News About WALA

In 2008

Early Bird Discounts on Upcoming WALA events!

WALA offers Early Bird discounts on all WALA events. Some Early Bird deadlines are:

For more information on these and other WALA events, go to www.ewala.org or contact WALA at 608/288-0246.

WALA AFH and CBRF Administrators Course

ONLY A FEW SEATS LEFT! Due to high demand, WALA is offering the Administrators Course again in July. This course sold out in February and it was originally sold out for July, but we have switched locations to make more seating available. It will be on July 29th and 30th at the Alexian Village in Milwaukee. Cost is $199 per person for WALA members. This includes meals, a huge notebook and CD chocked full of material, resources and information to help meet your needs regardless of experience, and dynamic speakers all day long! To register for the course or to get more information, go to The WALA Store.

WALA Provider Member Outreach

We Want To Hear From You! This summer the WALA staff will be contacting each WALA provider member for our Outreach Initiative. We are looking forward to getting to know our WALA provider members better and to learn from your experiences. We would like your input through either a face to face meeting or a phone call. We will be asking about strengths and opportunities that WALA has, with the hope of serving you better.

WRAP Survey Results are in!

As we mentioned in our January Issue of the WALA Watch, WRAP, the Wisconsin Representatives of Activity Professionals, did a survey by mail in January. View the results here.

Conference Discount Extended to March 14

The WALA Conference is April 1, 2 and 3 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. We are having unprecedented registration, but we have heard from many that with the long long winter, the Feb 29 early registration discount date got away from you. So, we are pleased to extend the discount until March 14 - but only for on-line registration at The WALA Store. Go to www.ewala.org for this discount until March 14 to see all that you would be missing. Remember that the 6 for the price of 5 discount continues to be available for all WALA members.

Managed Care Webinars

WALA's first webinars, on-line education modules, are about to be launched on the Internet. All webinars can be accessed live or you can purchase the CDs so you can play them anytime in your own facility. All four Managed Care webinars are presented by Maggie McCullough, one of the most knowledgeable consultants in Wisconsin about the expansion of Family Care.

Managed Care (MC) 101 is Wednesday March 12; MC 201 is Tuesday March 18, MC 301 is Thursday March 20 and MC 401 is Wednesday March 26. All begin at 10:00 am. The complete course outline with registration is at The WALA Store www.ewala.org and join us live or order the CDs - or do both.

WALA Administrators and Managers Course to be offered again

For the 50+ of you who were not able to attend our Administrator and Managers course in February because is was sold out at 55 attendees, we have good news. Given the response to this class, we are planning to present this well received 2-day course again and we will have more details later. But you can help us and let us know that if you are interested in attending, let us know where you would like us to present it this fall. Tell us which location of the following is of most interest to you: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, Wausau area, Appleton area, Madison, La Crosse area or tell us your 'druthers. We think we can hold the cost at $199 and that includes a huge notebook and CD chocked full of material, resources and information to help meet your needs regardless of experience. Let us know your vote no later than March 20, please

Jim Moore Seminar January 22, 2008

Many of you know Jim Moore, globally recognized speaker and founder of Moore Diversified Services, the national leader in conducting broad-based consulting, market research and market feasibility studies in the Seniors Housing and health care industries.

WALA will present a one-day seminar with Mr. Moore Tuesday January 22. Mark your calendars - details soon. Additional info on Jim Moore - you will find a day spent with Jim Moore is a great investment in your future.

Jim Moore has over 40 years of unmatched industry experience. As part of his consulting practice, he has actually lived briefly in over 80 retirement and assisted living communities. His clients include a broad spectrum of national leaders and small organizations - with a balanced mix of both for-profit and not-for-profit clients. He is the industry's leading independent living and assisted living author, having published several hundred industry technical papers, trade journal articles, a weekly business column for two major newspapers and authored several books on seniors housing.

Administrators and Managers Course in February

Each winter, WALA hosts a valuable two-day seminar for administrators and managers. Designed for beginning to mid level managers and administrators (and a refresher for more experienced staff), it is an information filled two-day training on all aspects of managing an assisted living facility, residents, staff, H/R, AND regulatory compliance.

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.

WALA Half-Day Marketing Intensive April 26

WALA is pleased to present "Marketing From the Inside Out," our half-day intensive marketing program. Whether you run the marketing team or you ARE the marketing team, we can help you increase census in your facilities. Join energetic presenter Mindy Manone as she explains how all staff are part of the marketing team, giving you the tools to harness those resources under your nose. She will also explore creating and cultivating the relationships that will save legwork and fill beds.

"Marketing From the Inside Out" is on Thursday, April 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at San Camillo in Milwaukee. Registration is $59 for WALA members and $109 for non-members. Registration is available online or by calling 608/288-0246.

Two Chances For Training The Non-Nurse

With the rising acuity of our residents comes a greater demand for caregivers skilled in responding to resident emergencies. WALA is bringing you two opportunities to attend a new Train-the-Trainer program on "Training the Non-Nurse in Assisted Living to Identify and Respond."

This session will be a hands-on, interactive program designed to provide tools for assisted living owners, operators, managers and team leaders to train their caregivers on their role in prompt and adequate treatment. Clinical issues are taken directly from the OQA list of top forfeitures and will include proper interventions for non-licensed staff.

"Training the Non-Nurse" will be presented as the Pre-Event at the WALA Spring Conference on Tuesday, March 27. Pre-Event registration is $90 for WALA members and $140 for non-members.
Or you can wait for us to bring it to you! Our Health Care Regional Workshop in May will present "Training the Non-Nurse" around the state in all 5 OQA regions. These regional sessions will begin with a regulatory update from WALA. The schedule is as follows:

Registration for the regional sessions is $125 for WALA members and $175 for non-members. Registration is available online or by calling 608/288-0246.

Benchmarking Focus Group At WALA Conference

Are you interested in comparative benchmarking data to better assess your operations? We want to know whether you think developing a benchmarking database for assisted living in Wisconsin would be helpful and useful. WALA is hosting a focus group on March 28 to determine your interest in a benchmarking initiative that would be developed jointly by WALA and Wipfli LLP.

If you would like to attend, contact Jim Murphy at jmurphy@ewala.org or 608/442-0377. Together with experienced operators, we can identify key issues and evaluate the needs of today's assisted living professionals.

WALA Summer Schedule Ready To Go

Mark your calendars - WALA has two great programs for you this summer!

10 ABSOLUTES: SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR DEMENTIA CARE

June 19, 2007 - Oak Park Place, Madison
Jo Huey, national presenter and author of Alzheimer's Disease: Help and Hope, will present a powerful, interactive and motivational workshop on how to improve daily interactions with those with Alzheimer's. An exceptionally enlivening speaker, Jo has developed The 10 Absolutes, communication tools proven to achieve dramatic results. Put her ideas to work in your facility today and make a difference!

LIFESTYLE REGIONAL WORKSHOP: ACTIVITY PROGRAMMING

August 20-24, 2007 - All 5 OQA Regions
A hands-on, interactive, FUN session that turns activity-timid front-line caregivers into fabulous activity gurus! Participants will leave the session with useful hands-on samples, ideas and confidence to develop and enhance a well-rounded activity program. If your great caregivers recoil at the thought of leading a group activity, we will jump start them with creative, effective, SIMPLE activity ideas for daily use.

Watch your mailbox or e-mail inbox for more details

In 2006

WALA at The Bog An Unprecedented Success!

Although the day turned blustery, the rain held off and helped make WALA at The Bog, the 10th annual Autumn Classic golf tournament, our most successful ever! 140 assisted living providers and partners enjoyed a round of golf on this nationally recognized, Arnold Palmer-designed course north of Milwaukee on September 18. WALA would like to thank all our sponsors and participants for their support, as well as our excellent hosts at The Bog.

Don't worry if you missed out-we invite you to join us next year as we return to The Bog! Mark your calendar: September 17, 2007.

WALA Managed Care Seminar Filling Up Fast!

If you haven't yet registered for "The Future of Funding: Managed Care" on Friday, October 20 in Wisconsin Dells, what are you waiting for? Over 130 attendees have already registered for this all-day program discussing how the statewide expansion of Family Care will impact you and your residents. Managed care is coming to Wisconsin, and WALA will help put you ahead of the game.

