AMDA Experts, Public To Gather at Town Hall Meeting

Abstract

The “town hall” meeting is now more popular than ever. Politicians, national organizations, and community groups are holding these types of public events to encourage relationships with the public and give people a chance to connect with experts and leaders, ask questions, and address key issues. The AMDA Foundation, in partnership with the City of Louisville, Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the University of Louisville, is holding a town hall at AMDA's annual conference this month. The Louisville-area public, including post-acute/long-term care stakeholders, are encouraged to participate in the “AMDA Foundation Town Hall: Learning About Quality Long-Term Care for You & Your Loved Ones.” “The public needs to understand the role of PA/LTC physicians and how they can work with these practitioners to optimize care,” said Paul Katz, MD, CMD, foundation chair and AMDA past-president. “Individuals interested in learning about taking care of loved ones in long-term care, long-term care for themselves, or caring for elders in general, are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to interact with leading health care experts.” Dr. Katz will moderate a panel of LTC experts who not only treat patients, but have made the tough decisions related to long-term care and patients’ families. The panel, comprising LTC medical directors, physicians, nurses, and a representative from Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer's office, will give brief presentations on their experiences in the roles of both professionals and family members. Audience members will be encouraged to ask questions afterwards. “The key to providing quality long-term care is not solely educated and experienced medical professionals,” Dr. Katz told Caring for the Ages. “It's open communication and engagement between those professionals and proactive patients and families. We invite residents of Louisville and the surrounding area not only to learn, but to begin the conversations vital to providing our loved ones with the highest quality of care.” “I'm driven to be a part of this by my passion about the importance of getting out positive messages about post-acute/long-care,” said panelist Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, MD. “We will offer information the public needs to know about issues such as short- vs. long-stay, the difference between long-term, post-acute, and acute care, and reimbursement issues. We also will talk about the players on the interdisciplinary team, who they are, what they do, and what activities they're responsible for, as well as what families and patients can expect as they move through the continuum.” Dr. Resnick hopes to dispel some myths and misunderstandings. “We hope to get past people's negative biases and beliefs about long-term care. Many believe that home is the best place to be and that their loved one will get better care there than in a nursing home. It is important for them to understand that your home can be a very scary, dangerous, and lonely place when you are very sick, physically frail, and cognitively impaired.” “There is a big need to let the public know we [AMDA] exist, that we stand for high quality in nursing homes, and that our AMDA members bring this quality of care to nursing homes,” said JAMDA Editor in Chief John Morley, MD. “We share the common goal of ensuring quality care and quality of life for our facility residents, so it is key that we have partnerships with families and other consumers,” Dr. Katz said. “We not only can work together to maximize the comfort, happiness, and safety of their loved ones. We also can partner to ensure legislators understand the issues that impact care in this setting.” Connecting with families and other consumers will only improve care and benefit everyone, said Dr. Resnick. “We will consider this successful if participants leave with a better understanding about and attitudes toward post-acute/long-term care.” The town hall is scheduled for 12:30-2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 21, at the Kentucky International Convention Center, 221 S. Fourth St., Louisville. —Joanne Kaldy