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Back to: WALA Home > Industry Insider > News Index > WALA News for September 9, 2004
1) A new insurance option and Fall Symposium delivered to your door. - Increases in insurance are making it very difficult for many providers to find affordable coverage. While there are no magic fixes, there is a new group that is now offering coverage in Wisconsin. PCH Mutual is a risk retention group that covers ONLY assisted living. For facilities that meet PCH’s prerequisites, it may be a viable option. While WALA does not endorse the program, we feel that researching this company may be worthwhile for you. PCH Mutual will also do a short presentation at each of the 5 FALL SYMPOSIUM locations, Sept 28 – October 6 statewide. With risk management becoming a hot topic, and insurance rates going through the roof, the time is right for WALA’s Fall Symposium, “Take Control of Your Operations.” The seminar will focus on impending regulatory changes and how they will affect your day-to-day operations, how to avoid high insurance rates by reducing claims, and how to take complete control of your operations so that they better suit your needs and the needs of those for whom you provide care. Each session will also include roundtable discussions by regulatory category so that you can learn from each other and share ideas specific to your region. A complete agenda and brochure is available. Join the throng – the Fall Symposium is a worthwhile investment of your time and energy. Discount registration ends September 15.
As many of you know, WALA and several other organizations make up the Provider Organization Summit, a collaborative effort to affect the legislative and regulatory climate in Wisconsin. In a very important effort to demonstrate the significance of residential and day service providers in Wisconsin, WALA is gathering data to demonstrate the industry’s tremendous impact on the economy of our state. For example, prior research suggests that the FTE to resident/tenant ratio in assisted living is roughly 1.2:1. This means that WALA members employ over 10,000 Wisconsinites! Can you imagine the leverage we will have with the state legislature when they understand the huge impact residential and day service providers have on Wisconsin’s economy?! YOU CAN HELP! Please email WALA with your facility’s staff to resident/tenant ratio so that we can get a more accurate estimate of total FTE employees of WALA members. Messages can be sent to Member Services Director, Chris Herb at cherb@ewala.org or by calling the office. Most people are unaware that the No Call List that blessed our evenings with fewer interruptions from telemarketers lasts for only two years. This means that it is time to renew your subscription to the list or suffer the consequences of a new wave of calls from telemarketers. Help your residents by making sure they are on the No Call List. The list is updated quarterly, on the first of Jan., April, July, and Oct., so if you registered when it began two years ago October, it is time to renew your registration. Trina Kluever, a consumer specialist leader for the state program, is concerned that people are dropping off of the list simply because they didn’t know they had to re-register. She is also concerned that: “People in an assisted living homes may have a caregiver helping them, or an elderly person living alone might need help. People get targeted who are in those situations,” Kluever said. It is recommended that people fall into a habit of re-registering for the list on a specific date every two years, like their birthday, to avoid overloads of registrations days before a quarter draws to a close. Now, this might not be what you had in mind for your birthday celebration, but re-registration is recommended no matter what day you remember to call. To register on line, go to the Federal Trade Commission website www.ftc.gov/donotcall or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236). 4) Advanced Management Certification - WALA is proud to offer an innovative and comprehensive certification program only for experienced assisted living administrators and managers. The Advanced Management Certification was designed to hone your competitive edge and recognize your commitment to continued professional development. Part 1 will be held at the Country Inn Hotel in Waukesha on November 4 - 5, 2004, and Part 2 will be at the same location in April 2005. Become one of the first in the nation to hold this high-level, national certification! Only 40 administrators will be allowed to participate, so sign up now! WALA members receive exclusive registration rights until October 1. Last chance to join us for WALA’s annual Autumn Classic at beautiful Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc on Monday, September 20! The weather has been feeling mostly like fall, so come join a great fun fall event. This year we salute the longevity of our sponsors – especially those companies that have consistently sponsored all of the tournaments. WALA is pleased to invite you to our 10th Anniversary Gala celebrating “Ten Years of Memories.” The event will commemorate WALA’s accomplishments during its decade at the forefront of assisted living in Wisconsin. But guess what! We’re going to do this without letting Murphy get up to the microphone! (Just don’t let him drink!) In fact, there will be NO SPEECHES AND NO AWARDS! This is JUST a party to celebrate the success of WALA and the commitment of its members. Music, dancing, food, fun…that’s it! The celebration will be held at the Country Inn Hotel in Waukesha on Saturday, November 6. Mark your calendar now and watch for invitations in the mail. If you have not received your invitation by October 10, please contact the WALA office. 