For You, the Consumer...
The mission of a NAB member state regulatory board or agency includes public protection of the residents of America’s nursing homes and assisted living communities. As such, the NAB strives to support member boards and agencies in carrying out their mission through the development and provision of standards, shared resources, and tools to assist them in their role of licensure of nursing home and assisted living administrators.
The NAB conducts periodic research on the role delineation of long term care administration to determine the knowledge, skills and task of an administrator. The results of this research project, known as a job analysis study, is the basis for preparing administrators to enter the profession and to continue competency throughout their career. The domains of practice that result from the job analysis study are used to establish curriculum for academic programs, for administrator in training programs, for licensure examinations and for evaluation of continuing education programs.
The NAB and the Foundation of the NAB support and participate in collaborative initiatives to enhance the quality of care in America’s long term care communities in the interest of public protection. There are many organizations that represent consumer interests and support collaborative initiatives in the interest of public protection and quality care. As a consumer you may find the following links of interest should you want to participate in these initiatives or seek resources as a consumer of long term care services:
AARP
AARP is a nonprofit membership organization of persons 50 and older dedicated to addressing their needs and interests.
Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes
A new coalition based, two-year campaign that launched in September 2006. The campaign is reinvigorating efforts to improve the quality of care and quality of life for those living or recuperating in America's nursing homes.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
The CMS' Mission is to ensure effective, up-to-date health care coverage and to promote quality care for beneficiaries
Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living
The Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living (CCAL) is the only national consumer education and advocacy organization focused on the needs, rights and protection of assisted living consumers, their caregivers & loved ones. CCAL educates consumers, trains professionals, and advocates for assisted living issues. CCAL works collaboratively with a broad spectrum of people and organizations to support quality assisted living, and provide options for individuals with low incomes.
National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform
The National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR) was formed because of public concern about substandard care in nursing homes. NCCNHR is the outgrowth of work first achieved by advocates working for Ralph Nader and later for the National Gray Panthers. Elma Holder, NCCNHR Founder, was working with The Long Term Care Action Project of the Gray Panthers when she organized a group meeting of advocates from across the country to attend a nursing home industry conference in Washington, D.C. in 1975. At that meeting, representatives of 12 citizen action groups spoke collectively to the industry about the need for serious reform in nursing home conditions. The consumer attendees were inspired to develop a platform of common concerns and motivated to form a new organization to represent the consumer voice at the national level. Most of the original members had witnessed and endured personal experiences with substandard nursing home conditions.
National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center
The National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center provides support, technical assistance and training to the 53 State Long Term Care Ombudsman Programs and their statewide networks of almost 600 regional (local) programs. The Center's objectives are to enhance the skills, knowledge and management capacity of the State programs to enable them to handle residents' complaints and represent resident interests (individual and systemic advocacy). Funded by the Administration on Aging (AoA), the Center is operated by the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR), in cooperation with the National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA).