WALA News for Jan 20, 2009
- The New HFS 83 Rule and Trainings
- WALA 2009 Spring Conference "The Many Faces of WALA"
- RCAC Administrators Course Set for February
- Critical Industry Survey Needs Provider Input
- Infection Control Training Available for RNs and other clinical staff
- Dane County Providers Needed for an Emergency Management Survey
- DHS Memo and ListServ Information
- Creation of Statewide Area Agency on Aging Completed
- November 19, 2008, A Historic Date for Assisted Living
1. The New HFS 83 Rule and Trainings
The new DHS 83 will be effective April 1, 2009. Yes, April Fool's Day.
BAL has just announced that the only training they are able to provide CBRFs will be an on-line webcast. Once launched (we expect by mid-March) this webcast will be available 24/7 from your office computer. Due to budget constraints, they do not intend to provide live training in the five BAL regions.
WALA is planning both basic and detailed DHS 83 training in the regions around the state. More details will become available later as we finalize our plans. (Note: The name will be DHS 83 reflecting the newly named Department of Health Services.)
2. WALA 2009 Spring Conference, "The Many Faces of WALA"
Join us for WALA's 2009 Spring Conference, "The Many Faces of WALA," on March 24-26 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. You should be receiving the agenda and registration form in the mail within a few days. Sign up today for an amazing 3 days of events and sessions! Registration is also available on The WALA Store at www.ewala.org
3. WALA's RCAC Administrators Course Set for February
In response to the growing demand, WALA will offer our first RCAC Specific Administrator Course, February 18 & 19, 2009 at Touchmark on West Prospect in Appleton. Registrants have the ability to sign up for one or two days. The first day will focus on Operations and Regulations, the second day will focus on Clinical Essentials. For more information please see the WALA Website at www.ewala.org, or call the office at 608/288-0246.
4. Critical Industry Survey Needs Provider Input
ALFA and other senior living organizations are now updating the critical Overview of Assisted Living report. This valuable document is a critical component of ALFA's advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and is the only report of its kind that provides a profile of the assisted living residents cared for by professionally managed assisted living communities.
To contribute to this important report, please complete and return the printed survey you may have received recently in the mail. You may also complete surveys online. You do not need to be an ALFA or WALA member to participate, but this helps give our national association clout in Washington.
For the operations survey, aimed at executive directors, administrators, and others in charge of operations, go to: Operations Survey
For the resident survey, aimed at directors of Nursing, directors of health and wellness, and others in charge of resident care, go to: Resident Survey
5. Infection Control Training Available for RNs and other clinical staff
The Wisconsin Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program is pleased to present "Infection Control Training - Orientation Program for Novice Infection Control Professionals and Associate Infection Control Practitioners (AICPs)"
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in LaCrosse and the Wisconsin Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program, funded by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR), extends an invitation to novice infection control professionals in the state to participate in a basic infection control educational program. This program is intended for novice infection control professionals but registration will not be restricted based on experience level. This educational program will be available both live and also archived on the Gundersen Lutheran website until November 30, 2009. See the attached Program Brochure and Schedule. Although there may be a change in speakers due to unforeseen events, the content will remain the same and as listed in the attachment.
This educational offering is made available through the Wisconsin Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program. There is no registration fee for Wisconsin based infection control professionals. However registration is limited.
Live training sessions will take place from 8:00 AM -4:30 PM on:
Feb 12, 2009
March 12, 2009
April 9, 2009
6. Dane County Providers Needed for an Emergency Management Survey
Dane County Emergency Management and the County's Disaster Preparedness Committee are conducting an outreach program to assist people with disabilities or other special needs in preparing for emergencies. They are asking for your assistance through participation in an online survey. This Zoomerang survey will provide valuable information based on your knowledge and expertise working with people with disabilities or other special needs .
The survey is just 30 questions and will take about 10 minutes to complete.
For background information, the Disaster Preparedness Committee is a partnership between multiple levels of government and service agencies, organized to develop a cohesive approach to disaster preparedness, particularly related to people with special needs. The committee has identified personal preparedness and the goal that "People with special needs will have a disaster plan" as a high priority for education and outreach.
This invitation is being sent to community-based organizations and human service agencies throughout Dane County. In order to get the greatest amount of input, we would also ask you to forward this email to your coworkers or other professionals that could provide expertise in this area. We are asking everyone to complete the survey no later than January 23, 2009. The survey is completely anonymous.
7. DHS Memos and ListServ Information
DQA Memo 08-025 - Guidelines for Managing MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)
This memo provides guidance for managing MRSA when present in residents of assisted living facilities, including Community-based Residential Facilities (CBRFs), Adult Family Homes (AFHs) and Residential Care Apartment Complexes (RCACs). This memo will specifically address MRSA as the most commonly encountered multidrug-resistant organism encountered in assisted living.
For more information and to review the memo, go to: The DHS Website
DHS has now two ListServ's to keep providers more abreast of Assisted Living information.
The first is to receive memos and other information from DHS
The second is to receive Assisted Living Forum handouts and information.
If you are interested in learning how to subscribe to the ListServs go to: The WALA Breaking News Page
8. Creation of a Statewide Area Agency on Aging Completed
Donna McDowell, Director of the Bureau of Aging and Disability Resources Division of Long Term Care, Department of Health & Family Services has announced that the two-year process of modernization of the aging network is complete. It was led by the Office on Aging was culminated by the consensus decision to save administrative costs and improve focus by creating one statewide area agency on aging. This is in addition to with the Dane and Milwaukee single-county AAAs. The planning and decision making was at the level of the area agencies, and was not dictated by the Bureau of Aging. Bob Kellerman is the director of the new Greater Wisconsin Area Agency on Aging Resources. His phone is 224-6300.
9. November 19, 2008, a Historic Date for Assisted Living
November 19, 2008, is an historic date in the history or Assisted Living. For the first time ever in Wisconsin's history, there are now more assisted living beds/apartments than there are nursing home beds. There are now 38,775 AL beds/apartments in assisted living in Wisconsin, and the number continues to grow.
