In the midst of the holiday season, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) delivered good news for residents of nursing homes across the country: Visitation is now allowed for all residents at all times. Living in a long-term care facility, whether for short-term or long-term care,…

Earlier this month, I was honored to chair the first Elder Justice Coordinating Council meeting of the Biden-Harris Administration. Created by the Elder Justice Act of 2010, the EJCC brings together federal departments, agencies, and entities administering programs related to elder abuse, neglect,…

Public Comment on Organ Transplantation On December 3, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Request For Information (RFI) soliciting feedback to inform potential changes to transplant requirements. The RFI identified transplant programs, organ…

A guest blog by Jackie Blaesi-Freed Blaesi-Freed is an Assistant Director in the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch. Today, the Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and five other federal law enforcement agencies announced the completion of the fourth…

It’s fitting that National Family Caregivers Month is celebrated at the same time as Thanksgiving. Last week, we paused as a nation to gather with our families and to give thanks for the good things in our lives. What better time could there be to recognize and honor the 53 million people who…

In this Policy Round Up, you’ll find: Latest COVID-19 guidance  Comments needed: CMS interim final rule on vaccine requirements  From CMS: Two strategies for states to increase enrollment in Medicare Savings Programs  Input Needed: Document on Addressing Voting Barriers for People…

Veterans Day, November 11, is dedicated to honoring American veterans. About 19 million Americans –  seven percent of the population - have served in the military. I am proud to stand as one of them. Because I’m a petite woman – and only about 1 in 10 veterans are women – people are often…

Like most states, the backbone of Alabama is countless individual women and men who wake up and go to work on most days. Yet, like many other states, too few Alabamians with disabilities have this same opportunity to work and earn a living making a meaningful contribution to the economy. Even as we…

Every October, we join residents and staff of long-term care facilities, state Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs, families, and advocates to celebrate Residents’ Rights Month. This month serves as an extra opportunity to celebrate, and increase awareness of, the rights that people living in long-…

How do most of us get our job? It is often through personal relationships and networking that we find out about openings or others connect us to a job of interest. Or, in other words, social capital is often the pathway to work. One source of such social capital is faith communities. There are…