Occupancy Rates Survey and Statistics - When we surveyed FAHSA retirement community members in late May about occupancy trends, 19 responded. Sixteen of the respondents indicated that they were having more marketing challenges than usual over the past six months. Eleven reported a drop in occupancy over the past year. Compare these numbers with the national data in this week's CCRC Alert.

On Wednesday, August 1, plan to attend a newly- added session at FAHSA's 44th Annual Convention and Exposition, entitled "The Silent Generation: A Demographic and Consumer Profile". This session will provide tips on how your community can succeed in attracting this cohort of consumers in an increasingly competitive market.

Other CCRC / Retirement Community News:

• OIR Notification RE: Return to Home Legislation

Congressman Mahoney Visits Second FAHSA Community -- On Saturday, Congressman Tim Mahoney visited the Presbyterian Homes of Port Charlotte to promote a bill designed to increase the supply of affordable housing for seniors. Mahoney's trip was arranged on a short deadline last week. "Presbyterian Homes has been in Port Charlotte for a long time and has provided an essential service," Mahoney said. "If you look at the number of seniors we have in Charlotte County, it's one of the biggest retirement communities in the nation. And that includes a lot of people who are at or below the poverty line, on fixed incomes through no fault of their own." The Port Charlotte complex is one of 19 owned and operated by St. Petersburg-based Presbyterian Housing and Homes of Florida.

Kevin Betts, pictured with Congressman Mahoney, gave him a tour of the facility and discussed some of the challenges administrators face in providing affordable housing to seniors. "This [bill] will go a long way toward rectifying that situation, if the bill gets passed and the monies are available. ... We can't do enough for those of our 'Greatest Generation.' The people who are going to actualize these benefits are living on between $5,000 and $7,000 a year and how they can make that stretch I don't know," Betts said.

Yesterday, we heard that Congressman Brown-Waite (F-5th) agreed to cosponsor this bill making it a 'Florida-Sponsored Bill'.

Give Your Community a Voice - Participate in FAHSA's Roundtables at Convention - Member- type specific roundtables offer leaders from your community the opportunity to participate in discussions about the current issues and trends. Join FAHSA Public Policy Committee Chairs and administrators, managers, and other personnel from communities throughout the state at FAHSA's 44th Annual Convention and Exposition. Nursing Home Professionals should plan to attend the Nursing Home Roundtable on Wednesday, August 1. Retirement Community and Housing Roundtables will be held on Thursday, August 2. If your community has not yet registered convention attendees, now is the time! Don't miss this opportunity to network with fellow FAHSA members, share your expertise, and learn new perspectives and strategies from other quality leaders.

Upcoming Workshops:

• July 29 -- FAHSA's Preceptors Training Program, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL
• July 29 -- FAHSA's Strategic Visioning Workshop, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL
• July 29 & 30 - FAHSA's Two Day Leadership Intensive: A New leadership Framework for Aging Services, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL
• July 29--August 2 -- FAHSA's 44th Annual Convention and Exposition, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL
• August 21 -- Survey and Enforcement from AHCA Webinar
• September 18 & 19 -- FAHSA's Home and Community-Based Services Workshop, Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk, Jacksonville
• September 19 & 20 -- FAHSA's Annual HUD and Service Coordinator Workshop, Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk, Jacksonville
• October 2 -- QIS Regional Training, Miami, FL
• October 3 & 4 -- FAHSA's Dynamic Directions Advanced Nurse Leadership Workshop, Safety Harbor
• October 5 -- QIS Regional Training, Jacksonville, FL
• October 9 & 10 -- Board of Trustees Meeting, Orlando, FL
• October 11 -- QIS Regional Training, Orlando, FL
• November 15 - FAHSA's Maintenance Workshop, Holiday Inn, Orlando, FL

AAHSA Seeks Stories Highlighting the 'Not- for-Profit Difference -- AAHSA is updating a brochure designed to highlight what it refers to as the 'not-for-profit difference' in aging services. Many members used the previous edition as a marketing tool and educational piece in their communities. The new version includes statistics and other background information about the not-for-profit difference. AAHSA is now collecting stories from residents, clients, staff and board members about why the not-for-profit difference matters to them.

Specifically, AAHSA is looking for:

• Quotes from residents/clients about why they chose a not-for-profit provider.
• Quotes from residents/clients who moved from a for-profit facility about the benefits they see in a not-for- profit facility.
• Quotes from staff members who have worked in for-profit facilities about the differences in their work in not-for-profit organizations.

For FAHSA members who are not-for-profit providers, this is a good opportunity to have your community highlighted in a national marketing piece. Please contact Sarah Mashburn at (202) 508-9492 or via e- mail at smashburn@a ahsa.org for more information.

FCN Requests Response to FCN Nurse/Employer Survey -- The Florida Center for Nursing (FCN) has requested FAHSA to encourage members to participate in their first statewide nurse employer survey. The survey is expected to be distributed this month to AHCA-licensed home health agencies, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and all 67 county public health departments. FCN plans to collect information from nurses and their employers for analysis and to forecast nurse supply and demand in Florida. Additionally, this data will be used to develop strategic solutions to the nursing shortage, influence policy, and will be made available to the public. If contacted, please assist their efforts by responding.

Two New Programs Added to FAHSA's Housing Track during Convention - On Tuesday, July 31, 2007, Debra Varley, Project Manager, Jacksonville HUD, and Shawn Steen, Director, North Tampa Housing Development Corporation (NTHDC), will be discussing how to prepare budgets for Service Coordinators, including Service Coordinator budgets that are paid from operations as well as through grant programs and other budget issues. Mary Ross, President, Ross Business Development, will be discussing the new Change 2 to the 4350.3 HUD Handbook during an afternoon session at FAHSA's 44th Annual Convention and Exposition on Wednesday, August 1, 2007.

