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Governance Opportunity With Harvard University -- In cooperation with AAHSA, Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education is extending a 20% discount to AAHSA-member executives who enroll in Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards. This is an online course taught by William Ryan, coauthor of the Governance as Leadership book. It will consist of assigned readings and online discussions that will be posted and available 24-7, to fit busy schedules. Upon completion, participants will receive a course certificate from Harvard. The class, designed for executives who work with boards, begins Jan. 4; apply by Nov. 27. Get details. On the online application, in response to the "Who will be the financial sponsor of your participation?" question, type "AAHSA member discount." For more information, contact Deborah Cloud, (202) 508-9458 with AAHSA. 
  

Upcoming Educational Events: 

Elevator Safety Inspections Are Improving, But DBPR Still Lacks Authority to Require Private Inspectors to Explain Inspection Result Discrepancies -- A progress report, describing actions taken by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has been issued by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability(OPPAGA), and is available by clicking here. 
 
In the past year, the number of inspections as required by law has increased, while the number of cited violations has decreased. The Bureau of Elevator Safety follow-up inspections indicate that the quality of privatized inspections has increased, with the private inspectors missing fewer safety violations. The bureau continues to lack authority to compel private elevator inspectors to explain inspection result discrepancies, so the results of this latest OPPAGA report recommends that the legislature consider amending s. 399.049, F.S., to require private inspectors or registered elevator companies to respond to the bureau's request for information reconciling inspection results and provide that failure to respond within 30-days will result in a violation that would prohibit the elevator from being operated legally. 
 
AHCA Launches Online Complaint Form - This month, the Agency for Health Care Administration launched an online health care facility complaint form for the 41 health care service providers it regulates. In 2008, the agency received 7,788 complaints from Floridians through phone calls and written correspondence. Many complaints involved patient or resident care concerns within the health care facilities regulated by the agency, according to a Nov. 9 AHCA news release.

The most frequent concerns involved issues such as billing practices, responsiveness to grievances, and care provided to residents at assisted living facilities and home health agencies. They also included concerns about nursing care, administration of medication and quality of food. "The new online health care facility complaint form will give Floridians direct access to our agency when they feel a violation has occurred, allowing us to act quickly and efficiently to help correct the issue," AHCA Secretary Thomas Arnold said in a news release.

Consumers can file a complaint by going to FloridaHealthFinder.gov or calling the agency at (888) 419-3456.

Source: South Florida Business Journal, 11/9/2009
 
More Bad News for Florida on Economy -- According to an article appearing first in the Miami Herald and then on Stateline.org web site, Florida ranks seventh on the Pew Center of the States scorecard of ''States in Fiscal Peril.'' Other high ranking states include Arizona, California, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. California tops the list.  Key factors that have Florida in peril include a 2.72 percent mortgage foreclosure rate, a population loss of 58,000 in 2009, an unemployment rate of 11 percent, and a potential $2.6 billion gap between spending needs and revenue in the budget year that will begin July 1, 2010.  According to Moody's Economy.com, Florida's housing market is in worse shape than California's, and will take longer to recover. This news does not bode well for the 2010 legislative session and the funding of the state's essential services. 

Open Enrollment Period Nears for Medicare Advantage and Drug Benefit -- Beginning November 15, Medicare's 46 million beneficiaries will have an opportunity to sign up for coverage under a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare stand-alone Part D drug plan, or change plans if they are already enrolled in either type of plan. The Kaiser Family Foundation is issuing a collection of new and updated analyses examining critical elements of the private plan options available to Medicare beneficiaries in 2010. To read the entire article, along with resources, please click on the Nursing Home Alert page, NH 09-40.

IRS Seeks to Re-Deliver Un-Deliverable Refund Checks -- The Internal Revenue Service is looking for taxpayers who are due to receive a combined $123.5 million in the form of 107,831 refund checks that were returned to the IRS by the U.S. Postal Service due to mailing address errors.

All a taxpayer has to do is update his or her address once. The IRS will then send out all checks due. If a refund check is returned to the IRS as undeliverable, taxpayers can generally update their addresses with the "Where's My Refund?" tool on IRS.gov. The tool enables taxpayers to check the status of their refunds. A taxpayer must submit his or her social security number, filing status and amount of refund shown on their 2008 return. The tool will provide the status of their refund and in some cases provide instructions on how to resolve delivery problems.

 

CON Bed Need for Hospice Very Low - Some of you have expressed an interest in providing hospice services. In order to open an inpatient hospice, you must get a Certificate of Need.  The most recent bed need analysis indicates a bed need of two for the entire state. Therefore, your best bet is to coordinate with a local hospice to determine if they would like to contract for a cluster of beds in your nursing home or assisted living facility to use as an inpatient hospice. A few FAHSA members are doing this with success.
 
Click here for the AHCA fixed need pool for health care providers.  

2010 OCAF Published - Florida's Rate - 1.8 -- The 2010 Operating Cost Adjustment Factors (OCAF), annual factors used to adjust Section 8 rents renewed under section 524 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act (MAHRA) were just published today in the Federal Register and are available by clicking here.
 
HUD Staff Successful in Obtaining Grant Exemptions for ARRA Reporting --The Office of Management and Budget has granted an exemption for project-based Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) funding to the reporting requirements under the Recovery Act.  If you have any questions, please contact the HUD Project Manager assigned to your project.
 
IRS Announces Grants to Assist Low Income With Tax Preparation -- For the second year in a row, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has awarded nearly $8 million in matching grants to support its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. For tax year 2009, individuals and families with an adjusted gross income of $49,000 or lower are eligible for assistance.
 
Please contact one of the following agencies who received grants if you are interested in participating in this program:

Other Housing Alert Issues: 

 

Legislative Alert

 

• Florida Senate Letter to U.S. Senators Regarding Federal Medical Assistance Percentage Calculation
• Open Enrollment Period Nears for Medicare Advantage and Drug Benefit
• Medicaid Expansion In Health Care Reform Package Could Cost States
• House Reform Bill Would Significantly Alter Medicare Payment Policy for NHs

 

 

 

Welcome to the Florida Association of Homes and Services for the Aging Career Center!

 

Your destination for exciting Aging Services job opportunities and the best resource for qualified candidates in the Florida Aging Services Industry. Searching for a job in Aging Services?

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Looking to fill a position? This job board is custom tailored for the Aging Services industry, which means we attract the most qualified professionals in Florida. Create an Employer Account, search resumes and post your Aging Services job now!

 

Copyright 2009 -- Publication of the Florida Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (FAHSA).

• FAHSA Chair: Terri Cunliffe
• FAHSA President/CEO: Janegale Boyd
• Managing Editor: Gail Matillo, MPA, COS

Copyright Information: Copies of the articles and other information in this publication may be noncommercially reproduced for the purpose of educational or scientific advancement. Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying, microfilm and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the editor.

Correspondence: Should be addressed to: Editor, 1812 Riggins Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. For telephone inquiries, call (850) 671-3700. Or E-mail FAHSA at info@fahsa.org. © 2009 FAHSA. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this correspondence is not intended as a substitute for legal advice. Please discuss any information gathered from this or any other FAHSA publications with your legal counsel in the context of your particular situation before implementing any new policies or procedures.