| AHCA Documentary Wins Capital Emmy Award | <p style="text-align:center;"><img src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/2022/emmy2.jpg" class="ms-rtePosition-4" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:500px;height:240px;" /><br></p><p><br></p><p>The American Health Care Association (AHCA) documentary, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtK_RIIyMpA" target="_blank">“Closed Doors, Open Hearts: Nursing Homes and COVID-19,”</a> received a National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter (Capital) Emmy Award Saturday evening in the <a href="https://www.capitalemmys.tv/post/capital-emmys-documentary-cultural-topical?fbclid=IwAR2tbw_erLDKnE4G89snUKO14vJ0ho9vtPjrh82J0MCvAFOpilT4A0EfVJo" target="_blank">Documentary – Cultural/Topical</a> category.  </p><p>The documentary, which was up against three other nominees, features two nursing homes on opposite sides of the country and their struggles and perseverance at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the heroic caregivers who continued to serve through the most challenging times. It also provides a glimpse into what has really happened inside nursing homes since early 2020 and why it is so important to continue supporting these vital providers’ ongoing efforts to keep residents safe and healthy. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.capitalemmys.tv/" target="_blank">Capital Emmy Chapter</a> is one of 19 regional chapters that make up The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. It is a non-profit, professional organization serving the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC television and media community. The organization’s foundation is The Emmy® Award, the TV industry’s gold-standard for the recognition of television excellence. </p><p>“It is an honor merely to be nominated, but to win is truly special,” said AHCA President & CEO Mark Parkinson. “Nursing homes have been at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic since the very beginning, and these providers have gone above and beyond to protect this highly vulnerable population. Thank you for allowing us to share their important story and for recognizing the hard work and passion that went into making this film. It is dedicated to everyone in long term care – staff, residents, families, and those who support them.” </p><p>The Capital Emmy is the next in a number of awards AHCA’s 26-minute film has received this year. It recently received Telly Awards in three categories: <a href="https://www.tellyawards.com/winners/2022/social-video/general-documentary/closed-doors-open-hearts-nursing-homes-and-covid-19/273696" target="_blank">Gold recognition</a> in Social Video/General Documentary, Silver <a href="https://www.tellyawards.com/winners/2022/peoples-telly/general-social-video/closed-doors-open-hearts-nursing-homes-and-covid-19/263922/" target="_blank">recognition</a> in the People’s Telly Award/General-Social Video, and Silver <a href="https://www.tellyawards.com/winners/2022/non-broadcast/general-documentary-individual/closed-doors-open-hearts-nursing-homes-and-covid-19/270584/" target="_blank">recognition</a> in General Documentary – Individual. The Telly Awards are premier awards honoring video and television across all screens. The documentary was also recognized with a Silver <a href="https://www.healthawards.com/dha/winnerss2022/dha_s2022_winners.pdf" target="_blank" title="https://www.healthawards.com/dha/winnerss2022/dha_s2022_winners.pdf">Digital Health Award</a> earlier this month.  </p> | 2022-06-27T04:00:00Z | <img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/emmy.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Caregiving;Quality | Accolades continue for the Association’s short film focused on nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2022 AHCA/NCAL Silver National Quality Award Recipients Announced | <p><img src="/SiteCollectionImages/logos/qualityaward_silver.jpg" class="ms-rtePosition-2" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:200px;height:200px;" />The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) is pleased to announce the names of the 46 recipients of the 2022 Silver – Achievement in Quality Award. <br></p><p>This year, 40 skilled nursing care centers, 3 assisted living communities, and 3 skilled nursing/ assisted living providers in 24 states and the District of Columbia achieved the Silver Award.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/Quality/National-Quality-Award-Program/Pages/QualityAwardRecipients.aspx" target="_blank">complete list</a> of the 2022 Silver recipients is available on the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award website.</p><p><span>The Silver award is the second of three distinctions possible through the <a data-linkto="https://" href="https://www.ahcancal.org/Quality/National-Quality-Award-Program/Pages/default.aspx" title="https://cl.exct.net/?qs=cea46ab20949a040ea4dce2625daab2b71c6b230c22849008ac82148cb68c3f978d14eec3fa9f8cd963301684ae2055c491dd5a5eee9c73b" target="_blank">AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program</a>, which recognizes providers across the nation that have demonstrated improved quality
outcomes for staff, residents and individuals with disabilities in long
