagine the role direct care professionals can play within our health and LTSS systems—for the good of older adults, their families, and their professional caregivers.
Read the full report, the two-page executive summary, or check out the infographic now. And stay tuned for more in coming weeks. This is not just an academic exercise for LeadingAge. We’re working across our organization and with key partners to advance progress.
THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER PARTNER