7) Renew your connection with WALA! -It’s time to renew membership in WALA! With well over 500 members representing nearly 10,000 residents WALA has a solid membership base of AFHs, CBRFs, RCACs and industry experts – from the small three-bed facility to one of the largest providers in the country. It is your support of WALA that makes it all possible! Early bird renewal discount ends October 15. NO increase in membership dues for 2005! You should have received your renewal invoices in the mail by now. If you have not, please contact Chris Herb at cherb@ewala.org or 608/442-0375. Check out this new member benefit: Renewing members can log-on to the WALA website to change their listing, post job openings, and indicate whether your facility has vacancies. PLUS you can post a unique 75 word description of your facility – tell consumers what makes you special! We will send you log-on details when you renew. 8) BQA Memo: Hospice Nurse Pronouncement of Death -BQA memo 04-019, issued August 31, 2004 provides an update on pronouncement of death regulations due to the enactment of 2003 Wisconsin Act 273. On May 1, 2004, a new law went into effect, giving registered nurses the ability to pronounce death in certain circumstances. This memo serves to clarify some of the issues and misconceptions that have arisen in light of the change in law. A copy of 2003 Wisconsin Act 273 is also available. 9) All you can learn -Take advantage of an educational forum presented by the Bureau of Long-Term Support on October 18-20 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Referred to as an “All You Can Learn Buffet,” the event is intended to provide intensive training on a variety of topics that have been offered sporadically on a regional basis. While this series is designed for County Care Managers, if you want training directly from the State on a host of diverse topics such as COP funding, working with elders with physical disabilities and/or medication side effects, this is the place to be. For more information, contact the Southeastern Wisconsin Area Agency on Aging at 262/821-4444 or ag02@sewaaa.com 10) HFS-83 Rewrite, Round 2! -The second part of the HFS- 83 rewrite has been released by BQA for review. The WALA HFS-83 Rewrite Committee met recently to review the proposed changes in Part II: Subchapter I – General Overview, Subchapter II - Operations, and Subchapter III – Admissions, Transfers and Discharge. Our comments to Part II will be sent to BQA soon. WALA's comments (and BQA’s response) for Part 1 (Subchapter VI – Physical Environment and Safety and Subchapter VII – Structural Requirements) have been posted. The posted comments include BQA’s response. WALA was pleased to see that many of our comments on Part I were accepted by the BQA. Clearly the rewrite is a cooperative effort and YOU HAVE A VOICE! If you are interested is contributing comments and concerns to be reviewed by the WALA HFS-83 Rewrite Committee, contact the WALA office. Details and a spirited discussion of the proposed changes and our comments will be presented at each of the five Fall Symposium locations. 11) Celebrating National Assisted Living Week, September 12-18 -Celebrate the 10th Annual National Assisted Living Week with this year’s theme, “Caring for Our Heritage.” There are more than 900,000 people residing in approximately 36,000 assisted living residences across the nation. Wisconsin has a rich history of assisted living facilities going back to the 1970s. Under the umbrella term of “assisted living,” which includes residential care apartment complexes, community-based residential facilities and adult family homes, Wisconsin provides services to an estimated 27,000 residents/tenants in over 2,300 facilities. The Bureau of Quality Assurance, in collaboration with WALA, WAHSA, RSA, and WHCA, encourages celebrating all that makes assisted living all that makes assisted living unique. 12) 16th Annual Colloquium on Aging! -So many important events this autumn! Those assisted living facilities with elderly tenants and/or residents may want to attend yet another top notch conference in October. The UW Institute on Aging presents its 16th Annual Colloquium on Aging at the Monona Terrace. This event will include some of the most notable academics in the field of aging, as well as a health fair, poster session and a free box lunch. THERE IS NO CHARGE, BUT PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Lectures will provide in depth analysis of changes in Medicare, medical research on Alzheimer’s disease, and falls prevention. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. For complete details and registration information, visit the IOA web site (www.aging.wisc.edu). 13) Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL) conference -Co-founded by ALFA and other industry organizations, CEAL will host the 2004 Assisted Living Quality Summit December 2-3 in Washington, D.C. WALA Board member Kal Wenig of Premier Care will sit on a panel at this groundbreaking event. Topics will include the meaning of quality, state quality initiatives, measures and applications, provider initiatives to improve outcomes, culture change, dementia care, and next steps. For more information email rjenkens@ncbdc.org or contact Robert Jenkens at 202/336-7653. 14) ATTN: Milwaukee area providers -Coming in October is an important opportunity for new professionals in the field of aging including social services, health care agencies, advocates and administrators. The Milwaukee Aging Consortium will be hosting an Orientation to Aging and Aging Services Training Program in two modules presented on October 14 and 21, 2004. This 15 hour training program will be an excellent introduction to those new to this field and those interested in becoming involved. Email milwagingconsortium@uwm.edu for more information. Registration materials are available at www.uwm.edu/Org/milwaging/oldcalendar.shtml or by contacting Amy Ambrose at 414/229-2734.
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