The convention will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek, 9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando, FL. Register now to attend the entire convention, or attend for the day.

Other Housing News:

• Change 2 Released - Order Your New Handbooks Now
• More MOR Training Questions Answered Relating to Social Security Numbers
• Watch Your Mail for Upcoming Workshop Brochures
• Weekend Reading: Several New Reports Issued
• HUD Issues Proposed 2008 Fair Market Rents
• House Passes Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2007
• Summary of 2008 Housing Bill Issued
• FAHSA's Vacancy Report
• Question of the Week: Using Reserves? - See HUD's Letter

NEW! FAHSA Educational Programming for HCBS Providers - This year, for the first time, FAHSA is offering educational programming specifically designed for providers of home and community-based services. FAHSA is an approved continuing education provider for nurses, pharmacists, and clinical social workers.

HCBS Sessions at FAHSA's Annual 44th Convention and Exposition! A special HCBS Track has been designed for the afternoon of Wednesday, August 1. The first, "Hospice in Long Term Care: A Win-Win-Win", will examine ways that Hospice providers and other organizations serving the aging community can work together to create a synergy that benefits the organization, the Hospice, and the seniors receiving services. The second session, "Elder Abuse", will explore methods of developing a comprehensive elder abuse prevention and intervention program by utilizing existing internal and external resources. Other courses of interest to HCBS providers can be found throughout the week in our general, leadership, activity director, clinical, and service coordinator tracks. Please see our online Convention Brochure for more information on these courses and to register now!

Mark Your Calendars for FAHSA's Premier HCBS Workshop September 18-19, 2007! Join us Tuesday afternoon for our first HCBS Workshop to learn about:

• Risk Management: Legal issues relating to staff screening, training and supervision, and contractual protections your organization can use to protect itself from costly litigation;
• Family/Private Caregiver Support and Intervention: Tips for preventing caregiver burnout, monitoring and reporting negligent or abusive caregiver relationships, and minimizing risk and legal liability for caregiver issues;
• Home Safety for Seniors Aging in Place

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion on the role of HCBS in the future of aging services.

Wednesday, September 19, will feature a joint workshop for HCBS providers and Service Coordinators. Topics addressed will include:

• Disability Services: Legal, liability and ethical issues relating to limitations on the types of advice and services your organization can provide (i.e. Wills, DNROs, Conflict Resolution);
• An introduction to the CARES program;
• A primer on Medicare, Medicaid, HMOs and Insurance;
• An update on Aging Resource Centers; and
• An exploration of the Communities for a Lifetime Program.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn, earn continuing education credits, network with HCBS and housing professionals, and participate in discussions that will help shape how FAHSA and its members approach HCBS in the future. Look for registration information in your mail and online at www.fahsa.org next week. Please contact Heather McInnis, Esq., FAHSA's HCBS Director, at (850) 671-3700 (ext. 21) or via e-mail at hmcinnis@fahsa.o rg with any questions, comments or suggestions.

New CMS Survey and Cert Letter: LSC - Use of FSES for Canopies/Overhangs - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) issued a letter to modify the previous Survey and Certification Letter, Clarification of Life Safety Code Survey Issues in Nursing Homes, 07/14/05. The previous letter included a Q and A to clarify CMS policy regarding LSC issues dealing with sprinklering of wardrobes/closets; requirements for surfacing of exit discharge pathways; and requirements for the sprinklering canopies in nursing homes.

The new letter clarifies the use of the Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES) when determining compliance with the LSC where canopies or overhangs are not sprinklered. Read this week's Nursing Home Alert for more information. For more on this issue and those listed below, please access the latest Nursing Home Alert, NH 07-20 dated 7/19/07.

Check Out March Changes to RAI User's Manual-- If you have not already done so, be sure to download the latest changes to the RAI User's Manual. The few changes that are made are important! READ THE CHANGES

Other Nursing Homes News:

• AHCA to Start QIS Off-Hours Surveys
• More on QIS
• OSCAR Data Reports Available for Second Quarter of 2007
• Comparison of 2005 and 2006 CMS Enforcement Actions for Florida Nursing Homes
• CMS Special Open Door Forum on the Post Acute Care Payment Reform Demonstration
• Article Notes Benefits of Family Councils

Practical Advice for Closing HUD-Insured Loans -- Various steps must be completed after firm commitment issuance and before closing to access the efficient capital available through HUD. Understanding them can smooth the process. Read the entire article click HERE.

FAHSA's Preferred Business Associates Program (PBAs) -- A list of PBAs can be found by on the FAHSA Web site www.fahsa.org and selecting Preferred Business Associates from the left side menu bar. FAHSA members can also use the on- line directory to search for PBAs by specialty.

FAHSA is pleased to provide an opportunity for you to advertise your "position wanted" or "position available" through the FAHSA Link newsletter and on our Web Page.

FAHSA members may use the Job Mart services at no charge. A nominal fee of $25 will be charged to nonmembers.

Your Job Mart advertisement will be displayed on our Web site for approximately three months. The FAHSA Link is published weekly and distributed to our membership which is comprised of nursing homes, CCRCs, HUD housing, assisted living facilities, independent living facilities and companies/firms.

To reserve advertisement space in our Job Mart program, please complete the application and fax it to FAHSA at (850) 671-3790 or E-mail it to jcopeland@fahsa.org