term and post-acute care. Each application is reviewed and judged
against a set of nationally recognized standards for achieving
excellence.</span></p><p>On August 5, 2022, Gold Quality Award recipients will be announced.</p><p>The awards will be presented during <a href="https://www.eventscribe.net/2022/AHCA/" target="_blank">AHCA/NCAL’s 73rd Convention & Expo</a> in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 9-12, 2022.<br></p> | 2022-06-27T04:00:00Z | <img alt="" src="/SiteCollectionImages/logos/qualityaward_silver.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Quality Awards | This year, 40 skilled nursing care centers, 3 assisted living communities, and 3 skilled nursing/ assisted living providers in 24 states and the District of Columbia achieved the Silver Award. |
| Survey: More Than Half of Assisted Living Providers Say Their Overall Workforce Situation Has Worsened | <p>Today, the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), representing more than 4,000 assisted living communities across the country, released a survey of assisted living providers highlighting how the industry is still facing a serious staffing and economic crisis.  </p><p>Key findings include:</p><ul><li><p>More than half (52 percent) of assisted living providers say their overall workforce situation has worsened since January 2022. </p></li><li><p>63 percent are experiencing staffing shortages. A quarter of those assisted living providers say they have a high level of staffing shortages. </p></li><li><p>93 percent have increased wages to help attract and retain caregivers.</p></li><li><p>98 percent have asked staff to work overtime or extra shifts due to the staffing shortages. Half have hired temporary agency staff due to shortages. </p></li><li><p>87 percent say they have difficulty hiring new staff. </p></li><li><p>The biggest obstacle for assisted living providers in hiring new staff is a lack of interested or qualified candidates, with two-thirds of providers saying it was an “extremely big” challenge. </p></li><li><p>Nearly half (48 percent) are concerned they may have to close their assisted living communities if workforce challenges persist. </p></li><li><p>On average, assisted living providers say their operational costs have increased since this time last year by 40 percent. </p></li><li><p>More than one-third are currently operating at a loss (37 percent) and can’t sustain current operating pace for more than one year (35 percent). </p></li></ul><p>Assisted living professionals will share these findings as well as their own unique, local perspectives with members of Congress during the association’s Congressional Briefing event, taking place Monday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 7. More than 500 long term and post-acute professionals are expected to visit the Hill, advocating for legislation and policies that will help address these workforce and economic crises. </p><p>“The survey shows that the workforce crisis in assisted living has not improved, and we are deeply concerned that more assisted living communities will have to close their doors,” said NCAL Executive Director LaShuan Bethea. “Assisted living has been largely forgotten by public health officials during this pandemic—it’s time they received the resources and the support they desperately need.”</p><p>View the assisted living provider survey results <a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Fact-Sheets/FactSheets/AL-Survey-June2022.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>. The survey also included other long term care providers, and the nursing home results may be found <a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Fact-Sheets/FactSheets/SNF-Survey-June2022.pdf" title="https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Fact-Sheets/FactSheets/SNF-Survey-June2022.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br></p><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="/SiteCollectionImages/logos/ncal_large_color.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:250px;height:167px;" /><br></p> | 2022-06-07T04:00:00Z | <img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/survey.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Workforce | Survey of assisted living providers highlights how the industry is still facing a serious staffing and economic crisis. |
| 2022 AHCA/NCAL Bronze National Quality Award Recipients Announced | <table role="presentation" class="x_stylingblock-content-wrapper" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background-color:transparent;min-width:100%;"><tbody style="color:#000000;font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;"><tr></tr></tbody></table><p><img src="/SiteCollectionImages/logos/qualityaward_bronze.jpg" class="ms-rtePosition-2" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:140px;height:140px;" />The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) is pleased to announce the names of the 180 recipients of the 2022 Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award. </p><p>This year, 151 skilled nursing care centers, 26 assisted living communities, and 3 skilled nursing/assisted living providers in 40 states achieved the Bronze award.