NEWS
60
SECONDS WITH…
Bill orders the IOM to assess
Sarah Wells
Executive Director
Consumer Voice
inspection system’s fairness
By John O’Connor • An evaluation of states and
Q: NCCNHR is now The National In 1987, Congress approved their respective agencies.
and President Reagan signed • The objectivity and accu-
Consumer Voice for Quality Long-
legislation that fundamentally racy of the current process.
Term Care. Why the name change?
altered the way nursing homes • Effectiveness of current
Photo: iStockphoto
A: We’ve been talking about this for a are inspected. More than two enforcement measures.
number of years and we’ve been in dis- decades later, a Democratic • Whether the current sys-
cussions about expanding the focus of Senator from Wisconsin wants tem measures effectively.
the organization across the long-term to take a closer look at how the Changes coming to the survey • Whether the current sys-
new rules are working out. and certification system? tem allows stakeholders or
care spectrum. We wanted to focus on
Russ Feingold’s measure for evaluating nursing homes. other agencies and entities to
the fact that we are the consumer voice
would call on the Institute • The relationship between engage in other/alternative
for long-term care.
of Medicine to study the sur- nursing homes/the industry innovations.
vey and certification process. and CMS and how such a “This legislation will help
Q: Tell us in a few words about the Among the issues the IOM relationship impacts efforts bring nursing home quality
expanded advocacy of the group. would be required to assess: to improve quality. assurance into the twenty-
• Alternatives to the cur- • The methodology used first century and ensure a
A: Our members and the individuals
rent survey and certification by CMS. better quality of life for cur-
who call us to ask us how can they get
system. • The relationship between rent and future nursing home
quality care have increasingly been call- • Current survey methods CMS and the state agencies. residents,” Feingold said. ■
ing us from different long-term care set-
tings. Now is the perfect opportunity to
Living wills often get it wrong, study finds
be of value to people in other settings.
Q: What is the No. 1 problem facing
residents and consumers? By John O’Connor want life-sustaining treatments reality helps explain the weak
Living wills often fail to reflect to be withheld if they served link between their responses on
A: The challenge in working in non- actual resident preferences, only to prolong the process of