I. Current Talking Points & Templates for Media Engagement:
Template Op-Ed: Aging Services Workforce Now Campaign
CMS Home Health Proposed Payment Talking Points
CMS Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed Payment Rule Talking Points
See link to full State Media Resources folder at bottom of page.
II. Following the Narrative: A quick summary of national media trends last week.
(* indicates that LeadingAge is featured in the story.)
National outlets’ interest in older adults over the past week focused on the Biden administration’s push for more Americans to get boosted, staffing shortages, and how Medicaid will be impacted after the public health emergency ends at the end of the year. Trades, in addition publishing stories with LeadingAge Annual Meeting 2022 content and pick up of the LeadingAge Ziegler LZ200 report, focused on workforce, CMS’ action on the Special Focus Facilities program, and the soon-to-be released home health payment final rule.
Continuing Leadership Annual Meeting 2022 Coverage
Several days of education, advocacy, and comradery, including keynotes from LeadingAge’s president and CEO and board chair, garnered media pick up in sector trades:
- *HealthTech: LeadingAge 2022: Tackling Senior Care Staff Shortages with Technology 10/25/2022
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care: Federal COVID cases with major LTC implications headed for November action 10/28/2022
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Communication, documentation key in COVID litigation defense, legal experts say 10/28/2022
- *(Paywall) HealthTech: LeadingAge 2022: 3 Emerging Technologies Driving the Future of Senior Care 10/28/2022
Biden Administration, Congress, Government Agencies
- ABC News: Biden gets new COVID vaccine, announces new virus initiatives
- McKnight’s Senior Living: Feds include nursing homes, businesses in new COVID vaccination effort
- *The Washington Post: The poorest-performing nursing homes are on the administration’s radar
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care: Feds ramp up nursing home sanctions for poor care performance
- Home Health Care News: ‘Most Intense Advocacy Effort Of My Lifetime’: Home Health Industry Braces For Rate Cuts
- Home Health Care News: How Home Health Agencies Could Trim Costs Ahead Of Medicare Rate Cuts
- Home Health Care News: 4% Home Health Rate Cut Possible If American Rescue Plan’s Costs Aren’t Offset
- Axios: States brace for Medicaid spending surge
Workforce, Coronavirus, Vaccines, Closures
- Kaiser Health News: Drivers in Decline: A Shortage of Volunteers Complicates Access to Care in Rural America
- McKnight’s Long-Term Care: Provider-supplied housing for nursing home staff catching on as retention tool
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care: Moral injury program addresses growing evidence of COVID’s frontline impact
- McKnight’s Senior Living: Some CCRCs cutting back on skilled nursing as labor challenges continue: analysis
- Hospice News: Hospice, Palliative Care Providers Leverage Education Programs to Attract and Keep Staff
- University of Buffalo News: Research shows strain on families of nursing home patients during pandemic
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Employers take heed: Feds say long COVID requires employee accommodations
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care: More flexible CMS vaccine mandate enforcement cheers providers
- McKnight’s Senior Living: Assisted living employers should consider mandates for flu, COVID vaccinations, boosters, CDC says
- *NPR: Labor shortages close Kansas nursing homes
III. Other Clips that Influenced the Week: LeadingAge is a sought-out, reliable source for multiple trade and national media outlets (see that coverage posted in our LeadingAge Press Room). Other key clips that shaped the narrative last week:
- *Skilled Nursing News: 2,000 Fewer Nursing Beds Among 10 Largest Nonprofit Nursing Care Providers
- *Skilled Nursing News: The Future of Labor Activism in Nursing Homes
- *U.S. News and World Report: Things Nursing Homes Don’t Want You to Know
- Promodo: The Silver Tsunami’s Impact on Real Estate
- *AARP: LTSS Choices: Increasing Independent Living Choices through Coordinating Affordable Housing and Medicaid: Housing as an Indicator in the 2020 Long-Term Services and Supports State Scorecard
- McKnight’s Home Care: Telehealth follow-ups tied to increased ED visits, hospitalizations, study finds
- Hospice News: Hospice Leaders Call for Overhaul on Regulation
- The Washington Post: Watching TV could increase seniors’ risk of dementia, study says
IV. What’s On Our Radar — this week’s likely priorities:
- Keeping watch for Home Health Final Rule on payment
- Members’ vaccine outreach programs
- Hospice media outreach
V. National Statements & Products (all posted on the Press Room page):
VI. State Association Media Materials: A folder of helpful resources, sample op-eds, fact sheets, and more.