35th Annual Conference of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care Highlights Important Role of Long-Term Care in Health Reform

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (formerly NCCNHR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to representing consumers at the national level for quality long-term care, services and supports, is pleased to commence its 35th Annual Meeting and Conference, October 19-22, 2010, at the Caribe Royale Orlando Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The conference will showcase expert presentations highly relevant to long-term care advocates, including elder justice, long-term care in health care reform, Older Americans Act Reauthorization and nursing home transparency and improvements. More than 250 advocates, consumers, long-term care ombudsmen, direct care workers, researchers and health care professionals are expected to attend.

"It is our pleasure to convene the Consumer Voice's 35th Annual Meeting and Conference, where we will celebrate our historical successes, the great progress accomplished in 2010 and discuss our continued work to advance quality care for long-term care consumers," said Sarah F. Wells, Consumer Voice executive director. "This conference will provide an opportunity for dialogue among peers and friends about why we do the work we do and how we can continue to advance quality care in any setting."

Highlights of the conference include plenary sessions, an Older Americans Act Reauthorization (OAA) Listening Session, workshops, roundtable discussions on family council issues and care setting transitions and a resident dialogue with officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Administration on Aging (AoA). Sessions include discussions on guardianship issues, home and community-based care, resident empowerment and LGBT issues in aging, among other topics.

This year's opening keynote, Focus on Elder Justice: A Prosecutor's Perspective on Building Partnerships to Stop Elder Abuse, features San Diego prosecutor Paul Greenwood, LL.B. Greenwood is a leading prosecutor of elder abuse with more than 30 years of experience; the plenary will include strategies to overcome barriers to partnering with law enforcement and how the Elder Justice Act will provide opportunities for research, advocacy and public education.

Wednesday's Older Americans Act Reauthorization Listening Session features Debra Whitman, staff director, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Becky Kurtz, director of the office of long-term care ombudsman programs, AoA. Since 1965, the OAA has promoted the development of a comprehensive and coordinated service system for older individuals, family caregivers and persons with disabilities.

On Thursday, attendees will hear from CMS officials about implementation of nursing home transparency provisions in the Affordable Care Act, including significant new consumer information on Nursing Home Compare.

On the final day of the conference, the Consumer Voice will hold an awards ceremony to honor Eileen Bennett, Marie-Therese Connolly, Barbara Frank, Charlene Harrington, Alison Hirschel, Becky Kurtz and Helen Stanton for their dedication and commitment to improving the quality of care and life for long-term care consumers. This ceremony will be followed by the closing plenary, Advocating for Access and Quality in the "Non-Nursing Home Setting," with a panel of national and state experts, Charlene Harrington, director of the Personal Assistance Services Center at the University of California – San Francisco; Anne Montgomery, Senior Policy Advisor with the Senate Special Committee on Aging; Louise Ryan, Washington State Ombudsman; and JoAnn Lamphere, Director of State Government Relations, Health & Long Term Care Team, AARP.

For the complete conference program, visit www.theconsumervoice.org.

The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded as the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR) in 1975 by Elma Holder. The organization represents the consumer voice at the national level for quality long-term care, services and supports by advocating for public policies that support quality care and quality of life responsive to consumers' needs in all long-term-care settings; empowering and educating consumers and families with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate for themselves; training and supporting individuals and groups that empower and advocate for consumers of long-term care; and promoting the critical role of direct-care workers and best practices in quality-care delivery.

SOURCE National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care