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/Quality/National-Quality-Award-Program/Pages/QualityAwardRecipients.aspx?cm_ven=ExactTarget&cm_cat=2022+Bronze+Quality+Award+Recipients+Announced%21+-+20220525_133109&cm_pla=Marks+Memos+2022+List&cm_ite=https://www.ahcancal.org/Quality/National-Quality-Award-Program/Pages/QualityAwardRecipients.aspx&cm_lm=1686246924&cm_ainfo=&&&&&" target="_blank">complete list</a> of the 2022 Bronze recipients is available on the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award website.</p><p>The Bronze award is the first of three distinctions possible through the <a href="https://cl.exct.net/?qs=098547b001bfb03a8234ca06fc480d74193a3d9bd6566b05328ca68ca6ff226c11a95ac5e32029056513ff112984acf1177c8bec8c168891" title="https://cl.exct.net/?qs=098547b001bfb03a8234ca06fc480d74193a3d9bd6566b05328ca68ca6ff226c11a95ac5e32029056513ff112984acf1177c8bec8c168891" target="_blank">AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program</a>, a comprehensive organizational assessment and recognition program for long term care providers. Each application is reviewed and judged against a set of nationally recognized standards for achieving excellence.<br><br>Silver award applicants will be notified on June 23, and Gold award applicants will be notified on August 5.<br><br>The awards will be presented during <a href="https://www.eventscribe.net/2022/AHCA/?utm_source=ahcancal_homepage&utm_medium=main_rotator&utm_campaign=rotator_convention&cm_ven=ExactTarget&cm_cat=2022+Bronze+Quality+Award+Recipients+Announced%21+-+20220525_133109&cm_pla=Marks+Memos+2022+List&cm_ite=https://www.eventscribe.net/2022/AHCA/?utm_source%3dahcancal_homepage%26utm_medium%3dmain_rotator%26utm_campaign%3drotator_convention&cm_lm=1686246924&cm_ainfo=&&&&&" target="_blank">AHCA/NCAL’s 73rd Convention & Expo</a> in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 9-12, 2022.</p><p>Contact the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award team with any questions at <a href="mailto:qualityaward@ahca.org?subject=" title="qualityaward@ahca.org" target="_blank">qualityaward@ahca.org</a>.</p><p></p><p></p> | 2022-05-27T04:00:00Z | <img alt="" src="/SiteCollectionImages/logos/qualityaward_bronze.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Quality Awards | This year, 151 skilled nursing care centers, 26 assisted living communities, and 3 skilled nursing/ assisted living providers in 40 states achieved the Bronze award. |
| National Skilled Nursing Care Week Starts Sunday, May 8 | <p>National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW) kicks off this Sunday, May 8 through Saturday, May 14. The annual observance calls attention to the essential role of skilled nursing centers in caring for America’s elderly and individuals with disabilities. This year’s theme is, “Creating and Nurturing Connections.” </p><p>“Skilled nursing caregivers and staff at all levels work hard every day to keep our most vulnerable population safe, healthy and socially engaged under incredible challenges,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA. “These individuals are the backbone of our communities. This week is a time to celebrate them by sharing our appreciation for all that they do for our loved ones.”</p><p>Skilled nursing care centers and their staff provide a steadfast commitment to <a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Press-Releases/Pages/AHCANCAL-Highlights-Nursing-Home-Quality-Improvements-During-COVID-19-Pandemic.aspx" target="_blank">providing a high-level of person-centered care</a> for their residents. This has never been more evident than the last two years of the pandemic. In addition to protecting and caring for their residents around the clock during a time of limited visitation and social distancing, staff stepped in and served as family members and friends to ensure that residents had the essential social connections they needed.</p><p>Celebrate this NSNCW by sharing your <a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Pages/Share-Your-Story.aspx" target="_blank">stories</a> and messages of gratitude on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NationalSkilledNursingCareWeek/" target="_blank" title="https://www.facebook.com/nationalskillednursingcareweek/">Facebook</a> using the hashtag #NSNCW.  </p><span style="color:#000000;font-family:-webkit-standard;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;"></span><p>TENA, an Essity brand, is the official 2022 NSNCW sponsor. “Our vision is dedicated to improving well-being through leading hygiene and health solutions,” said Tony Forsberg, RN, BSBA, WCC, CSPHA, national clinical director of Essity. “We are committed to being a care partner that fully supports our customers to provide innovative products and best practice care routines that allow skilled care nursing facilities to deliver better and more efficient care to our most vulnerable and valued residents.”</p><p>Created by AHCA in 1967, NSNCW starts each year on Mother’s Day and is celebrated through the following Saturday.</p><p>For more information on the annual observance, please visit <a href="http://www.ahcancal.org/NSNCW" target="_blank">NSNCW.org</a>.</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://ahcancal.org/"><img src="/SiteCollectionImages/logos/ahca_ncal_cobrand.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:250px;height:30px;" /></a><br></p> | 2022-05-06T04:00:00Z | <img alt="" src="/SiteCollectionImages/logos/NSNCW_22.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Caregiving;Quality | Staff stepped in and served as family members and friends to ensure that residents had the essential social connections they needed. |