The early bird deadline has passed-but if you mention this Blast you can still sign up for the early bird rate of $120 for WALA members and $170 for non-members! Learn more about our speakers and download a registration form on our website.

Last Chance to Have Your Say on Managed Care Seminar

In October, WALA will be presenting a special seminar on managed care and the expansion of Family Care. We are in the final stages of planning this session, and your input is needed in helping us finalize the content of this presentation. What do you need to know about the future of managed care in Wisconsin? Please e-mail Jim Murphy at jmurphy@ewala.org with your thoughts and questions-and watch your mailbox for information on our Managed Care Seminar!

Resident-Focused Dining

Don't miss your chance to learn from the experts about bringing something new to your dining services! WALA's 2006 Lifestyle Regional Workshop, "Resident-Focused Dining: A Roundtable Discussion" is coming to you. This half-day roundtable will help you bring the Resident Focused Care movement into your residents' dining room. All sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to noon and breakfast is included. Dates and locations are:

It's not too late to register! Do it online to or call 608/288-0246. Registration is $79 for WALA members and $129 for non-members.

Residents Wanted!

Every resident has a story-help us share it with your colleagues! WALA is looking for residents to feature in the "Resident Spotlight" feature in our WALA Watch newsletter. It's a great way to help us keep connected to those we serve. Send your stories or ideas to Daniel Bush at dbush@ewala.org or call him at 608/442-0375

Last Chance to Sign Up for Healthcare Regional Workshops!

If you haven't yet signed up for our new WALA Healthcare Regional Workshops, now is the time! Sessions are this week and next at locations around the state. There's a lot for us to cover! We'll go over the latest from BQA and discuss questions on medication administration. An intensive presentation will delve into the details of nurse delegation. Our afternoon speakers will bring you an emerging issue that might not be on your radar screen: mental illness in your residents.

Save the Date: WALA Autumn Golf Classic September 18

WALA invites you to our 10th annual Autumn Classic golf tournament, to be held September 18 at The Bog in Saukville. We're pleased to offer you a world-class course at a new low price! Plan to join us for a day of contests, prizes, golf, friends, food and fun as we take over The Bog, an Arnold Palmer-designed championship course just north of Milwaukee. We have lowered fees by 33% so you can bring more of the people who make your business work-it makes a great employee recognition prize!

Sponsorship and registration information will go out soon. Contact WALA for more details.

2006 Spring Conference A Great Success!

Thank you to the more than 580 attendees of the 2006 WALA Spring Conference who joined us at the Alliant Energy Center to make this year's conference such an outstanding event! WALA would like to especially thank all of our wonderful speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers and committee for making this conference possible.

Always ready with open ears, our committee will take your feedback to produce a fantastic follow-up in 2007. We encourage your comments and new ideas to help us plan for next year, so e-mail or call us with your suggestions on how to make next year's conference even better.

Mark your calendar now for the 2007 WALA Spring Conference, which will  return to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison next March 27-29.

Sales and Marketing Certification Program Cancelled

Please note that the Sales and Marketing Certification Program that was to be offered on April 18-20 in Milwaukee has been cancelled due to low registration. If you have any questions, or are interested in attending this certification program in 2007, please contact WALA for more information.

CORRECTION - Disaster Preparedness on February 7

In the January issue of WALA Watch we incorrectly noted the date of our upcoming "Disaster Preparedness: Plan to be Really Ready!" seminar as Tuesday, February 14. The correct date is Tuesday, February 7. Further, Sinikka Santala, the administrator of the DHFS Division of Disability and Elder Services, will be delivering the 9 o'clock address on behalf of Governor Jim Doyle

The cost to register is $125 for WALA members and $175 for members if you register by January 27, after which the cost goes up $40. To sign up for this timely, essential event visit our website or call us at 608/288-0246.

Register Now for the WALA Spring Conference

Get ready for Wisconsin's biggest and best assisted living conference! WALA is now taking registrations for our 11th annual Spring Conference, "Our Benchmark of Value: Independence with Dignity and Respect," to be held March 29-30 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. We have 24 educational sessions, 5 keynote speakers, over 30 exhibitors and much, much more! And on March 28, we are proud to bring you our optional pre-event with international dementia expert Jane Verity.

