PUBLIC POLICY
Advocates Argentum For You
On March 20, industry professionals gathered in Washington, D.C. for the 2018 Argentum Public Policy Institute. At the event, keynote speaker Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring reaffirmed the critical importance of providing quality, compassionate care for older Americans, which includes combatting financial fraud and scams and addressing the growing opioid epidemic. “By being open and proactive, by making
sure your team members are aware of the warning signs of abuse or overdose, you all are in a position to intervene and maybe save a life,” said Attorney General Herring. The Public Policy Institute & Fly-In allows
for industry professionals to discuss issues and solutions to the most important legislative and regulatory trends at the state and federal levels, and advocate for critical senior living issues on Capitol Hill. “This annual event provides a wonderful
opportunity to reconnect on industry trends and participate in grassroots advocacy with a unified voice for the betterment of the industry,” said James Balda, Argentum president & CEO. This year, attendees also heard from experts
on topics from medication management and workforce solutions to emergency prepared- ness and the upcoming midterm elections: • Panelists Haley Nicholson from the Na- tional Conference on State Legislatures,
Cece Credille from Enlivant, and Juli
Navarrete from Sunrise Senior Living kicked off the event with a discussion on medication management and misuse. According to a 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 90,000 Medicare ben- eficiaries are at “serious risk” of opioid misuse or overdose. In managing this is- sue within senior living, panelists stressed the importance of family education and strong relationships with state regulators.
• With a focus on workforce issues, panel- ists Ann Morse from the National Con- ference on State Legislatures, Ben Voelkel from the office of Sen. Ron Johnson (R- WI), and James Redstone, the workforce development lead from the House Com- mittee on Education and the Workforce, discussed opportunities for building the pipeline and fostering partnerships with state workforce development boards.
• Coming off one of the most expensive years on record for natural disasters, panelists Caitlin Soto, oversight counsel
NEW GRASSROOTS TOOLKIT AVAILABLE ONLINE
We’ve recently unveiled a new federal advocacy webpage (
argentum.org/federal) that offers opportunities for grassroots engagement in issues most critical to the industry such as resident safety, memory care, workforce development, and emergency preparedness. You’ll see descriptions of pending federal legislation and sample letters to send to your representatives. You’ll also find a new, downloadable grassroots toolkit, offering advice on advocacy initiatives you can participate in locally, such as inviting representatives to your community and conducting community tours.
Argentum members can download the new toolkit at
argentum.org/grassroots. 68 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MARCH/APRIL 2018
from the Senate Committee on Finance, Andy Coelho from Sunrise Senior Liv- ing, and Tonya Cloutier from Brookdale Senior
Living, discussed emergency
and crisis management in senior living, and preparing for the unexpected. The providers emphasized the importance of having plans based on location and making accommodations for communi- ty employees.
• In advance of the upcoming midterm elections, Jim Ellis of Ellis Insight, shared an overview of what we may expect to see in the coming months in Senate and House of Representatives races across the country.
The following day nearly 40 meetings were scheduled with legislators on Capitol Hill but were canceled due to a weather-related closure of the federal government. Partici- pants had also planned to attend meetings with representatives from the Administration for Community Living and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to discuss quality care and services for older adults.
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