| ‘Joyful Moments’ Revealed as Theme for National Assisted Living Week 2022 | <p>The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) today revealed “Joyful Moments” as this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week<sup>®</sup>. The annual, national observance – officially sponsored by First Quality in 2022 – provides a unique opportunity for residents, their loved ones, staff, volunteers, and local communities to celebrate the individuals who live and work in assisted living and learn more about this sector of long term care.  </p><p>“We are excited to highlight the truly ‘joyful moments’ in life during this year’s National Assisted Living Week,” said NCAL Executive Director LaShuan Bethea. “The communities where our residents live are so much more than just that. They are places where caregivers, residents, family members, and so many more come together as an extended family and create joyful, happy memories. After the challenges of the past few years, this theme is the perfect way to honor those relationships and celebrate every special moment.” </p><p>Established by NCAL in 1995, National Assisted Living Week (NALW) will be held Sept. 11-17, 2022. “Joyful Moments” encourages assisted living communities around the country to host a variety of events that honor the individuals who reside, work, and volunteer in these communities while adhering to infection control requirements and precautions in place for COVID-19. </p><p>“First Quality is honored to be the official sponsor of National Assisted Living Week again in 2022,” said Shelley Bache, First Quality Healthcare Leader. “This year’s theme encourages everyone to go beyond sharing happy memories and to create new moments that will be treasured for many years to come. I am thrilled we get to be part of this extraordinary week.” </p><p>The “Joyful Moments” logo is available for download to assisted living communities, stakeholders, and members of the public on the NALW website. In the coming months, NCAL will issue a planning guide and products centered on ways to celebrate “Joyful Moments.” Participants are asked to share their celebrations throughout the week on social media with the hashtag #NALW. Visit <a href="http://www.nalw.org/" target="_blank">www.nalw.org</a> for updated information and resources.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="/SiteCollectionImages/logos/ncal_large_color.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:250px;height:167px;" /><br></p> | 2022-05-05T04:00:00Z | <img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/2022/NALW_2022.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Quality | "Joyful Moments” encourages assisted living communities around the country to host a variety of events that honor the individuals who reside, work, and volunteer in these communities. |
| Apply Now: AHCA/NCAL Diversity Executive Leadership Program | <p>American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) <span>has announced the inaugural</span> provider member Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) will accept applications Monday, May 2 through Thursday, June 9. </p><p>Ten individuals will be selected to participate in the two-year program. Additional information including eligibility and program requirements is available on our <a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/About/Pages/Diversity-Executive-Leadership-Program.aspx" target="_blank">website.<br></a></p><p>DELP has two objectives:</p><ul><ol type="1" start="1" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-top:0in;"><li><p>To provide individuals from under-represented groups in AHCA/NCAL, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender identification, sexual orientation, disability and religion, support, access and opportunities for leadership. </p></li><li><p>To provide AHCA/NCAL with increased access to a diverse pool of talented, engaged members and/or leaders such as committee members and chairs, board members, AHCA Council of States representatives and NCAL State Leaders.</p></li></ol></ul><p>Contact any member of the DELP team for more information: <span><a href="mailto:%20lbethea@ncal.org" target="_blank">LaShuan Bethea</a>, <a href="mailto:jhahs@ahca.org" target="_blank">Jennifer Hahs</a>, <a href="mailto:upatel@AHCA.org" target="_blank">Urvi Patel</a>, <a href="mailto:kpreede@ncal.org" target="_blank">Katherine Preede</a>, or <a href="mailto:cherle@ahca.org" target="_blank">Christy Herle</a>.</span></p><p><br></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank"><img src="/SiteCollectionImages/logos/ahca_ncal_cobrand.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:250px;height:30px;" /></a><br></p> | 2022-05-03T04:00:00Z | <img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/diversity.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Quality | AHCA/NCAL provider member Diversity Executive Leadership Program will accept applications Monday, May 2 through Thursday, June 9. |