There is far too much on deck to include in this Blast. In case you didn't receive the conference agenda in your mailbox, it can be viewed on our website.

There you can register online or download a registration form. See you at the conference!

WALA, Provider Organization Summit Respond to Long-Term Care Request

In response to last fall's Request for Information from the Department of Health and Family Services on long-term care reform, both WALA and the Provider Organization Summit (POS) issued responses highlighting the challenges providers stand to face. WALA's response emphasized our belief that Medicaid and similar services ought to be reserved for the truly needy, and our concern that the funding drought plaguing other sectors of the industry could adversely impact assisted living. POS' response reflected the consensus that the current model for publicly-funded long-term care does not reflect the true cost to providers of delivering care, and requested that a representative of POS be involved in evaluating all of the responses to the RFI. Both responses can be viewed on our website.

The POS is a conference of all the Wisconsin long-term care provider associations, including WALA, CAPOW, RFW, RSA, WAHSA, WHCA and WPSA.

In 2005

Dementia-Specific Providers - WALA Needs Your Help!

For our Spring Conference Pre-Event, WALA is bringing in internationally-acclaimed dementia expert Jane Verity from Australia to address the specific challenges of dementia care. Our planning committee has decided that her presentation will address two broad topics:

Each of these topics could be its own full-day session, but in order to focus the presentation into a single day we need to decide which facets of these topics to address. That's where you come in. Which aspects of these topics would you like to see dealt with in detail? Jane's program shows how difficult behavior is defined by our perceptions, and uses that knowledge to help guide you to constructive means of addressing these kinds of behavior. More details are available on her website.

Please submit your comments and suggestions to Jim Murphy at jmurphy@ewala.org or 608/288-0246 no later than Friday, December 2. Thank you!

WALA Bringing Dementia Expert From Australia to You!

We are excited to be bringing an internationally renowned expert on dementia care to our 2006 Spring Conference Pre-Event on March 28, 2006 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. Jane Verity, the director of Dementia Care Australia, will be presenting her award-winning dementia care program. It introduces new activity and practices designed to stimulate and enhance the quality of life for those living with Alzheimer's and other dementia. We are proud to be able to offer Ms. Verity's presentation to Wisconsin providers, activity coordinators and others in the industry.

Registration materials for the Pre-Event, as well as the Conference on March 29-30, 2006, will be in your mailbox soon. We look forward to seeing you in Madison!

WALA Administrators and Management Intensive Still Open

There are still openings for our Administrators and Management Intensive course on January 24-25, 2006, at Oakwood Village East in Madison. Whether you are a new administrator or an old hand looking for a refresher, this intensive two-day course will go over the skills, tactics and practices that lead to success in assisted living. Our three outstanding instructors have a combined 55 years of experience in long-term and senior care.

The cost is $300 for WALA members and $350 for non-members if you register by January 13. Enrollment is strictly limited to 40, so make sure you register ASAP! For more details or to register, check our website or call Erin Suchomel at 608/288-0246.

WALA's Administrators and Management Intensive 2006 Registration Now Open!

Are you a new administrator? An old hand needing a refresher? Interested in what makes a good administrator into a great one? Then you should sign up ASAP for WALA's most popular course! Sold out each of the last 6 years, the Administrators and Management Intensive is back in 2006. This course gives you the tools to run your residence efficiently, covering a variety of management, personnel and resident topics. It will be held on January 24 and 25, 2006 at Oakwood Village East in Madison. Registration is limited to 40 attendees. Visit this page for the full agenda, speaker information and registration, or call Erin Suchomel at 608/288-0246. Don't wait - this one will sell out!

WALA Spring Conference 2006 Coming Together

WALA staff and volunteers are in the final stages of organizing the 2006 Spring Conference. Join us at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison for the conference on March 29-30, 2006, and consider the optional pre-conference on March 28 featuring international dementia expert Jane Verity. More details will be coming soon!

eWALA Brings Assisted Living Job Seekers and Employers Together

WALA has offered members the ability to post job listings on the eWALA website for some time now, but since the redesigned site was launched in September, have definitely picked up. Currently, there are 13 job listings posted on the jobs page at http://www.ewala.org/insider/jobs.cfm and every member has the ability to post a job on the website through their Member Login.