WALA News for June 27, 2007

  1. DQA FOCUS 2007 Registration Online
  2. WALA Activity Seminar Returning in August
  3. New Memo on Meds Disposal
  4. WALA is Hiring!
  5. ALFA Falls Program on July 11
  6. Fire Safety TTT Open for Registration
  7. Catch Aging Program This Weekend on WPT

1) DQA FOCUS 2007 Registration Online

The Division of Quality Assurance has released registration details for their FOCUS 2007 conference on August 7 and 8 in Stevens Point. The pre-event on August 7 will cover abuse prevention, and is directed primarily at caregivers and supervisors; registration is $25 per person. The main conference on August 8 will cover a variety of topics throughout long-term care; the cost is $97. To register, call Leann Griffin at 608/267-1438 or visit their website.

Lodging is available at the conference host, the Stevens Point Holiday Inn and Convention Center (715/344-0200) and the Country Springs Hotel (800/998-2311). Ask for the "FOCUS 2007" block.

2. WALA Activity Seminar Returning in August

WALA is pleased to announce a special encore presentation of our highly popular seminar, "Activity Programming: Working from the Ground Up." This half-day presentation by Cindy Musial-Olson, RT/ACC, will provide a wealth of tips, tricks and ideas for activity directors, life enrichment coordinators, caregivers and others. A number of activities are new since the 2005 presentation!

"Activity Programming" will be held in all five BAL regions the week of August 20. Registration is $55 for WALA members and $105 for non-members. To register, call 608/288-0246 or visit our website.

3. New Memo on Meds Disposal

After a flurry of questions at this year's WALA Conference, the Assisted Living Forum and more, a new memo has been developed to address issues of medication disposal. DQA 07-008: Medication Return, Donation and Disposal provides guidance for all categories of assisted living as well as a partial waiver of HFS 83.33(3)(j).

The waiver pertains to the 72 hour requirement for medication destruction or disposal. It states that if a CBRF contracts with a pharmacy or other company to dispose of their medication, it will be in compliance if the contractor picks up medication for disposal within 72 hours, or if the meds are locked away separate from active meds pending pickup. Read the full memo online.

4. WALA is Hiring!

With Member Services Director Daniel Bush leaving WALA at the end of August for graduate school, we are currently soliciting applications for the position. The new Member Services Director will help develop expanded WALA programming and build relations with current and prospective WALA members. For more details and to apply, visit our website. We are accepting applications via e-mail only.

5. ALFA Falls Program on July 11

WALA's national partner, the Assisted Living Federation of America, will hold a Web-based seminar, "Understanding and Reducing Falls Among Older Adults," on July 11. This 75-minute presentation by Dr. Judy Stevens of the CDC will discuss the impact of falls on assisted living communities nationwide, critical risk factors, and development of a multi-faceted fall intervention program. The cost is $120 for ALFA members and $175 for non-members. To register, visit ALFA online.

6. Fire Safety TTT Open for Registration

For those of you looking to train Fire Safety, Rose Boron of Acorn Hill Senior Community Consulting presents a three-day train-the-trainer course. Held August 21-23 in Mosinee, it will cover adult learning strategies and the principles of fire and fire safety. Successful completion of this course will allow the participant to train staff in the CBRF Fire Safety module. The cost is $400; meals and lodging are on your own. More details and registration are available on the Acorn Hill website.

7. Catch Aging Program This Weekend on WPT

This Sunday, Wisconsin Public Television will present "Do Not Go Gently," a special hour-long documentary on the power of imagination in aging. Narrated by Walter Cronkite, "Do Not Go Gently" explores the lives of three artists in their 80s, 90s and 100s, with the help of leading aging researcher Dr. Gene Cohen. Residents, staff and families will learn a lot from this program.

"Do Not Go Gently" airs Sunday, July 1 at 1:00 p.m. on Wisconsin Public Television affiliates statewide. It also airs Saturday, June 30 at 7:00 a.m. on Milwaukee Public Television channel 36.

 


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